Description
This Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup is a zesty and comforting dish featuring tender chicken, spicy jalapeños, creamy white beans, and tangy salsa verde. Perfect for a flavorful weeknight dinner, this soup balances heat with fresh lime juice and is garnished with cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 jalapeños, ribs and seeds removed, minced
- ½ red onion, minced
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt (more as needed)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 (14-ounce) cans white beans, drained (cannellini or great northern)
- 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa verde
- Juice of 2 limes
For Serving
- Fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheese
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the minced red onion and jalapeños and sauté until they become soft and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
- Cook Chicken: Add the water and salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the raw chicken breasts, cover the pot, and cook for 5-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat but keep the lid on so the chicken continues cooking for another 20 minutes. Then remove the chicken and set aside to cool.
- Simmer Soup Base: Add the drained white beans and salsa verde to the pot. Simmer gently over medium heat for 30 minutes to let flavors meld.
- Shred Chicken: While the soup simmers, shred the cooled chicken into bite-size pieces and add it back into the pot.
- Finish and Serve: Just before serving, squeeze the juice of one lime into the soup, cut the other lime into wedges for garnish, and add salt to taste. Serve the soup hot, topped with fresh cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese as desired.
Notes
- Adjust the number of jalapeños according to your preferred spice level.
- Use chicken thighs for a juicier, more flavorful soup, or breasts for a leaner option.
- For a thicker soup, lightly mash some of the white beans before simmering.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and freeze well for up to 2 months.
- For a dairy-free version, omit sour cream and cheese or use dairy-free alternatives.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering, Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: jalapeño lime chicken soup, spicy chicken soup, salsa verde soup, white bean chicken soup, Mexican chicken soup