Verde Chicken Soup

This easy Verde Chicken Soup Recipe is so flavorful and healthy too! Made with salsa verde, chicken and white beans a bowl of this soup is a tasty way to end a chilly day.

When I see the word “verde,” I think green and when I think green I think about Kermit the Frog singing “It Ain’t Easy Being Green” and then I smile. Green has always been one of my very favorite colors and when it comes to food, green = goodness. There’s no exception to that rule in this Verde Chicken Soup recipe. It’s light on fat and calories but not at all on flavor. Delicious! This soup is definitely easy—easy being green. I think Kermit would approve.

A few simple ingredients are all that is required to make this super tasting Verde Chicken Soup, and only in about 30 minutes. It’s the perfect soup to serve for a crowd and can easily be made a day or two ahead of time and then rewarmed, or begin preparing it early in the day and keep it stewing in a slow cooker until ready to serve. Garnish with sour cream, fresh cilantro, chives or Monterey Jack cheese, just to name a few.

A few soup making tips:

• When making soups, stews or sauces, flavors of the spices used are intensified if they are toasted at the start. To do that all you’ll need to do is begin warming the oil in the pot, add spices and stir until fragrant. Easy and so worth the extra flavor. Plus I love the way it makes the house smell! It gets everyone hungry real quick.
• This Verde Chicken Soup, like many others that include chicken, is the perfect place to used leftover grilled or roasted chicken, or pick up a rotisserie chicken at your local deli or grocer for quick prep.

More easy and delicious soup recipes:

• Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
• Beef and Bean Soup Recipe
• Egg Drop Soup Recipe

Verde Chicken Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced sweet onion
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 16 ounces salsa verde
• 15-ounces cannellini beans or Great Northern beans
• 1 pound (about 4 cups) shredded cooked chicken
• 32 ounces chicken broth or stock

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes.
2. Add cumin, cilantro, salt and pepper, continue to stir and cook for another 1 minute, until fragrant.
3. Stir in salsa verde and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste, lower heat and cook covered for about 20 minutes.
5. Garnish with sour cream, fresh cilantro, chives or green onion.

This recipe was originally published January 23, 2015.