Description
This Chicken Tomato Rice Soup is a hearty, flavorful dish combining tender chicken thighs, colorful bell peppers, black beans, and a rich tomato broth with spices and cheese. Perfect for a comforting lunch or dinner, it features a thick, enchilada-like sauce that can be customized with toppings like tortilla chips, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and avocado.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound chicken thighs, thinly sliced into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced then halved
- 1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced then halved
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced then halved
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 cup long-grain white rice (basmati recommended), uncooked
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (4 oz) can mild diced green chilies
- 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 (14.5 oz) cans low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese, or more to taste
Garnishes
- Tortilla chips or strips
- Fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
- Lime juice
- Hot sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the fats: Melt the butter in olive oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot.
- Sauté chicken and onions: Add the thinly sliced chicken thighs and onions; sauté for 3 minutes until starting to brown and onions soften.
- Add peppers, garlic, flour, and seasonings: Stir in the sliced bell peppers, minced garlic, flour, chicken bouillon powder, salt, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, pepper, and dried oregano. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to combine flavors and cook off the flour.
- Add rice, beans, chilies, tomatoes, and broth: Stir in the uncooked rice, rinsed black beans, diced green chilies, crushed tomatoes, and 3 cans of the low sodium chicken broth.
- Mix cornstarch and broth: Combine the cornstarch with the remaining 1 can of chicken broth until smooth, then add this mixture to the soup to thicken it.
- Simmer the soup: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. Check the rice occasionally to ensure it reaches tenderness.
- Stir in cheese: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese until melted and incorporated into the soup.
- Adjust consistency and serve: If desired, add extra chicken broth or water to thin the soup. Ladle servings into bowls and garnish with tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, sour cream, avocado slices, tomatoes, lime juice, and hot sauce according to your preference.
Notes
- Watch the video tutorial for detailed guidance on making this Chicken Fajita Soup.
- For a thinner broth, omit the flour and cornstarch to keep the soup less thick.
- Pepper Jack cheese can be omitted from the soup itself and used as a garnish to reduce richness.
- Soup flavors deepen if refrigerated overnight before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Microwave individual portions covered for 2 minutes, stir, then continue in 30-second increments until hot.
- Alternatively, reheat in a crockpot on low for 1-3 hours depending on quantity.
