Chicken and Green Chile Verde Soup

This Chicken and Green Chili Verde Soup is a tangy, hearty tasty treat!  This soup is low-calorie and low-fat, but high in protein and fiber.  With pinto beans, green chile salsa, green chiles, carrots, onions, garlic, and tender chunks of chicken breast, it’s a well-balanced meal in every bowl.

... And just like that it’s fall.

We returned home from our trip to Kansas City for a food blogger conference and a quick visit with my family in Kentucky, and there was no doubt fall had arrived.

It’s been in the 50’s/60’s, gray skies and rainy for days.  I do love a good rainy day… an excuse to wear my comfies and never leave the house.  But after 5 of those drizzly days in a row I’m ready for some sunshine and blue skies.☀️  There is an upside to all this rain: my lawn looks amazing.  For the first time in months it’s actually all green.  Not a brown patch in sight.  #silverlining

Speaking of green… In honor of this chilly weather I made some Chicken and Green Chile Verde Soup.  And, yep – it’s green.  But it doesn’t have any grass in it I promise.✌️

I love soup.  And I love chicken soup!  I’ve mentioned before I could eat soup every day, and I have for weeks at a time. What’s not to love about it??  It’s healthy and hearty, so filling, easy to reheat for a quick dinner, and it feels like a big warm hug.  We could all use more hugs in our life – right!

Almost all my soups start with homemade chicken stock.  If you haven’t tried making it yourself, I encourage you to give it a try.  It’s really easy and so healthy – think liquid gold for your insides.✨

If we have a roast chicken for dinner, I always save all the bones and either simmer for 1-2 hours in a small pot of water (with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, a quartered onion, a carrot or two and a piece of celery), or if I don’t have time for that I’ll freeze the bones and make stock later.

It’s so healthy for you because of all the iron, collagen, and vitamin-rich marrow from the bones.  B likes to call this “Power Stock” and it’s the perfect starting point for a slow cooker chicken soup, or this salsa verde chicken soup.✅  Plus you save money because you don’t have to buy chicken stock.✅✅  And as you know I’m all about not wasting and saving money.

I probably have four homemade re-sealable bags full of chicken stock in my freezer right now.  It’s so convenient having some on hand for those rainy days when I wanna stay in my cave and eat some Spicy Italian White Bean and Sausage Soup or this yummy Chicken and Green Chile Verde Soup!

It’s a little bit different than a chicken chili, or traditional chicken soup because of its bright tangy flavor from the green chiles and the salsa verde.  But it’s just as hearty with chunks of tender chicken breast and nutrient-rich pinto beans.  This soup is truly a well-balanced meal in each delicious bowl.

I know many people love to use their crockpot for slow cooker soups and stews, and I agree there’s a place for that slow cooker!  But I’m in more of the “let’s cook it quickly so we can eat it” camp.  And so is you-know-who.  #impatienthungryhusband

How to make this chicken chili verde:

This Salsa Verde Chicken Soup starts with sautéing some onions, garlic and carrots in a large pot for 6 minutes.  Then season the veggies with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and cook a few more minutes.  Add 3 small cans of chopped chiles and 2 cups of green chile salsa or chili verde sauce (I use a medium-spicy version for a bit of heat but you could use mild if spice-averse).

Next stir in 4 cups of homemade chicken stock, and let it come up to a simmer.  Add 3 cans of pinto beans… Two that have been drained and rinsed and one that has been drained, rinsed and smashed into a paste.  This gives the soup a rich creaminess without adding any cream.  (I'd like to take a quick noncommercial break for a little bean trivia: Did you know according to the US Dry Bean Council pinto beans are the most popular bean in the United States?  True story.  Followed by navy beans and then great northern beans.  Just some random facts in case you ever need to pull out some arbitrary info about beans to impress.)

Back to the soup...

Let the soup come back up to a simmer and add about 2 pounds of seasoned boneless, skinless, cubed chicken breast.  Then cook for 10-15 more minutes, scoop, garnish with sour cream, cilantro, & jalapenos, and serve!

Mmm mmm this is yummy yummy in my tummy!

Chicken and Green Chile Verde Soup is full of flavorful goodness… low in calories and fat, and full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein.?  It’s a speedy alternative to slow cooker chicken soup, and a well-balanced meal for those crisp fall days - or any day you’re craving something healthy and delicious!?

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Yield: 8 servings

Chicken and Green Chile Verde Soup Recipe

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Chicken and Green Chile Verde Soup - Hearty & healthy! Low-calorie & low-fat, w/pinto beans, green chile salsa, diced chiles, carrots, onions, garlic, & chicken.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

For The Soup:

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 carrots, finely sliced
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons pepper
• 3 tablespoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 3 cans pinto beans
• 12 ounces canned diced green chiles
• 2 cups green chile salsa - Medium heat, (or mild if preferred)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), trimmed of fat & cut into 1-inch cubes

For The Garnish:

• Cilantro, chopped
• Jalapeños, chopped or sliced
• Sour cresam

Instructions

1. Sauté onions, garlic and carrots in a large pot for 6 minutes.
2. Season the veggies in the pot with 1 ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, and cook 2 more minutes.
3. Meanwhile, drain 1 can of pinto beans, rinse them, and smash with a fork into a paste in a small bowl. Add a little chicken stock to the beans when smashing and it will help with this step. Drain and rinse the other 2 cans of pinto beans and leave them whole. Set the beans aside.
4. Add 3 small cans of diced green chiles and 2 cups of green chile salsa Verde (use a medium-spicy version or use mild if spice-averse) to the veggies and spices.
5. Stir in 4 cups of homemade chicken stock, and bring the pot to a simmer.
6. Add the whole and smashed pinto beans, let the soup come back up to a simmer.
7. Next, season cubed chicken with 1 tablespoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper then add to the soup.
8. Cook for 10-15 more minutes, and temp chicken to be sure it has reached 165 degrees.
9. Dish into soup bowls, and garnish with sour cream, cilantro, & jalapeños.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

10 ounces
Amount Per Serving Calories 104Total Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 3mgSodium 1405mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 5g

Looking for more hearty fall soups?  Try these!

Spicy Italian White Bean And Sausage Soup:

Smoky Chicken Chili: