Mexican Chicken Soup

Winter is the perfect season for soup. What I love about Mexican Chicken Soup is that it is so fresh and delicious we eat it at the farmhouse year-round. It’s THAT good!

The scoop behind Mexican Chicken Soup.

My love for Mexican food runs DEEP, y’all. Growing up in southern California I was quite spoiled by having delicious Mexican food all around me for most of my life. Good Mexican food is one of the top three things on the list of things I miss most about moving from California. In-N-Out Burger is up there too!

One of the many taco shops we lived by (proximity-wise as well as routinely!) was called Jorge’s. The entire menu was delicious! Of course, they had outstanding tacos, burritos, tortas, tostadas, and so much more. Truth be told though, when we went to Jorge’s to eat, we went for one specific thing… Jorge’s Soup. Jorge’s Soup had an official Mexican name, but around our house, it was just called Jorge’s Soup.

When you had a cold, the first thing anyone in our family would say is, “You need Jorge’s Soup!” At that point, someone would jump in the car and make a run. It worked like your mama’s homemade chicken soup, but with turbo boosters. The juicy chicken in a savory broth with Mexican spices hit the spot when you were sick. Speaking of the spices, you always needed a box of tissues close by because the nasal draining that occurred while eating this soup was legendary. The minute you started to eat Jorge’s Soup, you could feel yourself getting better.

Gone but not forgotten.

After we moved from California to North Carolina and the first cold and flu season hit, we all looked at one another and said, “What about Jorge’s Soup?!” I realized at that moment that I needed to take action (driving three thousand miles back to Cali just wasn’t realistic). That is when Mexican Chicken Soup was created. I made several batches of Mexican Chicken Soup that season. With each batch, I kept trying to perfect my recipe until I finally got the family’s approval. The day they finally told me the batch “tastes just like Jorge’s Soup” was a great day. I was very proud and excited!

Now anytime someone is feeling under the weather, I bust out my soup pot and make a big batch of Mexican Chicken Soup. Though I must admit, around the farmhouse we still call it, “Jorge’s Soup.” It just seems strange not to.

With or without rice, Mexican Chicken Soup is delicious.

In keeping with Jorge’s Soup tradition, I make Mexican rice to put at the bottom of the bowl when I serve the soup. The rice adds a heartiness to Mexican Chicken Soup that makes it incredibly satisfying. However, it’s not necessary. For those watching carbs or just wanting to keep it simple, you can omit the rice and the soup is equally delicious. 

Top it all off. 

Mexican Chicken Soup is delicious on its own, but my favorite part is all the toppings you can put on top to bump it up a notch. The toppings add a freshness to the soup that I love! Diced tomatoes, avocado, Queso Fresco, sour cream, jalapeños, cilantro, lime, and so much more. 

I like to put a tray out with all the toppings so everyone can add them how they like. It’s fun to see all the different creations. The sky’s the limit!

I hope you love this Mexican Chicken Soup recipe as much as we do here on the farm. I also hope I made Jorge proud with my version. Thank you for the inspiration, mi amigo!

If you’re looking for more soup recipes you may be interested in Italian Wedding Soup and  White Bean Chicken Chili.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Mexican Chicken Soup

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Juicy chicken in a savory broth with a hint of Mexican spice. This Mexican Chicken Soup recipe is sure to become a family favorite and it couldn't be easier to make. It hits the spot in winter, but honestly, you'll likely love it all year-round just like we do. Have fun adding all the fresh toppings before you eat it!

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Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 tablespoon of chili powder
• 2 fresh jalapeños, chopped or 1 small can of chopped jalapeños.
• 2 tomatoes, chopped (garnish)
• 2 avocados, chopped (garnish)
• Queso Fresco or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (garnish)
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped (garnish)
• Tortilla chips (garnish)
• Lime wedges (garnish)
• Sour cream (garnish)

Mexican Rice (optional)

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon (Knorr) tomato bouillon with chicken flavor

Instructions

For Soup:

Sauté onion and garlic in a large soup pot. Add chicken, broth, cumin, salt, chili powder, and jalapeños. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. 

For Rice: (Optional)

In a saute pot, add one cup of rice and a tablespoon of oil. Stir the rice with a spoon to coat it with oil.

On medium to medium-high heat, saute rice until it's lightly toasted. (Careful to watch it so it doesn't burn.)

Once the rice is lightly toasted, add 2 cups of water to the pan. (Careful, it will bubble up and steam a bit.) As the rice and water settled down, add 1 tablespoon of Knorr Tomato Boullion with Chicken Flavor. Stir it into the rice.

Cover the pan and turn the heat down to low. Let the rice cook as you would normally until all the water has evaporated.

Once the water has evaporated, fluff the rice with a fork.

How to Serve Mexican Chicken Soup:

Put a small amount of rice at the bottom of each bowl and then ladle in the soup. (Optional)

Top each bowl of soup with tomato, avocado, cheese, cilantro, tortilla chips (for that crunch!), jalapeño, sour cream, and/or lime before serving or put on the table for individuals to garnish.

Notes

If you're trying to watch your carb intake, you can omit the rice. The soup is just as delicious without it.

I serve warm flour tortillas on the side with the soup too. (Just like Jorge did!)