Southwest Chicken Soup

There’s a soup for every season: chicken tortilla soup to celebrate summer, butternut squash soup when the leaves change color, and lentil soup when the cold weather rolls in. But this Southwest Chicken Soup is great for any time of year! The hearty chicken and smoky enchilada sauce in each bowl are warming while the fresh vegetables and lime juice are so light and zesty.

Enjoy this soup solo for lunch or serve it with jalapeño cornbread and avocado salad for a well-rounded dinner. Whatever way you decide to enjoy this dish, you’ll end the meal feeling full and with a smile on your face.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to how you choose to build and garnish this southwestern soup! Not a fan of black beans? Substitute pinto, great northern, or garbanzo beans instead. Got some soup snobs in your family? Top this soup with Mexican crema, cheese, avocado chunks, and tortilla strips to make everyone happy.

How to make southwest chicken soup

1. Saute the veggies and chicken: Cook the onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a large soup pot with some oil. Once they’re tender, add the chicken, salt, and pepper.
2. Add additional soup ingredients: Add the tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken broth, enchilada sauce, chipotle peppers, paprika, coriander, and the bay leaf to the pot. Stir until combined. 
3. Let the flavors simmer: Bring your soup to a boil. Afterward, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Garnish and enjoy: Stir in the freshly chopped cilantro and lime juice. Give it a taste and add more salt if needed. Spoon the soup into individual bowls, top with the garnishes of your choice, and enjoy!

Can it be made in the Instant Pot?

This slow-simmering soup can easily be turned into a quick and easy weeknight dinner in the Instant Pot. Keep the chicken thighs whole so they don’t overcook or stir in pre-cooked shredded chicken after the soup is ready. Here’s how to make southwest soup in the Instant Pot:

1. Use Saute mode on the Instant Pot to cook the onion, bell peppers, and garlic in oil. Next, stir in the paprika, coriander, salt, and pepper.
2. Add the chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Deglazing the pot will prevent the Instant Pot from giving you a burn notice or malfunctioning.
3. Lastly, stir in the enchilada sauce, tomatoes, black beans, corn, chipotle peppers, and a bay leaf. Submerge the whole chicken thighs, set your pressure valve to seal, and pressure cook on high for 14 minutes. 
4. When it’s done, remove the chicken and use 2 forks to shred the meat. Add it back into the Instant Pot along with the cilantro and lime juice. Spoon into a bowl with your garnishes and enjoy!

Storing, freezing, and reheating

To store, keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

To freeze, place the soup in an airtight container or a sealed freezer-safe bag. It can stay frozen for 4 to 6 months. Let it thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.

To reheat, simply place the soup in a pot and heat it on the stovetop until warmed through. Alternatively, you reheat a bowl of soup at a time in 1-minute intervals. It should be heated through after 3 minutes or so.