Creamy Southwest Chicken Soup

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons salted butter

1 cup yellow onion (chopped)

1 red bell pepper (chopped, about a cup)

2-4 Tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno (seeds and ribs removed see note)

1 Tablespoon garlic (minced)

1 Tablespoon ancho chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 10 oz cans original Rotel (see note for substitute)

1 15 oz can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 15.5 oz can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

1 ¼ cup frozen corn

3 cups chicken broth

1 lb chicken (mix of breast and thighs)

6 oz cream cheese (cut into cubes, softened)

Preferred toppings: (limes, sour cream, corn chips and cilantro are all great options!)

Directions

Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat.

Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Sprinkle spices overtop (ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper) and stir until combined.

Add Rotel, black beans, pinto beans, and corn and stir together. Drizzle in chicken broth and stir to combine.

Add chicken (I usually cut the breasts in half so that they cook faster) and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once chicken is cooked through, remove, shred or cut into bite-sized pieces, and return to the pot.

Add cream cheese and stir until melted and thoroughly combined and smooth.

Taste-test and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm, topped with your favorite toppings (a squeeze of lime is great in this soup!).

Nutrition

• Calories: 767 kcal
• Total Fat: 68 g
• Saturated Fat: 23 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 41 g
• Trans Fat: 0.1 g
• Cholesterol: 79 mg
• Sodium: 1106 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 32 g
• Dietary Fiber: 9 g
• Total Sugars: 5 g
• Protein: 10 g