Winter has finally settled in with a vengeance here in Georgia; we’ve been lucky with pretty warm weather until now. It’s triggered me to make a big old pot of Mexican Chicken soup to get me through.
Mexican Chicken Soup
This one is fresh and flavorful, chock full of vegetables. It feels like a reset after all the Holiday indulgences in the last couple of months. So whether you call this Mexican Chicken Soup or Caldo de Pollo, this one is a keeper.
About Mexican Chicken Soup:
Mexican Chicken Soup is souper (couldn’t help myself!) flexible, making it easy to use the vegetables you like best and either white or dark meat chicken. I kept things simple with onion, celery, and carrots, then added corn, green beans, and a bit of zucchini.
Feel free to adapt as you wish. Potatoes make it heartier, cabbage works nicely, and anything you don’t love can be left out. This is the kind of soup that’s crying out for you to make it your own.
Making Mexican Chicken Soup:
I know the ingredient list is long, but the soup relies just on a few fresh veggies and several canned options. That makes it quick and easy to get on the table.
Think of this soup as being made in three parts: first, saute the aromatics and jalapeno if using. Next, add broth and chicken, and simmer, then remove and shred it.
Finally, add in your veggies in stages (canned and fresh) as well as the spices, before adding the chicken back in. Easy peasy!
Mexican Chicken Soup
Make Ahead:
- This soup can be made ahead of serving and reheated. I would recommend not using the zucchini in this case; it can easily absorb too much liquid and the texture can suffer.
Serve With:
Serve as is or with any and/or all of your favorite Mexican toppings: cilantro, sour cream or crema, avocado, and so on. I love to add a touch of acid: lime, vinegar, or pickled jalapenos. You can’t go wrong with a few of my Homemade Tortilla Strips.
This soup would be fabulous with muffins, warm rolls, or crusty bread, or if you want to put in more effort, a little cornbread. I have several cornbreads on my site, but Famous Dave’s Copycat would be excellent.
Refrigerator Pickled Jalapenos
Leftover Mexican Chicken Soup:
Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for three to four days.
- For best results, reheat servings, lightly covered, in the microwave.
- Larger amounts may do better reheated in a saucepan; be careful not to heat too long, or the zucchini might become mushy.
Leftovers can be frozen, but are best frozen without the zucchini. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat as above.
Other Mexican Leaning Soup Recipes You Might Like:
- Chipotle Chicken Chowder – a light creamy chowder with chicken, potatoes, hominy and just a touch of heat.
- Easy Green Enchilada Soup – this creamy soup is tossed together with shredded chicken and a few store-bought ingredients.
- Mexican Chipotle Chicken Soup – a vegetarian (depending on the broth) Mexican vegetable soup, deep and earthy with a bit of spice.
Easy Green Enchilada Soup
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
The best way to save money on this or any recipe is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer full of sale-priced items.
Chicken Parts:
- In order of pricing, on-sale boneless, skinless thighs are the best value, boneless, skinless breast, next. Sale priced Bone-In breasts are a better value than Bone-In thighs. Bones can be used for stock, but aren’t “free.”
- At the grocery, chicken drops to a low about once a quarter. Take advantage, stock up, and freeze in portions your family will use.
- As a general rule, rock-bottom grocery store sale prices are better than those at discount stores like Aldi and Lidl or your buyer’s clubs, but the discount stores have frequent sales, too.
Basic Veggies:
- Basic veggies like onions, celery, and carrots are some of the cheapest. For best pricing, try the discount stores. Bags are generally better deals than loose.
- Store onions in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place, away from potatoes. No need to wrap celery in pricy foil; if bagged, just slip a produce bag over the top, and if not, use two produce bags, and store in a drawer in the fridge away from vegetables and fruits that produce ethylene gas. Carrots need ventilation – poke a few extra holes in the bag, place them at right angles to any grooves in the produce drawer. Turn them now and then. Again, keep away from vegetables & fruits that produce ethylene gas, which will turn carrots bitter.
Canned Whole Tomatoes:
I find the best value for canned tomatoes to be whole in the larger 29-ounce cans. My pantry is stocked with them. Unless the outcome of a recipe is specifically dependent on another tomato product, I substitute canned whole tomatoes.
- About once a quarter, there will be a stellar sale at the grocery. Stock up then. Aldi and Lidl both have great pricing. Buyers clubs offer “fancier” options at a decent price.
- Extremely versatile, the whole tomatoes can be used as is, crushed by hand for recipes like this, pulsed in the blender for “crushed” tomatoes, and whirred up to use as a tomato sauce. The quality is usually better than crushed, diced, or sauce you might buy.
Corn, Canned & Canned Cream Corn:
- The best times to buy canned or creamed corn are late summer, when the warehouses are full, or before any big food holiday, when the sales are highly competitive.
- Know your pricing, watch for lows, and stock up appropriately for the year at rock bottom.
- Of all canned vegetables, it is one of the better. It’s a budget option over frozen, especially if used in recipes. A can contains about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups corn.
Hello all, while I made this Mexican Chicken soup in the dead of winter, it’s a breath of fresh air anytime it’s made. Hope you enjoy!
Mollie
Mexican Chicken Soup
Mexican Chicken Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings 1x
- Category: Soups
- Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large or two medium yellow onions, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 to 3 large carrots, peeled, then sliced 1/4″ thick
- 1 large jalapeño, finely diced, optional
- 7 to 8 cups chicken broth, divided (I always add about a tablespoon of Knorr’s chicken broth, too)
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or equivalent of boneless skinless thighs (12 to 14 ounces total)
- 1 large (29-ounce) can of whole tomatoes and juices (crush tomatoes by hand before adding) or sub in a small can of tomatoes and a can of Rotel
- 1 large poblano (preferably roasted, skin and seeds removed) or a small can of green chiles (omit if using Rotel)
- 1 teaspoon or to taste oregano (preferably Mexican)
- a teensy tiny pinch of ground cloves, optional
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn or 1 can, drained
- 10 to 12 green beans (a handful), cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 small zucchini, cut in half and not quite 1/2″ thick, optional
Instructions
Place oil in a large soup pot, heat to medium-high, and add the onion, celery, and carrots. If using jalapeno, add now, as well. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and celery have softened.
Add the chicken broth, starting with seven cups (save the final cup to add at the end if desired). Add the chicken and bring to a good simmer. Maintain simmer for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool until it can be handled.
In the meantime, add the large can of tomatoes and poblanos or green chiles (or the small can of tomatoes and Rotel if using). Add the oregano and clove (be very careful with the cloves, it can take over if too much is used) and simmer about 10 minutes.
Shred the chicken and add it back in. Add the corn, green beans, and zucchini, and simmer for an additional few minutes until the beans and zucchini are tender. If you’d like the soup brothier, add the last cup of chicken stock.
5 thoughts on “Mexican Chicken Soup”