This chicken soup recipe is loaded with flavors of the Southwest with chunky chicken, fire roasted tomatoes, roasted poblanos, corn, black beans and warming spices. One of my favorites.
The Best Chicken Soup Recipe with Flavors of the Southwest!
Chicken soup is in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends! Only you know I can't make your typical chicken soup. Chicken soup is great, and everyone loves a good chicken noodle soup, but for people like us - we need some extra flavor.
Today we're giving our chicken soup a southwest spin with a combination of zesty southwest seasonings and roasted poblano peppers. Roasted poblano peppers deliver a huge flavor boost to this quick and easy hearty soup, and with the addition of the seasoning blend, this is going to be your new favorite chicken soup.
You'll never be able to go back to mom's boring chicken soup recipe again. We're talking Southwest Chicken Soup!
This chicken soup is much more rustic and hearty version with lots of chunky ingredients, perfect for the cooler weather to help you warm the bones and fill the bellies. We're talking awesome comfort food here, my friends, only it's very healthy and quite low calorie.
Let's talk about how to make southwest chicken soup, shall we?
Southwest Chicken Soup Ingredients
- Poblano Peppers.
- Olive Oil. For cooking.
- Chicken. Use chicken breast, chicken thighs, or a combination.
- Extra Vegetables. Onion, jalapeno, garlic, corn.
- Black Beans.
- Seasonings. Use your favorite southwest seasoning blend, or see the recipe notes for a homemade version and alternatives.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes.
- Chicken Broth.
- For Serving. Fresh chopped green onion, spicy chili flakes or red pepper flakes.
How to Make Southwest Chicken Soup - the Recipe Method
Roast the Poblano Peppers. You can learn how to roast chili peppers here, or How to Roast Poblano Peppers, but here is a simple broiler method.
ONE: First, set your oven to broil. Set the poblano peppers onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.
TWO: Broil them for 10-15 minutes, or until the skins puff up and char and loosen from the pepper flesh. Flip them halfway through the process to get both sides. Remove them from the oven and let them cool enough to handle.
THREE: Peel off the skins with your fingers, or use a paper towel to gently rub them off. They should remove easily. Chop up the roasted poblano peppers and set them aside.
MAKE THE SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SOUP:
Onion and Jalapenos. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion and jalapeno peppers. Cook them down for 5 minutes to soften.
Cook the Chicken. Rough chop the chicken so it is nice and chunky. You want bite sized pieces.
Season it with 1/2 tablespoon southwest seasoning blend, then cook the chicken in the pot at medium-high heat, stirring, until the chicken is mostly cooked through, 5-6 minutes.
Garlic and Seasonings. Stir in the garlic and remaining southwest seasonings and cook another minute, until you can smell that gorgeous garlic.
Remaining Ingredients. Stir in the roasted poblano peppers, fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken broth, and chopped chicken.
Simmer the Soup. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors develop. You can simmer longer if you'd like. I often simmer for 1 hour.
Serve the Chicken Soup. Serve the chunky chicken soup in bowls and garnish with fresh chopped green onions and red pepper flakes.
Boom! Easy enough, isn't it? This southwest chicken soup is different from other chicken soups because of all the wonderful seasonings we're using, and particularly the wonderful, earthy roasted poblano peppers, corn and black beans. You can't match the flavor of roasted poblanos.
So good! Such a great recipe.
Serve it up and garnish!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Soup. You can easily make this recipe in a slow cooker or crock pot. Simply roast the peppers and cook down the ingredients per the recipe instructions, then set everything into a slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours, or on high for 1-2 hours, until everything is cooked through and nice and hot.
- Southwest Seasonings. Use your favorite store bought blend, or use the following: 2 teaspoons chili powder (ancho powder is GREAT here, as is chipotle powder), 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, salt and black pepper to taste. I also like to sometimes include bay leaves for additional flavor, as well as lemon peel.
- Fixings & Toppings. Try this with shredded cheese and/or a dollop of sour cream or Mexican crema.
- Additions. You can easily add more substance to this soup with other ingredients. Some ideas include white beans like great northern beans or kidney beans, extra chicken, cooked rice, or some pasta noodles for chicken noodle soup. Save time by using rotisserie chicken. Squeeze in fresh lime juice for a flavor pop.
Storage & Leftovers
Store any leftover chicken soup in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days. You can easily rewarm it gently on the stovetop in a pot to enjoy again.
You can also freeze chicken soup for 3 months or longer in freezer containers.
Where Can I Buy Southwest Seasonings?
You can usually find a good blend at your local grocer, or make it easy and buy Southwest Seasonings from Amazon (affiliate link, my friends!).
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my southwest chicken soup recipe! Extra roasted poblano peppers for me, please!
Try Some of My Other Popular Soup Recipes
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Roasted Poblano Soup
- Loaded Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Cajun Carrot Soup
- Spicy Pumpkin Soup
- Creamy Roasted Hatch Chile Soup
- 30-Minute Sweet Potato Soup
- Cheesy Guajillo-Potato Soup
- Sweet Pepper-Sweet Corn Chowder
- Spicy Sausage Soup
- Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- See all of my Spicy Soup Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Southwest-Style Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 poblano peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breast or chicken thighs or both!, rough chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons southwest seasoning blend see the recipe notes for a homemade version and alternatives
- 28 ounces fire roasted tomatoes 2 14-ounce cans
- 1 can black beans
- 8 ounces corn
- 2 cups chicken broth or more as desired for a thinner soup
- FOR SERVING: Fresh chopped green onion, spicy chili flakes or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- First, roast the poblano peppers. Set your oven to broil. Set the poblano peppers onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Broil them for 10-15 minutes, or until the skins puff up and char and loosen from the pepper flesh. Flip them halfway through the process to get both sides. Remove them from the oven and cool slightly. Peel off the skins, rough chop then set them aside.
- Next, heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and jalapeno pepper. Cook them down for 5 minutes to soften.
- Rough chop the chicken so it is nice and chunky. Season it with 1/2 tablespoon southwest seasoning blend, then cook the chicken in the pot, stirring, until it is mostly cooked through, 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and remaining southwest seasonings and cook another minute, until you can smell that gorgeous garlic.
- Stir in the roasted poblano peppers, fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken broth, and chopped chicken.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors develop. You can simmer longer if you'd like. I often simmer for 1 hour.
- Serve the chunky chicken soup in bowls and garnish with fresh chopped green onions and red pepper flakes.
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 11/29/21 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on 1/8/20.
Jo says
This looks delish! Making tomorrow with your suggestion for making in crockpot. I want to use whole chicken beast so I can shred it. Can I brown the breast first then add to crockpot? Thanks for the recipe.
Mike H. says
Absolutely, Jo. That will add extra flavor to it. Enjoy!