Southwestern Chicken Soup

Southwestern Chicken Soup is perfect for any time of year. You’ll love the flavors of this southwest chicken soup recipe due to the delicious southwest flavors. The next time that you’re craving a great recipe with great flavor, this easy soup recipe needs to be at the top of your list!

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This southwest soup is one of my favorite recipes because of the delicious tender chicken and the fact that it has some of my favorite Mexican flavors. The first time that I made this dish, the entire family wouldn’t stop talking about what a great meal it was!

Table of Contents

Why you’ll love this Easy Weeknight Dinner

Made using fresh ingredients full of Southwestern flavors
Leftovers from last night are a great option to enjoy this great soup the next day
You can add or take away heat from this easy recipe to change up the flavor fast

Southwest Chicken Soup Recipe Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil – I love using EVOO for all my cooking needs.
Garlic cloves – Garlic powder could work in a pinch.
Chicken thighs – I use boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
Salt and black pepper – For taste.
Chicken broth – Vegetable broth could work as well.
Sweet corn – I love using fresh sweet corn!
Black beans – This is an easy way to add extra protein.
Tomatoes – Fresh garden tomatoes add so much flavor.
Jalapeno pepper – Just a little bit of heat!
Ground cumin
Chili powder
Dried oregano
Cayenne pepper – Can be optional if you don’t want the spice.
Limes
Fresh cilantro – The perfect topping!

How to Make This Southwestern Chicken Soup Recipe

The complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.

Heat olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Remove browned garlic with a slotted spatula and discard.
Unroll chicken thighs and season both sides with salt and black pepper, to taste. Add chicken to a hot skillet and brown on both sides, approximately 3-4 minutes per side.
Add just enough chicken broth to the skillet to cover about 1/3 of the chicken thighs. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is pull-apart tender, approximately 40-45 minutes.
Once tender, carefully shred chicken with 2 forks while still in the skillet. Add corn kernels, black beans, chopped tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper to the skillet and top off with the remaining chicken stock. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and black pepper, to taste.
Increase heat to medium and simmer until heated for approximately 15 minutes. If time permits, simmer longer to give flavors more time to mingle. Remove from heat and stir in juice from 2 whole limes and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with remaining lime wedges.

A bowl of Southwestern Chicken Soup topped with cilantro.

Storage and leftovers

The only thing that you need to worry about when storing leftovers is that you let the soup cool down all the way and then add it to an airtight container. This southwestern soup is fast and easy to reheat the next time that you’re wanting a small bowl.

Leftovers should be eaten within 2-3 days.