Low histamine sweet potato and chicken soup recipe (gluten-free, dairy-free)

There are a handful of recipes I come back to over and over when the week gets busy and I need something quick, filling, and reliably safe. This sweet potato and chicken soup is one of them. It is thick, warm, nutrient-dense, and takes about 45 minutes from start to table, most of which is hands-off simmering time.

Fresh chicken is one of the most reliably low histamine proteins, as long as it is genuinely fresh and has not been sitting in the fridge for days before cooking. The sweet potato adds a natural sweetness and a good amount of potassium, which a lot of people eating a low histamine diet fall short on when they reduce their vegetable intake trying to stay safe.

For a strict low histamine version, use homemade vegetable stock or short-cooked chicken stock. Commercial stocks are almost universally high histamine.

Sweet potato and chicken soup

• Prep time: 15 mins
• Cook time: approx 30 mins
• Total time: 45 mins
• Serves: 4 or more

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Healthy fats
• Low histamine option

Ingredients:

• 5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 300-500g pastured chicken breast
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 large red onion
• 2 medium orange sweet potatoes (about 500g)
• 2 large carrots (about 200g)
• 3 ribs celery
• 1 bunch coarsely chopped parsley to make 1/4 cup, loosely packed
• 2 tsp dried or 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

1. chop onion, garlic and celery finely.
2. add to a large saucepan with 1 tbsp butter and cook for 3-5 minutes on a low heat.
3. add the chicken stock to the pan and bring to the boil over high heat.
4. peel and chop sweet potato into 1 cm chunks.
5. peel and chop the carrot finely.
6. add the sweet potato, carrot, thyme and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and bring back to the boil.
7. simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.
8. remove from heat. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
9. while soup is cooling, cut the raw chicken into 1 cm pieces. Set aside.
10. use a stick mixer to blend the sweet potato into a smooth mixture. If you like it chunky then only blend half the mixture. (If you don’t have a stick mixer then place one-quarter of soup in the jug of a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a clean saucepan. Repeat with remaining soup in three more batches.)
11. bring soup back to the boil over medium heat.
12. add chicken and parsley and cook for 3-5 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
13. remove from heat and season with extra salt and pepper to taste.
14. If you are including dairy in your diet, you can add a swirl of sour cream when serving.

Why fresh chicken matters for histamine intolerance

Chicken is one of the most reliably tolerated proteins for people with histamine intolerance, but only when it is genuinely fresh. Histamine and other biogenic amines form in protein as it ages, which means the same piece of chicken sitting in the back of the fridge for three days is meaningfully higher in histamine than it was the day it was purchased.

The practical rule: buy fresh and cook the same day or the next day. If you cannot do that, freeze it immediately after purchase and defrost when needed. Avoid pre-marinated chicken, because marinades almost always contain vinegar, citrus juice, or other high histamine ingredients.

Sweet potato does not have this problem. It is reliably low histamine regardless of how long it has been in the vegetable drawer.

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Frequently asked questions

Is sweet potato low histamine?

Yes. Orange sweet potato is listed as a low histamine food on most food guides and is generally well tolerated by people with histamine intolerance and MCAS. It is also a good source of potassium, vitamin A, and B vitamins.

Which stock should I use?

For strict low histamine, use homemade vegetable stock or chicken stock cooked for 2 hours or under, or pressure cooked for 30 minutes. Both recipes are on this site. The shorter the cooking time for meat-based stocks, the lower the histamine. Commercial stocks are almost always high histamine due to yeast extract and other additives.

Can I use other vegetables in this soup?

Yes. Zucchini, parsnip, leek, and cauliflower all work well in this soup and are all low histamine. Avoid tomatoes, which are high histamine, and pumpkin, which is moderate histamine. If you are unsure whether a vegetable is safe, the free Low Histamine Foods Guide at happywithouthistamine.com/recommends has a full reference.

Can I meal prep this soup?

Yes. Make a full batch and store in glass containers in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze in portions immediately after cooling. For histamine intolerance, freezing is a better strategy than refrigerating cooked food for extended periods, as histamine levels continue to increase in food over time.

Is this soup suitable for MCAS?

Yes, when made with fresh ingredients and homemade stock. Use fresh chicken cooked on the day, homemade stock, and avoid any commercially prepared additions. MCAS varies significantly between individuals, so if you are newly managing MCAS, introducing new recipes one at a time helps identify any ingredients that cause reactions for you specifically.

More low histamine soups

See also: Low histamine cauliflower and kale soup, Low histamine pumpkin and coriander soup, and Low histamine vegetable stock recipe on this site.

About the author

Luanne Hopkinson (GradDipHumNutr, BSc, ADipNutrMed, MRC Healthy Gut Practitioner) is a clinical nutritionist and neuroplasticity coach specialising in histamine intolerance and MCAS. She is the founder of Happy Without Histamine and creator of the 5R Histamine Modulation Protocol. She works with women across Australia and internationally, drawing on 20 years of background in IT project management to treat histamine intolerance as the systems problem it actually is. nutrition + neuroscience

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