Description
Creamy Chipotle Chicken Soup is a hearty one-pot dinner loaded with tender shredded chicken, sweet corn, pinto beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, rice, and smoky adobo flavor. Finished with heavy cream, every spoonful is rich, cozy, and satisfying with just the right touch of heat. It’s an easy comfort-food dinner for busy weeknights, chilly evenings, or anytime you’re craving a creamy chicken soup with bold Southwest-inspired flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Sauce from 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, peppers removed
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 (15.25-ounce) cans sweet corn, drained, or 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen sweet corn
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked instant rice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 5–6 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken thighs.
- Sear the chicken for 2–3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked yet.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, adobo sauce, coriander, cumin, and minced garlic. Cook for 30–60 seconds, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
- Add the corn, pinto beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, and chicken broth. Stir well.
- Return the seared chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot.
- Bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the pot. Shred it using two forks, then return the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Stir in the instant rice. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender.
- Reduce the heat to low. Slowly stir in the heavy cream until completely incorporated and the broth is creamy.
- Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper as needed.
- Ladle the Creamy Chipotle Chicken Soup into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve warm.
Notes
For a milder soup, reduce or omit the jalapeño and use less adobo sauce. For extra heat, finely chop one of the reserved chipotle peppers and add it to the broth.
Chicken thighs are recommended because they remain tender and juicy during simmering, but boneless, skinless chicken breasts can also be used. Always cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Add the heavy cream over low heat and avoid rapidly boiling the soup afterward for the smoothest texture.
The rice continues absorbing broth during storage, so leftovers may become thicker. Add a splash of chicken broth when reheating to loosen the soup.
Optional toppings include shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, sliced jalapeños, sour cream, lime wedges, or crushed tortilla chips.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southwest-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 490 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 1050 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg