Green Chile Chicken Soup Recipe – hearty, rich chicken soup with green chiles, black beans, cannelleni beans, chicken and tomatoes!

There is nothing more comforting than a cozy, warm chicken soup – we like to make chicken soup a couple times a week, with lots of different flavors. In fall, when Colorado is full of the smell of chiles roasting, we love loading up soups with tons of flavor from our favorite roasted peppers. This soup is simple and easy to make, loaded with vegetables, beans, and chicken – but only takes 30 minutes start to finish – and can be made mild, medium, spicy, or levels of insane heat!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How To Make Green Chile Chicken Soup

First assemble the following ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 pound) – Provide lean, tender protein that forms the hearty base of the soup.
Medium onion (1) – Adds a sweet, savory depth that builds flavor as it cooks down.
Olive oil (1 tablespoon) – Infuses richness while helping soften and caramelize the aromatics.
Garlic cloves (4) – Lend bold, aromatic sharpness that enhances the overall savoriness.
Chopped green chiles (4 ounces) – Contribute mild heat and smoky, tangy flavor to the broth.
Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chilies (10 oz) – Add a bright, zesty kick with juicy tomato acidity.
Guahillo (3-4) – Bring a deep, earthy sweetness with a mild smoky spice.
Chiles de arbol (3-4) – Deliver fiery heat and a sharp chili punch to the soup.
Mexican oregano (1 tablespoon) -Provides a citrusy, herbal note distinct from Mediterranean oregano.
Smoked paprika (1 teaspoon) – Adds warmth and subtle smokiness to enhance the chili base.
Bay leaves (2) – Infuse the broth with a gentle, savory depth while simmering.
Celtic sea salt (1 teaspoon) – Balances flavors and heightens the natural taste of the ingredients.
Fresh cracked pepper (1 teaspoon) – Adds a sharp, peppery bite for contrast.
White kidney beans (15 oz) – Bring creamy texture and mild flavor that soak up the broth.
Black beans (15 oz) – Add hearty body and earthy richness to complement the lighter beans.
Low sodium chicken broth (28 oz) – Forms the flavorful, savory liquid foundation of the soup.
Shredded Monterrey jack cheese (½ cup) – Melts into the soup for creamy richness and mild tang.
Chopped cilantro (½ cup) – Finishes the dish with bright, fresh, herbal flavor.

Our Pro Tip

Flavor Tip

For the absolute mildest soup, please pick mild green chiles, mild Ro-tel, and use dried cascabel chile peppers that have been rehydrated and prepared with the seeds and membranes removed as noted in our preparation method below.

Cook Onion and Chicken

In large dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil on medium high until shimmery, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and onion to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned – about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, cook until chicken is browned, another 5 minutes.

Add Herbs and Season

Stir green chiles, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper, cook another 5 minutes, until fragrant and onions are browned and softened.

Add Tomatoes and Chilis

Add Ro-tel, beans, chiles, and stock to pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to low.

Simmer and Finish

Simmer 15 minutes, until reduced and thickened slightly. If you'd like a thicker soup more like a stew, you can stir in cornstarch or xantham gum slurry. Top with shredded Monterey jack cheese and chives, if desired.

Finish

Top with shredded Monterey jack cheese and chives, if desired.

Kitchen notes

Using these tips below, you can have the solid chicken soup, every time!

What Beans to Use in Chicken Soup – We called for black beans and cannelleni (white kidney beans) beans because we love them in soup and always have them on hand at home – but you can also use pinto beans, kidney beans, and even chickpeas if you prefer.

How To Use Rotisserie Chicken In Green Chile Chicken Soup – To save time, you can skip cooking the chicken in this white chicken chili – and use rotisserie chicken at the end.

How to Cook With Chiles – When making a soup, it isn't strictly necessary to rehydrate dried chiles, since they will rehydrate and give off oils in the soup as it cooks, however if you want to have control over the amount of heat in your soup you need to consider rehydrating and preparing your chiles (removing seeds and the membrane) before cooking with them.

We personally prefer rehydrating in the soup, since we like spicy food – this gives off all of the chiles heat and oil into the soup as they rehydrate and gives a TON of flavor (and spice!!!) to the soup.

How To Thicken Soup Without Flour – To thicken soups without flour, add xanthan gum as a thickener if desired, by making a xanthan gum roux.

Using two teaspoons of xanthan gum (divided), with 1/2 cup butter, you'll make a gluten free roux to thicken this keto soup.
Get a nonstick pan or pot ready on the stove and turn heat to medium high.
Add butter to pan and let start to melt.
Add ONE teaspoon of xanthan gum, whisk vigorously to combine.
Add the other teaspoon of xanthan gum, and keep whisking until roux is browned.
Watch carefully, as roux browns quickly – do not let roux burn or overcook.
Whisk in to soup about 5 minutes before it is done cooking, before adding the cheese.
Roux will look a little thin when done – but don't worry, it will continue to thicken when added to the soup!

A few answers

When is chicken cooked?

Chicken is safe to eat and fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

How long can chicken soup be stored?

Chicken soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, or four months in the freezer.

What kindof GReen Chilis should we use?

When picking green chiles, you can pick fresh roasted, canned (and drained), or frozen (thawed) chiles.

What are the different types of CHilis?

Cascabel Chiles – Cascabel chiles are fruity and smoky like Guahillo chiles as they are also from the Mirasol pepper – but pack a significantly milder heat at a 1,000-3,000 SHU range.
Guahillo Chiles – guahillo chiles are dried from the Mirasol pepper, and have a sharp, almost fruity and smoky flavor. Guahillo chiles have a Scoville heat unit (SHU) of 2,500-5,000, which puts them in the medium heat category.
Chiles de Arbol – chiles de arbol are bright red and have a nutty flavor (they are pictured here in our soup on top) and are spicy with a 15,000-30,000 SHU. We like to form the flavor of our soup around a few guahillo peppers, and add extra heat to our soups with 4-5 chiles de arbol for an extra kick.

How do we prepare dried Chilis for this soup?

To cook with dried chile peppers, soak in hot water for 20 minutes to rehydrate.
Wearing gloves, remove the seeds and inner membrane of the chile with a sharp knife and discard.
Add chile to soup without seeds and membrane, minced.

Serve it with

This hearty and rich soup pairs perfectly with easy quick breads like our no knead bread cheddar jalapeno bread The Best Easy Keto Garlic Butter Rollsand 4 Ingredient Keto Jalapeno Cheese Bread.

If you're new at cooking with chiles, please use some of our notes below to help get a little more comfortable cooking with them – and then try our Easy Green Chile Sauce Recipe Easy Beef Green Chile Green Chile Spaghetti Squash Skillet Recipe Green Chile Guacamole Green Chili Whiskey Onion Burgers Chicken Green Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Green Chile Pork Carnitas – you can tell we kind of have a thing for green chile around here!

For more of our favorite side dishes that are good alongside this soup, check out some of our favorite sides below:

You can find the rest of our side dish recipe archives here.

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Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces chopped green chiles, can be canned, fresh roasted, or frozen – thaw/drain before using
10 oz Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chilies
3-4 Guahillo, medium or Cascabel (mild) chiles, dried
3-4 chiles de arbol, hot, dried, optional
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
15 oz white kidney beans, drained
15 oz black beans, drained
28 oz low sodium chicken broth
½ cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese, to garnish
½ cup chopped cilantro, to garnish

Method

Cut chicken breasts into 1" chunks and dice onion.
In large dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil on medium high until shimmery, about 30 seconds.
Add chicken and onion to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned – about 3 minutes.
Stir in onion, cook until chicken is browned, another 5 minutes.
Stir green chiles, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper, cook another 5 minutes, until fragrant and onions are browned.
Add Ro-tel, beans, chiles, and stock to pot.
Bring to a boil, and then reduce to low.
Simmer 15 minutes, until reduced and thickened slightly.
If you'd like a thicker soup more like a stew, you can stir in cornstarch or xantham gum slurry.
If you used dried chiles and rehydrated them in the soup as it cooked, you can remove them and mince (wear gloves to protect your hands from burning, remove the seeds and membranes before mincing to add back into soup.)
Top with shredded Monterey jack cheese and chives, if desired.