Loaded with our favorite Mexican flavors; this Southwest Chicken Soup is slightly spicy with chunks of tomatoes, corn, black beans, and tender chicken.
I topped our steaming bowls of soup with a handful of shredded cheese and the entire family gave this meal two thumbs up.
Dinner in just TEN minutes. Seriously. I even timed myself making this soup the second time because it came together so fast. And it was good!
Like everyone else I know, I love having a go-to list of meals that require little to no effort to get on the table.
Within a couple of minutes, everything was hot and bubbling and ready to eat!
All that you will need in order to make this soup is a handful of pantry ingredients and some leftover chicken.
You can use a grocery store rotisserie chicken, a roasted chicken, shredded chicken, or a couple of leftover grilled or baked chicken thighs.
Quick and Easy Soup Recipes
When you’re ready for a few more easy soup recipes, here are some of our best soups that go from start to finish in less than 30 minutes.
Chicken, chiles, beans, tomatoes and Mexican spices combine to make one of our favorite crockpot soups.
Italian White Bean, Cabbage and Sausage Soup is loaded with great flavors and it’s filled with far more vegetables and meat than broth.
Pizza Soup could also be called Pasta Soup with White Beans and Sausage, but really? Isn’t “Pizza Soup” more fun? My cousin, Helene, gave me this recipe 6-7 years ago and my family has loved it from the very first bite.
Three Bean Minestrone Soup is filled with three different beans, tender vegetables and pasta, seasoned with Italian spices and topped with Parmesan cheese.
Kitchen Tip: I use this pot to make this recipe.
Southwest Chicken Soup Recipe
- Combine the corn, beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
- Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is warm and the soup is steaming. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and add the toppings of your choice.
10 Minute Southwest Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 14 ounces corn drained
- 14 ounces black beans drained and rinsed, about 1 ½ cups
- 20 ounces diced tomatoes with green chile use a mild version for almost no heat
- 28-32 ounces chicken broth, about 4 cups
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste as desired
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped bite-size, about 3/4-inch pieces
Optional Toppings
- shredded cheese: cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Mexican cheese blend
- tortilla strips
- sour cream
- chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Combine the corn, beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
- Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is warm and the soup is steaming. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and add the toppings of your choice. Enjoy!
Nutrition
{originally published 6/28/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 9/23/20}
Jenn S says
Recipe like this are so great to have. Everyone knows time gets by us at least every once in a while, why not have something that takes you 10 minutes to make – then there truly is not excuse for not having a home cooked meal!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
Sounds like an absolute winner. Can't believe it takes 10 minutes – this is awesome!
Chris Scheuer says
Loving the idea of a truly quick meal!
Chris Scheuer says
10 minutes? Sounds perfect to me for those crazy days when I'm tempted to order out! 🙂
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
10 minutes – delicious – dinner – bookmarked and many thanks!!
Mary x
Ellen Carter says
That's cool but you can buy that chicken already diced, save a step
Anonymous says
sounds wonderful. will be trying this one!
Anonymous says
Made this last night. I added a can of cannellini beans and a can of hominy . Big family so it helps to stretch out meals. This was Delicious….. We garnished it with Sour cream,cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Oh, and some shredded cheddar!!! Yum!!!
Linda says
Thanks for the recipe. I use the same ingredients for quesidillas without the broth Was wondering how to turn it into a hearty soup. You solved the problem perfectly . . thanks and delicious.
Tricia Riddick says
My little girl (7) is starting to read recipes and learning to cook. We decided to give this one a try to switch up from taco night. She did it just as written and it turned out great! Even brother was impressed. This soup is delicious. Thanks Ms. Mary.
Eileen LeRoy says
This is a keeper! Thanks for giving me a healthy, quick weeknight dinner. I garnished with the cheese and some avocado. Awesome!
Beata says
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times, always with rave reviews. You can pretty much add whatever you want – be creative! It’s also easy to double the recipe (leftovers!).
Mary says
I am thrilled that you’re enjoying this recipe, Beata!
Mary says
I made this soup and loved it. But my hack was to use an envelope of reduced sodium taco seasoning in place of the other seasonings. Super easy! I served it with rice (which can be stirred into the soup if you wish)
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you liked it, Mary!
Laurie says
I made a vegetarian version of this last night and it was delicious! I made it with Gardein chick’n and vegan chicken broth. Omitted the corn and added lime juice and avocado in the bowl and crumbled sweet Thai chili Doritos on top. Yum!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you liked it, Laurie!
KGL says
This soup was fantastic. Thanks for the easy recipe!
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you liked it!
Karen H says
This sounds so great & simple. LOVE simple! How do you make it less spicy though? Not big on that. Thank so much!! 💜😊
Mary Younkin says
Hi Karen, you can skip the cayenne and use diced tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes with green chile if you don’t want it to be spicy at all.
Lauren says
Made this tonight and it was such an easy and delicious meal to throw together quickly. I did make some modifications and added 4 oz of cream cheese and a small can of green chillies. As another commenter did, I just used a packet of lower sodium taco seasoning in place of the listed seasonings. This simplified things even more. Avocado was used to garnish. Would make again.
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled you like the soup, Lauren.
Dorene says
I was looking for a Southwestern Chicken soup recipe and came across this gem. This is great for chilly nights. It is delicious and filling. Instead of rotisserie chicken, I have used ground chicken, added some chopped onion, and tomato paste for added flavoring. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing😊.
Mary Younkin says
Thank you Dorene. Your version sounds delicious as well.