This Mexican chicken soup recipe is a delicious and easy-to-follow guide to making a hearty and comforting soup at home. Made with chicken, quinoa, black beans, and flavorful spices like cumin and smoked paprika, this soup is both satisfying and nutritious. Serve it with your favorite toppings like avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges for an extra burst of flavor.
4Free-range or organic skinless chicken thighs, bone-in
1small onionfinely diced
1bay leave
1small carrot
1/2tspsalt
4-5black peppercorns
Mexican Chicken Soup Ingredients
1brown onionfinely diced
1garlic cloveminced
3tbspof extra virgin olive oil
1tspground cumin
1tspground paprika
1/2tspsmoked paprika
1tspsea salt
2large tomatoes, skinned and dicedor use 1/2 tin of organic diced tomatoes, use BPA-free variety
1tinorganic black beansalways use BPA-free variety
1large potatodiced
1/2cupuncooked quinoawell rinsed, see note
Optional garnishes:
Fresh cilantro (coriander)
Lime juice
Tortilla chips
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Shredded cheese
Avocado slicces
Instructions
How to cook chicken thighs
Place the chicken thighs, onion, carrot, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, and approximately 8 cups of water in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a minimum and let it simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken meat is very tender and easily comes off the bone. Set aside.
Once the chicken has cooled down enough to handle it, shred it using two forks or simply your hands.
How to cook Mexican Chicken Soup
Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan or large Dutch oven, on medium heat, and add diced onions and garlic. Cook the onions for 5 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, but not brown.
Add spices (cumin, ground paprika, smoked paprika and chili powder if using). Cook for another minute.
Add diced tomatoes and let it cook for a minute stirring frequently.
Add diced potatoes along with chicken stock and black beans.
Rinse the quinoa in a mesh colander for a minute or two and add to the soup.
Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
Add the shredded chicken to the soup and stir.
Serve with your favorite toppiongs and enjoy!
Notes
This soup can be cooked with vegetable stock. You can add some cooked (or canned) chickpeas instead of chicken meat for extra protein.Make sure you rinse the quinoa properly under running water. If not rinsed properly quinoa has a bitter taste to it. This soup can be refrigerated and frozen. You might need some extra stock or water if it becomes a little too thick.