Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup

📋 Soup Ingredients

Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

• vegetable or canola oil
• onion
• carrots
• bell pepper
• zucchini
• masa flour – I love the hint of corn tortilla flavor that masa flour brings to the soup. You can substitute regular or gluten free wheat flour if you prefer!
• garlic
• ground cumin powder
• cooked chicken – If you prefer chicken thigh meat, it’s a great substitute! Choose boneless and skinless.
• chicken broth or stock
• green chile sauce – I like this Hatch green chile enchilada sauce, but you can use something like this green chile sauce or this green chile sauce. If you use salsa verde (I keep this one in my fridge!), make sure it includes green chile, and not just tomatillos. The tomatillos have a more tart flavor.
• green chile – Hatch green chile is always my preference, but I can’t always get it. On photo day, I had 45 pounds of roasted Hatch green chile that we brought home from Las Cruces in September 2022. I have also used the Hatch green chile store to order fresh roasted and frozen green chile. You can use canned green chile, frozen green chile, or roasted, peeled, and chopped poblano chiles.
• cannelini beans – I like dried cannelini beans, canned cannelini beans, or Peruvian mayocoba beans in this chicken soup recipe, but you can substitute black beans, red beans, pintos, etc.
• cream – I really like this dairy-free half and half. I am not lactose intolerant, but I avoid it when I can. This one has lots of creamy richness. You can use regular half and half, whole milk, or whatever you prefer.

Suggested Garnishes

• avocado
• cheese – I like crumbled cotija, but queso fresco, and sharp cheddar are great options. Choose your favorite!
• lime wedges
• fresh cilantro
• tortillas strips – I do air fryer tortilla strips, but you can use purchased chips, or make them using your preferred method.
• scallions

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🔪 Instructions

• Step 1 – Add olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the aromatics – onion, cumin, carrots for a minute before adding garlic, zucchini, and red bell pepper.

• Step 2 – Stir until onion begins to soften. Add the cumin. Stir for another minute. Sauté until beginning to brown.

• Step 3 – Purée the Hatch green chile enchilada sauce (or equivalent) and chicken broth.

• Step 4 – Stir in the corn. Add the masa flour, and lightly brown (1-2 minutes).

• Step 5 – Add the puréed broth/enchilada sauce, cooked chicken, and chopped green chile. Stir while bringing it up to a boil to thicken. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer the soup to meld the flavors and tenderize the vegetables (about 5 minutes). NOTE: Add additional chicken broth as needed.

• Step 6 – Stir in the cream. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil! Boiling it after the cream is added may cause curdling. Gently return to a simmer before serving.

• Prepare the toppings – While soup simmers, prepare the toppings. I prefer to bake my tortillas. I spray both sides of tortillas, then cut in strips or triangles. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, place in 375° oven and bake until golden brown. You can shallow fry them in hot oil if you’re so inclined. Chop the scallions and cilantro, crumble or grate the cheese, slice the lime.

❓ FAQ

💭 Tips

Be flexible with the ingredients – I regularly make homemade stock, and almost always have a quart or two in the freezer. I also keep good quality stock in my well-stocked pantry. While I prefer to start with dried beans, I keep a variety of canned beans in my pantry as well. I’m usually making this soup recipe on a weeknight, and the convenience of canned beans cannot be overstated.

This southwest-inspired soup is a great way to use rotisserie chicken, leftover cooked chicken, or even Thanksgiving turkey. It’s a great time saver as well!

🥘 Substitutions

• hominy is a great substitution for corn
• cubed butternut squash or sweet potatoes work well in place of the carrots
• regular wheat flour doesn’t provide the hint of corn tortilla to the soup that masa does, but it will still taste great!
• substitute your favorite beans for the cannelini beans
• if you have littles that won’t eat green chile omit it
• green beans are a good stand in for the zucchini