You can recreate Chilis Southwest Chicken soup at home. This is a light recipe that is perfect because it’s so filling and packed full of protein.

The first time I experienced this soup, I fell in love with it. I thought that since this soup was marked as a healthy option, it probably would not be so good, but I was dead wrong! This soup was chock full of flavor and spice and just overall deliciousness. Plus, it was really filling without being too heavy.

If you adore southwest flavors, you’ll go a bit weak at the knees for Chili’s Southwestern Chicken Soup. It’s a hearty meal like chili but still has that soup feeling. I love recipes that are so easy to prepare but are still packed full of flavor.

This is also a great meal that can be made ahead and frozen. You can double the recipe and have some ready in your freezer whenever you feel like warming up with some tasty soup.

Make Chili’s Southwest Chicken Soup with Easy to Find Ingredients

Chili’s Southwest Chicken Soup recipe is one of my preferred easy chicken dinners. It’s loaded with all my favorite Mexican flavors – cilantro, corn, lime juice, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and green chilis – plus a mix of different veggies. Oh, and did I mention your dinner will be ready in no time? This is also a one-pot meal, so there’s easy clean-up.

• cooked chicken
• white onion
• celery
• tomato paste
• white hominy
• green chilies
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• fresh tomatoes
• lime juice
• tortilla strips
• cilantro

More about the ingredients

Chipotle chiles are dried smoked jalapeño peppers. Adobo is a tangy, slightly sweet red sauce. Put them together, and you have an irresistible combination.

This recipe uses white hominy. If you’re not familiar with hominy, you’re not likely to forget it! These big kernels of corn are puffy and chewy with a very unique flavor owing to a special processing technique.

How to Make Chili’s Southwest Chicken Soup

1. Season chicken breast with salt. Cook the chicken breast with oil in a large pot over medium heat for about 6 to 7 minutes on each side, until fully cooked.
2. Remove chicken from the pot and when cool to the touch, shred the chicken.
3. Place one tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same pot where the chicken was cooked.
4. Sauté garlic and onion until the onion is translucent.
5. Add celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add tomato paste, and stir well. Sauté for about 1 minute stirring constantly then add chicken stock.
7. Add chipotle peppers, hominy, green chilies, diced tomatoes, and shredded chicken. Cook until the soup has heated through.
8. Add a squeeze of lime juice and about 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro.
9. Garnish soup with fried corn tortilla strips, chopped cilantro, and shredded cheese if desired.

Not only is this southwestern chicken soup recipe amazingly delicious, but it is also so simple to throw together. In no time at all, you have perfect winter comfort in a bowl.

I love mine with fried tortilla chips on top, but if you like, you could skip the tortilla strips and serve the soup with cornbread for a hearty, comforting meal.

Love soups with a southwestern flavor?

Here are some more copycat soups for you to enjoy:

• Cowboy Soup
• Guisada
• Corn Poblano Chowder
• Taco Soup
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Chicken Enchilada Soup

Don’t miss out on these favorite Chilis copycat recipes

• Chilis Big Mouth Bites Recipe
• Homemade Onion Petals
• Chili’s Crispy Chicken Crispers
• How to Make Southwestern Egg Rolls
• Copycat Chili’s Queso in Crock Pot
• Chili’s Chili Recipe

Be sure to check out more of my easy soup recipes and the best copycat Mexican restaurant food.

Top 5 what is in chili's southwest chicken soup edited by Top Chef