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Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken taco soup with tender shredded chicken, a golden-orange broth, and a creamy melted-cream-cheese finish. Simmered with Rotel, corn, and black beans, then topped with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla strips, lime, and cilantro.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken Taco Soup
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast or thighs
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn drained
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 4 oz cream cheese cubed (optional for creaminess)
  • 4 oz shredded cheddar for topping
  • 0.25 cup sour cream for topping
  • 1 cup tortilla chips for topping
  • 2 lime wedges for topping
  • 0.25 cup cilantro for topping

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the chicken
  1. Bring chicken broth with taco seasoning to a simmer in a Dutch oven, then add chicken breasts or thighs and simmer at 180-205°F (gentle simmer) for 18-20 minutes until cooked through.
  2. Remove the chicken to a plate, shred it, and set aside while you reserve the broth in the pot.
Build the soup
  1. Return the seasoned broth to the pot, then add diced onion, minced garlic, ranch dressing mix, black beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, and diced tomatoes.
  2. Bring to a boil, then simmer at 200-212°F for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the flavors combine.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir until warmed through.
  2. If using cream cheese, stir in the cubed cream cheese and cook 2-3 minutes until melted and the soup looks creamy.
  3. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, lime wedges, and cilantro.

Notes

For best texture, shred the chicken while it’s still warm, and keep the soup at a gentle simmer after adding dairy so it doesn’t separate. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (add toppings after reheating). For a lower-fat option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and swap regular ranch dressing mix for a reduced-sugar/low-fat packet if available.