Chicken Taco Soup

Put the yummy things in a bowl and eat them (recipe and quick tutorial vid).

Chicken Taco Soup, photo and recipe by me, Anna Vocino

It got down to 48 degrees one night here last week, and I immediately jumped out of bed that morning and made this soup.

I love soup so very very much. If you meld the right flavors, one soup can last several days and then you don’t have to do any more cooking.

If you make sure to save all your bones and make broth once a week, you will always have a supply of homemade broth to make your soup extraordinary.

Chicken Tortilla Soup has always been one of my faves, but now that I’m entering my second decade not eating grains, I need to make a version sans tortilla. I’m not even going to bother making a low carb version of a tortilla for this recipe because it requires being submerged in liquid and it won’t hold up the way a fried corn tortilla chip would.

But I’ve dialed in this recipe so you will not miss the tortilla chips. Plus, a lot of what’s on the ingredient list is what you’ll be buying for fridge staples when eating NSNG, so hopefully you’ll have most of these on hand anyway.

You do NOT have to use Eat Happy Kitchen Taco Seasoning, even though that’s obvi what I use because it’s delicious and clean as heck. Plus we love the sustainable packaging.

You can buy taco seasoning at your market (check the label for no sugars or grains on the ingredients), or you can make it homemade from the recipe in my first book Eat Happy.

Omit the sour cream as a garnish to make this soup dairy free.

The recipe component for chicken taco meat is a staple in our household. It’s a fast and easy way to prep chicken thighs so you have some yummy meat on hand for a quick lunch (goes great on salads, like my Chicken Taco Salad with Avocado Crema Dressing), in a taco bowl, in soup, etc.

For the carb eaters, let them put the chicken in whatever type of tortilla they want to eat. But for me, i’m perfectly satisfyied eating this soup.

As always, here’s a downloadable, printable PDF of this recipe. And watch a quick tutorial below:

CHICKEN TACO SOUP

(Serves 6-8)

• 1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, (I use EHK Taco Seasoning, you can use any one you want, or make it homemade from my recipe in Eat Happy)

• 1/4 cup red salsa (check the label for no sugar added)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 poblano pepper, chopped

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes

• Salt and pepper

• Jalapeño slices, for garnish

• Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

• Sour cream, for garnish

• Chopped avocado chunks, for garnish

• Lime wedge, for garnish

CHICKEN TACO MEAT:

Place chicken thighs in Instant Pot or Slow Cooker. Toss in 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Pour salsa over seasoned chicken.

If using Instant Pot, place lid on IP, set vent to sealing position and run on Manual setting 20 minutes, letting the Instant Pot fully  pressurize and depressurize. When finished, shred chicken with two large forks or culinary claws. Set aside, reserving juices.

If using Slow Cooker, cook on high for 2-3 hours. When finished, shred chicken with two large forks or culinary claws. Set aside, reserving juices.

CHICKEN TACO SOUP:

In a large Dutch oven, stock pot, or Le Creuset, bring olive oil to medium high heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, and poblano, and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic and cook 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn garlic.

Add chicken broth and can of tomatoes and bring to boil. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook 3-4 minutes, then add shredded chicken meat and reserved juices. Turn heat down and let simmer an additional 5-10 minutes. Season once more with salt and pepper

Serve soup garnished with jalapeño slices, chopped cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, chopped avocado, and a lime wedge.