Description
Easy Southwestern Chicken Soup is going to be your new weeknight go-to. With 4 pantry ingredients and less than 30 minutes, you have a delicious and healthy soup on the table!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (**also see notes for other variations)
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth - low sodium
- 1 Jar Salsa Verde
- 1 Can White Cannellini Beans
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- 1/4 Teaspoon White Pepper
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Topping Ideas: cheese of choice, cilantro, lime, sour cream, crusty loaf bread for dipping
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, add in chicken breast and chicken broth. Cover with lid and turn on medium. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked throughout. (**See notes for other chicken variations)
- Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Shred or slice the chicken finely.
- To the pot, add the shredded chicken back in along with the salsa verde, drained cannellini beans, and spices.
- Bring back to a simmer and serve whenever you're ready.
- Top with desired shredded cheese, limes, cilantro, sour cream, or your favorite soup toppings.
Notes
Different Ways to Cook the Chicken
- WHOLE CHICKEN. Add a whole chicken to a large pot and cover with water. Add in a pinch of salt and 2 bay leaves and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove from the pot - discard the skin and bones - shred the chicken and continue as directed for the rest of the recipe. For this version, cooking a whole chicken in the water makes chicken broth, so no additional chicken broth will be needed.
- LEFTOVER CHICKEN. If you have leftover chicken needing to be used up, shred or finely dice. Add the chicken along with the other ingredients to a large pot, bring to a simmer for 20 minutes, and enjoy.
- CROCKPOT VERSION. Add in all of the ingredients to a crockpot. Turn on low and cook for 6-8 hours. Before serving, shred chicken using 2 forks. Serve and enjoy!
How to Freeze
- You can freeze your leftovers OR you can make the whole batch of soup and freeze it for later. Remove the soup from the heat and cool to room temperature. Vacuum seal or add to a freezer-safe zip-top bag, remove all air, and seal. Lay flat on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen you can store as desired. To cook - place in the fridge the day before wanting to eat to thaw. Place in a large pot and bring back to a simmer and enjoy it. This can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 years if vacuum sealed and 3-4 months if not.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 437.5 mg
- Fat: 4.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.3 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 82.7 mg
Keywords: Easy Southwestern Chicken Soup
