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Easy spicy Poblano Chicken Tortilla Soup. Enjoy this bowl of wholesome filling soup on chilly days. Made easily with a mix of chicken, spices, red enchilada sauce, salsa verde, broth, and cilantro. And, of course, lots of poblano peppers. Mix in plenty of cheddar cheese, then top with fresh lime and avocado. Add salty tortilla chips on top for scooping, so delicious. The toppings are key! I hope you love this chicken poblano soup recipe!
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The Monday after the Super Bowl is just the right fit for this soup. I’m sure many of us indulged in lots of yummy Super Bowl dishes last night. As we should, that was fun! But today is great for a bit of a reset, and soup is perfect.
This feels cozy and indulgent (the secret is in all the toppings). But this soup is chuck full of ingredients to nourish our bodies. And we love that.
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Poblano peppers
- Garlic
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Spicy taco seasoning
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Red enchilada sauce
- Salsa verde
- Broth
- Hot sauce
- Salted butter
- Fresh cilantro
- Yogurt
- Avocado
- Limes for lime juice
- black beans
- Green onions
- Tortilla chips or tortilla strips for topping
- sour cream
Kitchen Supplies
- tongs
- Dutch oven or large soup pot
- crockpot or instant pot if you want to use that method
- ladle
- airtight container
- plastic wrap
It was really my mom who inspired this recipe. She enjoys soup the most out of anyone in my family. Growing up, we’d often have soup for lunch on rainy, cold days back in Cleveland. Mom’s specialty was a chicken noodle soup with minute rice mixed in and lots of salty popcorn on top.
Yup, rice in the soup and a topping of popcorn. She’s a smart woman.
Obviously, this isn’t that kind of soup, but she also loves spicy tortilla soup. In fact, she texted me the night they had this, saying how delicious it was. I knew this would be perfect for these cold winter days and even into early spring.
The details
Step 1: the ingredients
All you need for this soup is an onion, poblano peppers, garlic, chicken, enchilada sauce, salsa verde, your favorite taco seasoning blend, some broth, and chips.
Simply cook the onion, peppers, and garlic in a big soup pot. Then add the chicken, the taco seasoning, the enchilada sauce, salsa verde, a good splash of hot sauce, and some butter. Let this all simmer over medium heat until the chicken is cooked and begins to shred easily.
You can also cook this in the crockpot. Either method is great!
Step 2: shred the chicken
Once the chicken is cooked, tender, and starts to fall apart, shred each piece and mix the shredded chicken into the soup.
Step 3: the toppings
Finish the soup with cilantro and a handful of cheese. You want the cheese to melt into the soup, so you’ll get a bit of melty cheese with every spoonful. This will also help cut down the spice.
Don’t skip the cheese!
Ladle the soup into bowls. Then add more cheese, a good spoonful of yogurt, chunks or slices of avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Other options to add include corn, chili powder, and chopped celery stalks.
I always add hot sauce too for extra heat and flavor, but that’s totally optional. Delicious!
A wonderful easy-to-make soup to warm up with! Mmm.. nothing beats poblano chicken soup!
Looking for other warming winter dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Better For You Chicken and Spinach Ramen
Creamy Butternut Squash Butter Chicken
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Coconut Milk Braised Black Pepper Chicken
Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice
Crockpot Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Lastly, if you make this Poblano Chicken Tortilla Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Poblano Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon spicy taco seasoning
- salt and black pepper
- 3 cups red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 3-4 cups broth
- 1/4 cup hot sauce (optional)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- yogurt, shredded cheddar, avocado, plus lots of limes and green onions for serving
- tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
Stove Top
- 1. In a large soup pot, set over medium heat, cook together the olive oil, onion, poblanos, and garlic for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add the chicken, taco seasoning, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the enchilada sauce, salsa verde, and 3 cups of broth. Stir in the hot sauce and butter.2. Still set over medium heat, bring to a simmer, cook 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Shred the chicken using two forks. Stir in the cilantro and a handful of cheddar cheese.3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips. Finish as desired with a dollop of yogurt, cheese, green onions, avocado, and cilantro. Enjoy!
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, layer the onion, poblanos, and garlic. Add the chicken, taco seasoning, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the enchilada sauce, salsa verde, and 3 cups of broth. Mix in the hot sauce and butter.2. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Shred the chicken using two forks. Stir in the cilantro and a handful of cheddar cheese. 3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips. Finish as desired with a dollop of yogurt, cheese, green onions, avocado, and cilantro. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Big tortilla soup fan and this soup was in the top 5 for sure ! Left out the hot sauce and kept taco seasoning mild. Loved the idea of beans or corn , will add next go around.
Hi Claire,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well! Have a great weekend! xT
Absolutely delicious
Thanks so much Sanela!! So glad you enjoyed this soup and I appreciate you giving it a try! xT
I guess I’m not a super huge fan of the red enchilada sauce. Loved the poblanos tho…my favorite soup of yours is still hands down the white chicken chili. I make that for groups all the time and they always ask for the recipe.
Hi Dana,
Thanks so much for making the white chicken chili so often, sorry to hear you weren’t a fan of this one!! I appreciate you giving it a try:) xx
This was delicious and easy to make. I added black beans and corn riblets.
Hi Therese,
Amazing!! So glad to hear this soup turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your comment:) Xx
Was easy and delicious. I added a whole packet of chicken taco seasoning to add more depth (as the salsa verde I used was very bright and and acidic). Big hit with the fam! Will definitely make again.
Hey Diane,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I added corn and black beans and my family loved it! Thank you for another great week of recipes!
oh corn and black beans, great addition!
Thanks so much Kelley! I really appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback! Xx
LOVED THIS!! I added rice and corn to it and it was amazing! A keeper for the rotation for sure!
Yay!! Love to hear this Jess:) Thanks so much for making this recipe and your message! Have a great week! xT
In your pictures, you show a bowl of sour cream/yogurt with lime zest and something else. But in the ingredient list and directions there is no mention of what this is. Can you elaborate please? Thank you in advance.
Hi Linda,
I just did a little yogurt with lime juice and zest:) Let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Super easy, quick, and tasty! Came together quick and I reduced the amount of broth and it ended up being thick, which I liked! I also used all mild ingredients (including the taco seasoning) and omitted the hot sauce and it had just the perfect mild kick if you’re not a spice fan.
Hi Bailey,
Amazing!! So glad to hear this soup turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
This was delicious and ridiculously easy. Made on stovetop and it came together quickly. Topped with sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips and fresh lime juice. Thanks!
Thanks so much Mabel!! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you! Have a great Friday! Xx
are there supposed to be green chillies in the ingredient list? when do you add them?
Hi Laura,
If you want to add a can of green chillies with the enchilada sauce you totally can! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Awesome soup for a cold day!! I made as the recipe called for, used fresh flour tortillas I toasted in the oven. My husband loved it as did I, definite keeper!
Thanks so much Maria!! So glad it turned out well for you:) Xx
Am I reading the recipe correctly that each serving will have 3/4 cups of enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup of salsa verde?! So the soup is literally made of sauce and salsa? According to the products you linked that would be 2000mg of sodium per serving from those two things alone, yikes!
Hi Beth,
yYes! This soup is made with a base of enchilada sauce, salsa verde, and broth. You can use the ingredients you feel comfortable using. If you do try the soup, I hope you enjoy! Xx
Wow! That is hands down, THE BEST chicken tortilla soup that I’ve ever had! I used the siete brand of enchilada sauce and salsa verde, sour cream instead of yogurt and fresh tortilla chips. My whole family is raving about it!
Hi Carrie,
Fantastic! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad it turned out well for you:)
This soup is so full of flavor and just the right amount of heat. Easy to make during the week when things get busy! A definite keeper!! I served it with tortilla chips but I’m sure corn bread would be delicious as well.
Hey Lisa,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Great recipe….the only change I made was I roasted the pablano pepper over an open flame on my stove…roasted plablamo get a very earthy subtle smokie flavour that brings so much more to this recipe…..hope you try it
Thanks for the inspiration
Hi Lynda,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
I was thinking of doing the same. Plus I must peel the peppers due to a digestive disorder. Roasted poblanos take anything to the next level.