Southwest Chicken Soup
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Make this hearty, flavorful Southwest Chicken Soup in one pot, in 45 minutes, on the stovetop! It’s an easy recipe that’s sure to be a hit with the entire family! This healthy soup is perfect for warming up on a cold winter day, or making quickly for a busy weeknight meal!
Table of contents
Imagine a steaming bowl of soup, rich with the flavors of the Southwest, warming you up on a chilly evening. Now add tender chunks of chicken, hearty beans, sweet corn, and a medley of spices that dance on your palate with every spoonful. This, my friends, is the irresistible taste of southwest chicken soup!
This soup is so easy to make, and even easier if you use shredded rotisserie chicken! This will give you a delicious soup in just 30 minutes. This soup is packed with vitamins and fiber, it’s gluten free and full of flavor! Using my signature southwest seasoning adds a smoky, spicy taste to the soup that you’re going to love.
Overall, this soup recipe is healthy, scrumptious, and naturally gluten free, a winning combination!
Ingredients
- Olive oil – or another neutral-flavored oil, used to cook the veggies.
- Onion – I like to use a yellow onion for it’s neutral flavor, but a red onion will add a little more “spice” and is also delicious in this recipe.
- Red bell pepper – a green, yellow or orange bell pepper will also work in this recipe. I simply prefer the red bell pepper, as it’s slightly sweeter than the other varieties.
- Jalapeno – to add spice and flavor to the base of the soup. If you’re sensitive to spice, feel free to leave out this ingredient, or replace it with green bell pepper.
- Garlic – I recommend fresh minced cloves for the best flavor.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – or you could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Chicken broth – you can make your own at home with bouillon, or purchase a box of chicken broth at the grocery store. If using low-sodium chicken broth, I recommend tasting the soup before it’s served and adding salt to taste.
- Diced tomatoes with green chiles – if you live in the midwest, you might just call this “Rotel”. I use the original variety for this recipe, but mild or hot versions can also be used, to tone up or down the spice level.
- Southwest seasoning – this is the secret ingredient in this southwest chicken soup recipe that adds a ton of flavor to the dish! Click the link for my homemade spice blend that you can mix up in just 5 minutes with ingredients like chipotle powder, ground cumin and salt. It’s smoky, spicy and so flavorful! In a pinch, you could use homemade taco seasoning instead, or pick up premade southwest seasoning, or taco seasoning at the grocery store.
- Hot sauce – to spice up this soup, I added a tablespoon of Cholula. Feel free to use your favorite hot sauce brand. And if you want a soup with less spice, you can reduce or omit the hot sauce in this recipe.
- Tomato paste – this ingredient adds a wonderful umami flavor to the soup, helps thicken the broth and adds a hint of natural sweetness.
- Corn – for this recipe I used a drained can of corn, but you could also use two cups of frozen corn instead.
- Black beans – you’ll need two 15 ounce cans of black beans for this recipe. Using canned beans helps this soup recipe come together in just 45 minutes.
- Lime juice – finishing this soup with this tangy acidity really balances out the spice of the soup. Be sure to mix it in at the very end to get the most flavor from the fresh-squeezed lime juice.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this southwest chicken soup recipe easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook the veggies. Heat olive oil in a large pot, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, bell pepper, and minced jalapenos. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Sear the chicken. Move the veggies to one side of the pan. Add the chicken breast and sear on both sides for 2-3 minutes, or until it’s lightly browned on the outside.
- Add broth and season. Pour chicken broth and diced tomatoes with green chiles into the pot. Season with the Southwest seasoning and hot sauce.
- Add beans and corn, and simmer the soup. Drain and rinse the cans of black beans, and add them to the pot. Drain the can of corn and add it to the pot, along with the tomato paste. Stir all of the ingredients together and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, cover the soup with a lid, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the soup for 30 minutes.
- Remove and shred the chicken. After 30 minutes, use tongs to remove the chicken breast from the soup and place it on a cutting board. Dice or shred the chicken.
- Finish the soup. Add the chicken back to the soup, along with fresh-squeezed lime juice. Stir to combine everything then serve the soup.
What to serve with it
This southwest chicken soup recipe is delicious served with a variety of toppings and side dishes. Try it with any of these ideas and recipes!
- Topping ideas
- Diced avocado
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapenos
- Diced onions
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Shredded cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese
- Dollop of sour cream
- Crumbled cotija cheese
- Tortilla strips
- Side dish recipes and ideas
- Mexican pickled vegetables
- Tortilla chips and salsa
Recipe tips
- Using the ingredients listed in this recipe, the soup is naturally gluten free and dairy free, without any toppings. If you want to keep it dairy-free, I recommend adding avocado on top for creaminess, instead of cheese or sour cream.
- This recipe has a medium-to-high spice level, depending on how sensitive you are to spice. To reduce the spice, reduce the hot sauce to one teaspoon, instead of one tablespoon. To omit almost all of the spice, do not add any hot sauce or jalapenos. The southwest seasoning will bring a mild spice level to the soup.
- To make this soup with rotisserie chicken, instead of searing a raw chicken breast, simply stir in 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken with the beans and corn. Since you won’t be cooking the chicken in the soup, you’ll only need to simmer it for 15 minutes, instead of 30 minutes.
- To make a Chili’s copycat recipe of their Southwest Chicken Soup, replace the corn with a can of hominy, and omit the black beans.
- To make a copycat Panera Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe, add 1 cup of roasted poblano peppers to the soup.
- If you want to thicken the broth of the soup, I recommend adding a cornstarch slurry at the end. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water, or chicken broth. Pour this mixture into the soup after the cooking time, along with the lime juice, and stir to combine.
- To make a creamy southwest chicken soup, add 8 ounces of cubed cream cheese at the end with the lime juice. Stir the soup until the cheese has melted in and the soup is nice and creamy.
- To double this recipe, simply click on the 2X button in the recipe card below. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update. This is great for making a big batch of southwest chicken soup for a party, or if you want to freeze a second batch for a future meal. I promise, future you will thank you!
How to make it in a slow cooker
This recipe is also easy to make in a Crock Pot, or slow cooker. If you want to set it and forget it, try this method, instead of cooking the southwest chicken soup on the stove.
- Cook the veggies in a skillet on the stove, and sear the chicken, just like the recipe is written. Transfer the veggies and chicken breast to a slow cooker and turn off the heat on the stove.
- Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes with green chiles, black beans, southwest seasoning, hot sauce, tomato paste and corn to the slow cooker. Stir to combine everything.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Before serving, use tongs to remove the chicken breast from the slow cooker, shred it on a cutting board, then add it back to the slow cooker with the lime juice. Stir and serve.
Storage and reheating
Store leftover southwest chicken soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
The soup can be reheated in a pot on the stove over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also add the soup to a slow cooker and reheat on low for 1 hour.
To reheat the soup in the microwave, place a single serving of southwest chicken soup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated throughout.
You can also freeze leftover southwest chicken soup for up to 4 months. After the soup is cooked, let it cool before moving it to the freezer. To allow it to cool safely, place it in the refrigerator first.
Once cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer safe Ziplock bag. Flatten the soup in the freezer bag for quicker and easier defrosting. When it’s time to defrost the soup, I recommend placing it in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours to thaw.
After it’s thawed, place it in a slow cooker on low heat for 3-4 hours to reheat. You can also reheat the soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat for 20-30 minutes.
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Southwest Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 29 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies, 2 (14.5 ounce) cans
- 2 tablespoons southwest seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 1 tablespoon cholula, or other hot sauce
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 15 ounce can corn, drained
- 30 ounce black beans, two 15 ounce cans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, bell pepper and jalapeno, cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Move the veggies to one side of the pot, then add the chicken breast to the other side of the pot and sear on both sides for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Add the chicken broth and diced tomatoes with green chilies, season with the southwest seasoning and cholula.
- Add the can of tomato paste, corn and black beans, stir to combine everything.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
- After the cooking time, remove the lid, use tongs to remove the chicken breast from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Shred the chicken and add it back to the pot with the lime juice. Stir to combine everything, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Using the ingredients listed in this recipe, the soup is naturally gluten free and dairy free, without any toppings. If you want to keep it dairy-free, I recommend adding avocado on top for creaminess, instead of cheese or sour cream.
- This recipe has a medium-to-high spice level, depending on how sensitive you are to spice. To reduce the spice, reduce the hot sauce to one teaspoon, instead of one tablespoon. To omit almost all of the spice, do not add any hot sauce or jalapenos. The southwest seasoning will bring a mild spice level to the soup.
- To make this soup with rotisserie chicken, instead of searing a raw chicken breast, simply stir in 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken with the beans and corn. Since you won’t be cooking the chicken in the soup, you’ll only need to simmer it for 15 minutes, instead of 30 minutes.
- To make a creamy southwest chicken soup, add 8 ounces of cubed cream cheese at the end with the lime juice. Stir the soup until the cheese has melted in and the soup is nice and creamy.
- To double this recipe, simply click on the 2X button above. The ingredient amounts will automatically update. This is great for making a big batch of southwest chicken soup for a party, or if you want to freeze a second batch for a future meal.
- To make this soup in a slow cooker, refer to the blog post above for instructions.
- Store leftover southwest chicken soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. The soup can be reheated in a pot on the stove over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also add the soup to a slow cooker and reheat on low for 1 hour. To reheat the soup in the microwave, place a single serving of southwest chicken soup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated throughout.
- You can also freeze leftover southwest chicken soup for up to 4 months. After the soup is cooked, let it cool before moving it to the freezer. To allow it to cool safely, place it in the refrigerator first. Once cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer safe Ziplock bag. Flatten the soup in the freezer bag for quicker and easier defrosting. When it’s time to defrost the soup, I recommend placing it in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours to thaw. After it’s thawed, place it in a slow cooker on low heat for 3-4 hours to reheat. You can also reheat the soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat for 20-30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
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