Mexican Chicken Soup with Rice
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Nothing tastes as good as food you didn’t have to make yourself, am I right?
Especially during the first few days home with a new baby, which is when I first tasted this soup, or something similar anyway.
When a friend brought it by, we gobbled it up—we were so hungry and it was so good. Before it was gone, though, we started jotting down all the ingredients we could see and taste, and weeks later, when I emerged from the newborn stupor, I started to experiment.
I’ve been making and tweaking this ever since.
It’s easy to prepare and easily one of our weeknight favorites.
Soup Prep Hacks
I love to make soup with ingredients that I already have somewhat prepared. Food waiting to be used up.
When I roast a chicken, I usually stash a cup or two in the freezer or fridge to use in a soup later that week.
And when I cook rice, I almost always cook extra, so I’ll will have cooked rice on hand, ready to throw into a soup, too.
I don’t pay much attention to quantities. How much chicken, corn, or rice varies based on what I have available. As long as the soup’s backbone of spices, herbs, and broth is sturdy, the add-ins can flux a bit and it’ll still be great.
Soup is flexible like that.
Mexican Chicken Soup with Rice
Ingredients
½ onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper or several mini-peppers, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 -2 cups cooked chicken
1-2 cups frozen corn
4-6 cups stock or broth
1 tsp cumin
8 oz salsa verde
1 cup cooked rice
1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For serving: cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese
Preparation
In a large pot, saute the diced onion in coconut oil/butter until the onion is clear and beginning to soften.
Add the red pepper and toss with the onion for a few minutes. Do not overcook.
Stir in the garlic and cumin until fragrant, just a moment or two.
Add the chicken, salsa verde, salt, and pepper, and toss together.
Pour in 4-6 cups of stock/broth, depending on how dense/thin you prefer your soup.
Stir in the frozen corn and cooked rice and heat through.
Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream, and cheese as desired.
