Chicken Taco Soup

What You’ll Need

Here’s a look at the ingredients in chicken taco soup, plus my notes on a few substitution options if needed. Scroll to the recipe at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.

• Butter: I always use unsalted butter, but you can use salted butter if needed. Or, try olive oil for the butter to keep it dairy-free.
• Onion: A white or yellow onion is best here.
• Bell Peppers: A mix of green and red bell peppers.
• Seasonings: Dried chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano plus salt and pepper add depth of flavor and smoky heat. Or swap the spices with Taco Seasoning.
• Chicken Broth: Either regular or low-sodium broth is fine.
• Diced Tomatoes: I love adding a can of fire-roasted tomatoes to really up the flavor!
• Mild Green Chilies: We chose mild chilies for this recipe. If you like heat feel free to use medium.
• Black Beans: I use 1 can of black beans. If you make beans from scratch, use about 1 1/2 cups of beans. Pinto or white beans can also be used.
• Chicken: I like boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you prefer, boneless chicken thighs also work well in this recipe.
• Greek yogurt: This soup uses full-fat Greek yogurt for the best consistency. If you use a lower-fat variety it will be less creamy but still very good. Sour cream is an easy alternative, or use dairy-free yogurt for a dairy-free soup.
• Cilantro
• Toppings for Serving: Shredded cheese, chopped avocado, more, yogurt or sour cream, additional cilantro, etc.

How to Make Chicken Taco Soup

I’ve included a look in the photos below at how to make this easy soup. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.

• Cook the veggies. Melt the butter in a large pot, then cook the onion and bell peppers. Now add the spices.
• Add remaining ingredients. Stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes, green chilies, and chicken breast, bring it to a boil, then simmer to cook the chicken.

• Shred the chicken. After the chicken is completely cooked, take it out of the pot and shred it.
• Return chicken to pot. Then stir the chicken back into the soup.

• Add yogurt. Stir in the Greek yogurt and chopped cilantro.
• Finish. Stir well to dissolve the yogurt, then season with salt and pepper and serve!

Variations and Topping Ideas

This is a classic foundation for soup. The beauty of it is that it can be completely customized to suit your specific tastes. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• More veggies: Add additional veggies to the soup base such as a can of corn (or frozen corn), chopped zucchini, and yellow squash.
• Extra beans: Another can of beans like pinto in addition to the black beans, will bulk up the soup even more.
• Spices: Feel free to play with the seasonings to spice it up a notch, like adding some red pepper flakes if you like a little heat. Or, drizzle in some hot sauce.
• All the toppings: Toppings are the best part of soups like this one! We love squeezing fresh lime juice over individual servings, then adding diced avocado, a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream, additional cilantro, and shredded cheese.

How to Store and Reheat Extras

• Fridge – Place the cooled soup in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer – Transfer cooled soup to a freezer-safe container or bag and store it in the freezer for up to 30 days. Thaw the soup in the fridge before reheating it.
• To Reheat – Pour the soup into a saucepan and reheat it over medium heat. If you want it a little more brothy, add a splash of water or broth. Or reheat the soup in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute, give it a stir, then continue heating until hot.