This Southwest recipe for green chile chicken soup features rotisserie chicken and beans in a flavorful broth with Hatch chiles. It’s pure comfort food!

Whenever there’s cold weather, or I’m in need of an easy to make comfort food dinner, a big pot of soup always comes to the rescue. It doesn’t have to be packed with beef either.

I mean, if you need to feed a hungry group of guys for game day, you can never go wrong with Dave’s 5 alarm chili or grilled steak fajitas. But sometimes the beef can be left aside; this chicken and bean soup will keep them happy and well fed, too.

Green chile chicken soup

Hearty and filling, this soup feeds a crowd, and it’s really simple to make! Hatch green chiles, rotisserie chicken and white beans, plus a secret ingredient that makes the southwest chicken soup extra special.

Adding ingredients in layers is something that many people avoid. Yes, it does take longer, but the overall flavor of a dish is always going to be better for it. I’m referring to slow roasted meals like birria de res, pork mole and authentic chicken adobo.

BUT, I completely understand that life is busy, and there isn’t always enough time to spend hours making a meal. So, I’m going to show you how to build a flavor-packed green chile chicken soup, and it only takes 40 minutes to make!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

I start with Hatch green chiles and then build even more flavor with the addition of cumin, garlic and white wine. But there are shortcuts too… check it out.

• Rotisserie chicken

Because the chicken is already seasoned and cooked, the deep layers of flavor are ready to use. Of course, you could also use leftover cooked chicken, or quickly grill a couple of chicken breasts or thighs.

• Hatch green chiles

This green chile is grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. Its flavor is slightly similar to a white onion, but with sweet, spicy and smoky notes. If you live in the southwest states or California, you may be able to find them fresh. Otherwise, you can find them sold in cans wherever you shop for Mexican or Tex Mex ingredients.

Hatch chiles are my favorite, because they have a smoky flavor that other roasted chiles don’t have. I use them in my recipes for green chile chicken pasta, chicken enchilada soup and stuffed green chile meatballs.

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• White beans

There isn’t any reason you need to soak and cook dried beans to make this chicken soup recipe. Just keep it simple and use canned white beans. Any variety you like is fine; I prefer the consistency of Great Northern or navy beans.

• Veggies

I use traditional veggies that you’d use in any good chicken soup; carrots, onion, and celery. Feel free to use up any leftover veggies or odds and ends from your produce drawer. Corn would be a great addition, as would green beans.

Kitchen Tip – Secret Flavor Weapon

The nuanced flavor from fresh sage is my secret flavor enhancer! When mixed with the cumin and other spices makes for a soothing, Southwest comfort food meal. The sage really takes the thick broth of the green chile chicken soup to another flavor level.

Green chile chicken soup video

The chicken soup is simple to make, but to see the process from start to finish, watch the video in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe notes

Need to feed a crowd? Feel free to double or even triple the ingredients to make a huge stock pot full of green chile chicken soup!

Freezing chicken soup – When I make broth soups like this, I freeze them in gallon size freezer bags. This way, they lay flat in the freezer. It’s a nice way to save space. Just be sure to let the soup cool to room temperature before freezing. Otherwise, the condensation in the bag can cause ice crystals to form.

Storing leftovers – If you won’t be freezing the soup, keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. It will last for about 5 days, if you don’t devour it before then. 😉

What to serve with southwest chicken soup

As I mentioned earlier, this is a hearty, filling soup. The meal covers the food groups pretty well. White beans are a good source of carbohydrates, protein comes from the chicken, and there are plenty of veggies.

All you really need to round off the meal is a nice loaf of crusty bread to sop up the broth. Or, you could take the Southwest route and serve Mexican cornbread. If you want to serve something else, make a Mexican Caesar salad.

I hope you love this Southwest green chile chicken soup as much as I do!

Looking for other chicken soup recipes? Try my Greek chicken orzo soup, Instant Pot chicken noodle soup, or Tex Mex chicken corn soup!

This post, first published on Kevin Is Cooking Oct. 30, 2013, was last updated with new content on Dec. 27, 2021.