This hearty Mexican soup is full of fresh, delicious flavor! The perfect quick and easy dinner recipe to throw together on a busy weeknight. Requires only a handful of simple ingredients, cooked in one pot, in just 30 minutes!
What You’ll Need to Make Mexican Soup
Chicken – This recipe calls for chicken breasts, but really any cut of chicken will work. My one recommendation when it comes to buying your chicken, is to make sure it’s boneless and skinless. This’ll make the cooking and dicing process much easier! Also, for a vegan/vegetarian Mexican soup, check out the “Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs” section below.
Chicken Broth – I used chicken bone broth in my Mexican soup for an extra boost of nutrients. However, any chicken broth, or even chicken bouillon dissolved in water will do the trick. And if you don’t have chicken broth, feel free to use vegetable broth instead.
Taco Seasoning – Two tablespoons of taco seasoning load this soup up with TONS of delicious flavor! This addition makes this recipe even easier to throw together. Though if you don’t have taco seasoning, feel free to use a combo of your favorite Mexican spices. I love smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano.
Jalapeño – While optional, I love throwing in a diced jalapeño for extra flavor and spice! However, for a mild soup, try just half a jalapeño. Or, feel free to leave it out altogether.
Tips and Tricks
- I highly recommend doubling this recipe! Leftover Mexican soup tastes just as good, and is easy to reheat and enjoy all week long. Heck, you can even freeze it for up to three months!
- For a heartier meal, add rice! I love adding in a cup or two of cooked rice to my soup. And to keep things super easy, I typically opt for a pre-cooked microwaveable rice.
- You can also make this Mexican soup in the Instant Pot! To do that, use the sauté function to cook up with veggies. Then, add the remaining ingredients, seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken, dice it up, then add it back into your soup – that’s it!
Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs
Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: For a vegan or vegetarian Mexican soup, replace the chicken with two cans of your favorite beans – I love either black beans or navy beans! Also, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
Make it Gluten-Free: While mostly gluten-free, make sure the taco seasoning you use is 100% gluten-free as well!
One-Pot Mexican Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1-2 pounds chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, Add in the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and jalapeño. Cooked 4-5 minutes, or until veggies are tender.
- Add in chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, chicken, taco seasoning, and salt.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot, dice into ½-inch pieces, then transfer back into pot. Stir to combine then serve warm with fresh cilantro, lime juice, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
