Creamy Chicken Taco Soup

This Creamy Chicken Taco Soup boasts chunks of tender chicken, sweetcorn, and black beans in a rich, spicy cheesy tomato broth. Taco flavors in a bowl to warm you up! 

When we are in Texas, tacos are on our menu frequently because I can buy our favorite tortillas freshly made at a neighborhood store. They are made with half wheat flour and half corn so are called mitad y mitad - half and half. They are softer than corn tortillas with more texture than plain flour ones. Truly, the perfect mix. 

Here in the Channel Islands, corn tortillas are hard to come by and I cannot abide flour ones so we spend our summers mostly taco-less. I did pack a bag of masa harina in the suitcase this year, along with a tortilla press so I could make my own. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. 

Had the weather been cooperating, I’d have marinated my chicken breasts and we’d have grilled them for actual tacos. Since it’s pouring down rain and the wind is howling, I decided taco soup was more fitting. 

Creamy Chicken Taco Soup

For this recipe, I use bone-in, skin on chicken breasts because they add more flavor to the soup as they simmer. The trick is to simmer the chicken slowly so you can remove the pieces whole to debone and shred.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola or other light oil

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1 1/2 oz or 42g roasted red peppers

3 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne

Several generous grinds black pepper

6 cups or 1440ml chicken stock

1 can (14 oz or 400g) crushed tomatoes

2 chicken breasts (weight about 1 lb 5 oz or 600g with bones)

8 oz or 225g cream cheese (cut into cubes)

2 cups or 280g frozen corn

1 can (14 oz or 400g) black beans, drained and rinsed

To finish:

Fine sea salt, to taste (Keep in mind that some taco seasonings and chicken stock have a lot of salt so definitely taste before adding more.)

Optional toppings: cilantro, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, lime wedges for squeezing

Method

Peel and finely chop your onion and garlic. (Use a small food processor if you have one!)

Chop the roasted red pepper with a sharp knife. 

In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic with the oil until they are soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the chopped red pepper, taco seasoning, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne and black pepper. 

Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes and chicken breasts.

Bring the pot to a low boil then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes or until the breasts are cooked through. I insert a thermometer in mine to check. When it reads 180°F or 82°C, the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside till it's cool enough to handle.  

Add the cream cheese to the pot and stir. Leave it to melt while you deal with the chicken. 

Remove the skin, bones and any cartilage from the breasts. Pull the meat apart into bite size pieces. 

Add the chicken, corn and black beans to the pot and stir. Gently heat the soup until it’s hot through.

Serve the soup with the toppings of your choice but I highly recommend squeezing a little lime juice on it. 

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing taco recipes in celebration of National Taco Day! Many thanks to our host Camilla from Culinary Cam. Check out the links below. 

• Carnitas Taco Salad by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Chicken Tinga Tacos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Creamy Chicken Taco Soup by Food Lust People Love
• Crispy Baked Chicken Taquitos by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Crispy Grilled Shrimp Tacos by Culinary Cam
• Easy Spicy Jackfruit Tacos by Cook with Renu
• Veggie Taquitos by Mayuri's Jikoni

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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