Southwestern Chicken and Rice Soup

This Southwestern Chicken and Rice Soup is the answer after a long day. In less than 30 minutes, you can have a big pot of warm, comforting soup filled with tons of southwestern flavor!

 
 



We have been having an unusually mild winter here in Salt Lake. Like warm enough that I don’t even get my coat out most days. I started seeing tulips poking out of the ground, and hints of blossoms on the trees.

And then all of a sudden – bam! Cold again. Seriously, mother nature, I really wish you would make up your mind!!

 
 

 
 
Luckily, I know that spring will eventually come around, and the weather will warm up for good. But until then, I’m cold, and I need to warm up!!

And what better way to warm up than with a nice, big bowl of soup? You all know how much I love soup anyway, but the cold weather just gives me more of an excuse to make up a big pot of soup and dive right in!!
 
 

 
 
Today’s soup recipe is brought to you by some leftover chicken and pantry staples. I love it when I can bring a meal together in no time at all, and this Southwestern Chicken and Rice Soup definitely fits the bill. I use a base of veggies to make the soup. Then add in some broth and some tomatoes. Then my 2 secret ingredients. 🙂 The first is Old El Paso Mexican Rice. You heat it up in the microwave for 60 seconds, and then it’s good to go. No waiting forever for rice to cook!! Plus, it adds in so much flavor. The second secret ingredient is refried beans. I know that refried beans are not a typical addition to soups, but they blend right in and are great for thickening up the soup. At our house, we like our soups on the thicker side, versus a brothy soup. And refried beans do the trick! This time, I decided to try the Black Bean Refried Beans from Old El Paso. I picked up a few cans on a trip the grocery store and had been dying to try them. I’m in love with them!! Some leftover, shredded chicken rounds it all off. If you don’t have leftover chicken, you can use rotisserie chicken, or you can even cook up a chicken breast or two and shred it. (But having shredded chicken on hand always is such a meal saver!!)

My daughter, who is as much of a soup lover as I am, absolutely loved this. She ate 2 bowls and was one happy girl. I guess we can handle these last days of winter as long as we have a bowl of this Southwestern Chicken and Rice Soup!
 
 

 
 

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Southwestern Chicken and Rice Soup

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

This Southwestern Chicken and Rice Soup is the answer after a long day. In less than 30 minutes, you can have a big pot of warm, comforting soup filled with tons of southwestern flavor!

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 package (8 oz) Old El Paso™ Mexican Rice
• 1 can (16 oz) Old El Paso™ Black Bean Refried Beans
• 1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• optional desired toppings - sour cream, diced avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips, etc.

Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the red bell pepper and the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add in the chicken broth and the diced tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil.
2. While the soup is coming to a boil, cook the rice in the microwave according to the package directions.
3. Once the soup is at a boil, add in the refried beans and stir until the soup is smooth, breaking up any chunks of the beans with a spoon. Add in the green chiles.
4. Stir in the Mexican rice and the chicken and cook for a few minutes to heat through.
5. Serve topped with your desired toppings - sour cream, avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips, etc.

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