Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Soup is a great way to spice up some leftover chicken! Chicken simmers with chipotle peppers and black beans along with a bit of kale for a flavorful, healthy soup topped with avocado. 

I was really excited about the way this Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Soup came out.

Of course, I like all the recipes I share on Cooking Chat. But some are pretty predictable variations on themes I have already tried before. Like the Ziti with Salmon and Kale Pesto I shared the other day. Sure, it is is delicious, but I had already tried and shared many iterations of pasta, pesto and seafood. I knew that recipe was going to work.

I was venturing into some new territory making Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Soup. My standard routine after making roast chicken is to make some stock with the leftover carcass, which is then combined with the leftover chicken and veggies for my Hearty Chicken Stew. This chicken stew has a rich, savory flavor that is welcomed on a cold evening.

Last weekend I was planning to make roasted chicken, and I saw Cinco De Mayo coming up on the calendar. I decided to try spicing up our leftover chicken soup routine, adding a fresh jalapeno and chipotle to my typical combo of leftover chicken, stock and veggies. I added corn and black beans, and topped the chicken and black bean soup with avocado to further the Cinco De Mayo flavor.

The result is a healthy soup bursting with flavor! This isn’t five alarm level spice, but definitely enough heat to qualify as “medium” level of spice. The chopped avocado topping is a great way to balance the heat while adding some more substance and nutrition to the soup.

You might consider making our Easy Mexican Dip as the soup simmers!

Making this soup

The recipe card instructions below are pretty straightforward, so I will just share a few quick tips first.

This Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Soup is an ideal way to use leftover roast chicken, as you can then do your own stock and have enough chicken to add to the soup. However, you could certainly make this soup with other leftover chicken, and use store bought chicken broth.

I buy the small can of chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, and use one of the peppers along with a bit of the sauce for the recipe. Save the remaining peppers and sauce in a glass container in the fridge, and you can get at least one more chipotle flavored meal out of it. Maybe some Grilled Chipotle Pork Chops?

I used some kale in this recipe, but you could certainly substitute other greens you happen to have on hand.

Speaking of soup with kale in it, you’ve got to check out our Best Portuguese Kale Soup recipe! It’s one of the most popular in our home, and on Cooking Chat!

Pairings

Sure, I know margaritas and Mexican beer are the most common Cinco De Mayo beverages, but wine is my favorite drink to pair with just about any dinner.

My first instinct would be to pair this Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Soup with a Spanish Garnacha to capture some Cinco De Mayo spirit. But alas, I didn’t have any Spanish wine on hand when I made this soup.

I opted for a bottle of Italian Primitivo to pair with our soup. Primitivo is a red wine grape most typically found in Italy. Depending on who you listen to, it is either similar to or genetically the same as Zinfandel found in California.

I tend to think of Zin with spicy food, particularly if I want to serve it with a red wine. So I thought of the Primitivo I had, and then noted the label suggest it is a good pairing for spicy food.

The Primitivo delivered as advertised. With tart cherry fruit and black pepper notes, the Primitivo was a very good match for the Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Soup.

If you do want to go for a more traditional Cinco De Mayo pairing, I’m sure a margarita would be refreshing with this soup! Add some lime to a Mexican lager and that would work too. Also, IPAs tend to be a good beer pairing choice with spicy food. Whatever beverage you choose for your Cinco De Mayo fiesta, ¡Salud!

Recipe card

Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Print Recipe

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Chicken simmers with chipotle pepper and black beans, topped with avocado for a healthy soup bursting with flavor!

• Author: Cooking Chat
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Latin

Ingredients

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• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 medium to large jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• ½ tsp cumin
• pinch cinnamon
• pinch dried marjoram
• salt to taste
• 2 cups kale, stemmed and chopped
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 ½ cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 14.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotle in adobo sauce), chopped
• ½ tsp adobo sauce
• 1 ripe avocado, chopped

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Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion, cook for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the carrots and cook for a few more minutes.
2. Stir the jalapeño, cumin, cinnamon and marjoram into the pot. Add the kale, and stir to combine. Add salt to taste.
3. Add the chicken broth to the pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the chicken, corn and black beans, and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Scoop the soup into bowls, and serve topped with a handful of chopped avocado.

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