Green Chili Chicken Soup
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Green Chili Chicken Soup will keep you warm on chilly days. Full of protein with plenty of chicken and white beans, this easy soup also has some spice. Tailor it to your taste buds!
Soup Season at our home looks like a constant rotations of flavors and textures. We love a spicy Turkey Taco Soup, some delicious Sweet Potato Curry Soup, or this healthy Easy Ground Beef Soup with Vegetables any given night of the week!
Chicken Chili
NOTE: This recipe has been updated with a few changes from the original.
It’s Winter here in Texas, and by that I mean it’s anywhere from 30 degrees to 75. My blood has definitely thinned since moving south some 27+ years ago. I grew up in Iowa, and below zero days are something that I’ll never forget. Wearing a scarf wasn’t for looks on those days. It was to protect the moisture in your nostrils from freezing as you stepped outside.
This soup is SO many things:
- Lean – with lots of chicken and white beans
- Simple to make – easy to make in under an hour
- Slightly spicy – jalapeño, chilis, and salsa verde (but easy to adapt)
- With so much flavor – you’ll be making this one again and again!
Don’t forget to sprinkle this soup with all the toppings – chips, avocado, sour cream and/or shredded cheese!
Ingredients needed for Green Chili Chicken Soup:
- Chicken – I used about 2 1/2 pounds of chicken breast.
- Veggies – Onion, jalapeno, and garlic.
- Olive Oil and Seasonings (cumin, onion powder, salt, and pepper)
- Broth – I prefer to use lower-sodium chicken broth.
- Salsa Verde – A green salsa, otherwise knows as tomatillo salsa.
- Beans – White Beans for the win!
- Chilis – A can of green chilis – either medium or hot. You decide.
How to make Green Chili Chicken Soup:
- Sauté veggies. In a medium stock pot, heat olive oil to medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeño, and sauté until slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken and seasonings. Then add the cubed chicken breast and the seasonings (cumin, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well, and cook 5-6 minutes, browning the chicken slightly as you go.
3. Add remaining ingredients. Add the chicken broth, salsa verde, white beans, and green chilis. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until chicken is completely done, about 15 minutes. A digital thermometer should read 165 degrees when done.
4. Shred chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred (when cool enough to handle it). Place shredded back in the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes or until hot.
5. Serve. Serve the soup with chips, avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese.
Possible Variations to this soup recipe:
- Use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own. It won’t save you a lot of time, but both ways are delicious.
- Adapt the spice level. You can easily leave out the jalapeño, use less cumin (although it is more smokey than spicy), use mild chilis and salsa verde.
- Use different beans. I prefer white beans in this soup, but you could try others if you’d like.
- Vegetable broth works instead of chicken broth.
- You could also use chicken thighs instead of breasts. Or a combo would be good too.
Other delicious soup recipes for you to try next:
Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)
Make this soup next: Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms
xoxo ~Sue
Green Chili Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion – diced
- 1 medium jalapeno – diced (and de-seeded if too spicy)
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 4-5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 1 4 oz. can green chili peppers – mild (or hot)
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut into 2 inch cubes
- 30 oz. cans cannellini beans
- avocado slices, tortilla strips, sour cream, shredded cheese – to serve
Instructions
- In a large stock pan, heat olive oil to medium heat. Add diced onion and jalapeño, and sauté until softened, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Then add the chicken, cumin, onion powder, salt, and pepper and saute for 5-6 minutes, until chicken is slightly browned.
- Add chicken broth, beans, salsa verde, and green chilies, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken to shred. Add it back to pot and simmer on low for another 10 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust according to your tastes.
- Serve with optional garnishes – cilantro, avocado slices, tortilla strips, sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced jalapeño, etc.
Notes
- Rotisserie chicken can be used for a shortcut.
- You can use any kind of beans.
- Tailor the spice level by adjusting the jalapeños, green chilis, salsa verde, and cumin.
- Leftovers are great for up to five days, stored in the refrigerator.
I used two jalapeños (we like it spicy!) & a rotisserie chicken. I also added a cup of rice right before the last simmer. This was absolutely delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
I had been eying this recipe for a while and finally got around to making it this weekend. It was delicious! And the leftovers made for a perfect lunch on this rainy Monday afternoon.
I will definitely be making this recipe again and adding more spice next time!
So great to hear, Brynn!
Made this a few nights ago and realized I should have doubled it. It made enough for a few meals, but my husband and I are pretty big soup and chili fans and I would have liked more leftovers. Tickled me to see my three-year-old grand daughter gobble it up too. She wanted to try it, so I gave her a small amount because I had left some of the seeds in it and thought it would be too spicy for her. Served it with cheese, sour cream and chips of course, and she asked for more. She said, “I like spicy food Grandma”.
This soup was great! Modified it slightly to cook in my Instant Pot (continuing to justify that purchase) but otherwise followed you to the letter! Very flavorful and perfect for this fall day!
Hi Linda! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this soup. One of our favorites!
We finally made your famous chicken chili. I ate so much I will be miserable for hours. Delicious. You got 7 thumbs up from our table of 4. Abigail is still debating on the 8th thumb.
Haha! Maybe Abigail needed more spice?! I’m glad ya’ll enjoyed it. 🙂
So good. With all of this Texas cold weather, I was looking for a new soup and this was great and easy. I used Rotessiere chicken from Sam’s Club that I had at home. Will definitely make it again!!!
Yes, this one is a winner for cold weather! Great idea to use a shortcut too, Michelle!
Loved it!! Even Jonathan liked it (he’s not much for beans) so I said next time I’d make a double batch with some thigh meat as well.
That’s a great idea, Shari! 🙂
We made this tonight and will for sure make again! I had already had chicken cooking in broth in the instant pot before decided on what to do with it, so I modified a bit. I got the rest of it going, and then added my shredded chicken (and the broth) in. Next time, I’ll make it as stated here or else try to do the whole thing in the Instant Pot. Delicious AND healthy – awesome!!
Hi Sadie! I’m glad ya’ll enjoyed it! I just got an instant pot so am still experimenting with it. 🙂
Whoaza! I get all of that for 371 calories! Sold!
Yup!! 🙂