This is the soup to end all soups! If you are a fan of enchiladas verdes, get ready because this Green Chicken Chili Soup is pretty much that… but without tortillas or rice.
It’s filled with sautéed onions and three types of peppers: poblanos, jalapeño, and hatch green chiles. The base of the chili is made with chicken stock and salsa verde, then seasoned with cumin, oregano, and paprika. The chicken cooks directly in the broth, leaving it undeniably juicy. We recommend shredding the chicken thighs in a stand mixer (yes, really! it’s the quickest, most efficient way!), then returning to the pot.
Add corn for sweetness and canned white beans for added protein and texture. This is hearty, gluten-free, and dairy-free, though we strongly recommend serving with a dollop of cool, refreshing sour cream.
A great option for your game day menu, or just whenever the temperature drops. It’s ready in just over an hour, start-to-finish, but tastes like it’s been simmering all day long. You will love this chicken chili recipe!
Be sure to try our Ground Turkey Chili recipe next!
Ingredients For Green Chicken Chili
Think of this Green Chili as deconstructed enchiladas verdes. No tortillas, no rice, but the rest of the flavors are spot on.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onions and peppers: 1 Vidalia or yellow onion (chopped), 2 poblano peppers, 1 jalapeño pepper, and canned hatch green chiles. You can go for mild or spicy green chiles, whichever you prefer!
- Chopped garlic
- Corn: fresh, frozen, or canned (drained) will work! We recommend fresh whenever corn is in season.
- Dried spices: Kosher salt, ground cumin, sweet paprika (sub smoked if you prefer a smoky flavor), dried oregano, and black pepper
- Low-sodium chicken stock or broth
- Green salsa verde: We love Sky Valley Foods brand, which we can grab at Whole Foods.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: These get poached directly in the soup, then shredded. ou can use chicken breast if you prefer, but dark meat has more flavor and is juicier.
- White beans: Great Northern beans cannellini beans, or other small, soft white beans .
- Fresh lime juice
Equipment: you’ll want a large Dutch oven or soup pot to make the chili. We recommend shredding the chicken in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Trust us, you’ll never want to pull chicken any other way, it’s so easy!!
How To Make Green Chicken Chili Soup
Sauté onion, poblano peppers, and jalaperño in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Once softened, stir in the hatch chiles and 4 chopped cloves garlic.
Next, season the mixture with dried spices! Add ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, paprika, oregano, and black pepper. This is when you’ll add in the corn (fresh, frozen, or canned) too.
Pour in the liquids: chicken broth or stock and salsa verde. Bring this to a boil, then add cleaned chicken thighs directly into the chili. Submerge completely. Cover, reduce heat to medium (more than a gentle simmer), then cook for 35 minutes.
To shred the chicken, simply transfer the cooked thighs to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let it run on medium speed for 1 minute, or until the chicken is finely pulled. Could not be easier! Transfer the shredded chicken back to the pot. If you prefer, you can pull the meat with 2 forks, but this will take longer and have a different texture.
Finally, stir in 1 can drained, rinsed white beans and the juice of 1 lime. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then serve with your favorite toppings!
Our Favorite Chili Toppings
Our go to chili toppings: raw chopped onion, sour cream, sliced avocado, limes wedges, thinly sliced jalapeño (fresh or pickled, which give the chili a nice kick!), and lots of fresh cilantro!
Other popular toppings: thinly sliced radishes, shredded cheddar cheese, fried tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips. When hosting friends or family for dinner, we recommend setting up a chili topping bar with all the condiments and extras in small bowls. Let guests pick and choose how they want to top their own bowl of chili, and everyone leaves happy!
How To Freeze Chili And Soup
Allow the soup to cool completely to room temperature, then portion into manageable serving containers. You can store larger portions in freezer-safe Ziploc bags or use something like Souper Cubes to freeze individual portions.
Do not freeze soup with garnishes. Instead, add these upon thawing and reheating.
Label everything you put in the freezer! Your future self will thank you when you’re staring at a container and have no idea what’s inside or when it was frozen.
To Reheat Frozen Chili
Allow the chili to thaw overnight in a refrigerator or reheat directly from frozen on a stove top or in a microwave. If using a stove top, place the frozen chili in a large soup pot or saucepan (depending on how much chili you’ve got), then warm over medium heat until completely melted and warm throughout.
If reheating in a microwave, place green chicken chili soup in a large microwave safe bowl, then heat on either defrost setting or at power level 5 until melted and warm.
This is seriously one of the most delicious recipes you will ever make! Perfect on a cold winter day and reasonably healthy to boot. Can’t complain. If you’re not averse to dairy product, we highly recommend serving with a generous dollop of sour cream. It makes the soup! Cannot wait to hear what you think about this green chili — it’s going to become a game day staple in our house!
If you make this Green Chicken Chili Soup recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More Soup Recipes!
- Crab Bisque
- Tomato And White Bean Kale Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower and White Bean Soup
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Green Chicken Chili Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large Vidalia onion diced
- 2 large poblano peppers seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and diced
- 8 oz hatch green chiles mild or hot, typically sold in 4 oz cans
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped, about 2 Tbsp
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup corn fresh, canned, or frozen and thawed
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
- ½ cup salsa verde we use Sky Valley Foods brand
- 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless, about 6 thighs
- 1 can great Northern beans rinsed and drained, or other small white beans
- 1 lime juiced
- Sliced avocado, sour cream, pickled jalapeño, chopped onion, and cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies. Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add diced onion, poblano peppers, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until softened. Stir in the hatch green chiles and 4 cloves chopped garlic. Cook 1 minute more.
- Add the spices. Add 1 cup of corn, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp Kosher salt, ½ tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp dried oregano, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Stir well.
- Cook the chicken. Pour in 1 quart of chicken stock and ½ cup of salsa verde. Bring to a rapid boil, then add chicken thighs, submerging completely into the soup. Cover, reduce the heat to medium (more than a gentle simmer), then cook for 35 minutes.
- Shred the chicken. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the cooked chicken to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. It's ok if some of the vegetables transfer over with the chicken. Turn the mixer on to medium speed and shred the chicken fully. This will take about 1 minute. Return the pulled chicken to the chili. Alternatively, you can shred or pull the chicken with 2 forks on a cutting board.
- Finish the soup. Stir in 1 can of drained, rinsed great Northern beans and the juice of 1 lime. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately with sour cream, sliced avocado, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and chopped onion — or any other toppings you love!
Video
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include toppings. Those are additional.
- To freeze: allow to cool completely to room temperature, then portion into manageable serving containers. You can store larger portions in freezer-safe Ziploc bags or use something like Souper Cubes to freeze individual portions. Do not freeze soup with garnishes. Instead, add these upon thawing and reheating.
- To reheat: thaw overnight in a fridge or reheat directly from frozen on a stove top or in a microwave. If using a stove top, place the frozen chili in a large soup pot or saucepan (depending on how much chili you’ve got), then warm over medium heat until completely melted and warm throughout. If using a microwave, place soup in a large microwave safe bowl, then heat on either defrost setting or at power level 5 until melted and warm.
I made this for dinner last night and it was incredible. The bright acid flavors blended perfectly with the warm and hearty chicken/bean protein. I topped it with sour cream and a dash of Chili Lime Salt to finish. Would make time and time again!
I am so, so, so glad you tried this! Easily one of the best Well Seasoned recipes in a year. I agree, the sour cream makes it — tastes just like enchiladas verdes!! xo, Ari
This was very very good. This will go on regular rotation. Thanks for the great recipe Ari!
Thank you, Greg! Agree, the flavors in this soup are amazing! xo, Ari
So easy to make and so delicious ! I sautéed the vegetables, added the spices , used a 15 oz jar of xochitl asada verde from Trader Joe and some black beans because I forgot to buy northern beans. Took the thighs out of the soup after 40 minutes and waited for them to cook and chopped them up and put them back in . I’ll make this again and again .
Thank you, Bobbi!! I LOVE all the salsa from TJ’s, so I will def try that one next time. xo, Ari
Such incredible flavour. I accidentally made mine extra spicy but it was still so tasty we ate the whole lot. Will definitely make again.
Hah, I love that you still ate them extra spicy! I likely would’ve had to add a gallon of sour cream lol! xo, Ari