Southwest Black Bean Chicken Soup

This Southwest black bean chicken soup is the kind of dinner that makes the kitchen smell worth lingering in. Black beans simmer with tomatoes, garlic, cumin, and a little chipotle, then get finished with shredded chicken and sweet corn for a hearty, satisfying bowl.

The mini cornbread muffins are the easy sidekick here. They bake up tender, slightly sweet, and just right for dunking into a hot bowl of soup. Add a dollop of sour cream and a little cilantro, and dinner is done.

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Why This Black Bean Chicken Soup Recipe Works

The beans build a rich, hearty base: Dried black beans simmer low and slow, which gives the soup a full, satisfying texture that canned beans just don’t match.

The flavor has depth without getting fussy: Tomatoes, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and chipotle give the soup plenty of character, while the broth ties everything together without a long list of ingredients.

Chicken and corn round it out: Shredded chicken adds substance, and the sweet corn balances the smoky, savory flavors so the soup feels complete.

The mini muffins make it a full meal: The cornbread mini muffins bring a soft, slightly sweet bite that works perfectly with the bold soup, and serving them together makes dinner feel finished instead of pieced together.

Ingredient Notes

Dried black beans: Dried beans give this soup a better texture and a fuller flavor than canned beans. Sort through them first and soak them overnight so they cook more evenly.

Chicken broth: This makes up the base of the soup, so use one with a flavor you like. If the broth is already well salted, wait until the end before adding more salt.

Canned diced tomatoes: The tomatoes add acidity and help balance the earthy flavor of the beans. Add them with their juices since that liquid becomes part of the broth.

Onion, garlic, and red bell pepper: These give the soup a lot of its foundation. The onion and garlic add depth, while the red bell pepper brings a little sweetness and extra flavor without adding heat.

Chipotle pepper in adobo: One pureed chipotle pepper adds smoky heat and a deeper flavor than dried spices alone. Don’t dump in the whole can unless you want a much spicier soup.

Spices and seasonings: The salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and Mexican spice mix give the soup its Southwest flavor. They add warmth, depth, and just enough complexity without making the ingredient list feel overworked.

Frozen corn: Corn adds a little sweetness and texture that works well with the smoky broth and hearty beans. Defrost it first so it heats through quickly when added to the pot.

Cooked shredded chicken: This turns the soup into a more filling meal. Rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken both work well here.

Fresh oregano and cilantro: Stir these in at the end to keep their flavor fresh. They brighten the soup and keep it from tasting too heavy.

Homemade Soup with Black Beans and Chicken

This Southwest black bean-chicken soup is the kind of meal that works well when you want something hearty without a complicated process. The beans, tomatoes, and spices simmer into a rich broth, while the chicken and corn turn it into a filling bowl of soup.

Serve it with the warm mini cornbread muffins and a spoonful of sour cream on top, and you’ve got a simple dinner that feels complete straight from the pot. It’s the sort of recipe that’s easy to come back to whenever you want a big pot of soup that actually satisfies.

More soup/chowder recipes you may like:  Roasted Tomato-Garlic Soup     Corn and Shrimp Chowder        Smokey Split-Pea Soup

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

4.91 from 11 votes

Southwest Black Bean-Chicken Soup

By Pat Nyswonger

This Southwest black bean chicken soup is a solid, stick-to-your-ribs kind of dinner. It’s loaded with tender black beans, shredded chicken, tomatoes, corn, and just enough chipotle to keep things interesting, and it comes with cornbread mini muffins on the side because soup without cornbread is just bad planning.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 18 cups

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Ingredients 

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For the Southwest Black Bean-Chicken Soup:

• ▢ 1 pound dried black beans
• ▢ 6 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 2 (14 ounce) can canned diced tomatoes
• ▢ 1 onion, chopped
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• ▢ 1 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pureed, not the whole can
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried Mexican spice mix
• ▢ 10 ounces frozen corn kernels, defrosted
• ▢ 2 cups shredded cooked chicken,
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• ▢ Sour cream

For the Cornbread Mini-Muffins:

• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ ½ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ ½ cup plain yogurt
• ▢ 1 can cream-style corn
• ▢ 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt

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Instructions 

For the Southwest Black Bean-Chicken Soup:

• Sift through the dry beans to remove any small bean-size rocks. Place the beans in a bowl or pot, cover with cold water, and allow to soak overnight. Drain the beans and rinse them in a colander.
• Add the soaked beans to a large soup pot or Dutch oven with enough cold water to cover them by 3-inches. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer the beans for 30 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, onions, garlic, red pepper, chipotle chili and the dried spices. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Add the corn and the shredded chicken, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Bring the soup back to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
• When the beans are tender, remove from the heat and stir in the chopped oregano and cilantro. Ladle into soup bowls and add a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro to each serving with mini-cornbread muffins.

For the Cornbread Mini-Muffins:

• Preheat oven to 425°F spray a mini muffin pan with oil spray.
• Beat eggs and oil on medium speed for 2 minutes until foaming. Whisk in yogurt and creamed corn until well combined. Set aside
• Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and add the wet mixture, stirring just to combine and no streaks of the cornmeal-flour mixture is visible.
• Using a small-size cookie scoop fill each mini- muffin cavity of the prepared pan 2/3 full, transfer to the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes, remove from the oven, transfer the muffins to a wire rack to 

Notes

• Two chicken breasts, poached and shredded. I used the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken.
• When opening a can of chipotle chiles I usually only need one or two of them. The remaining chiles are pureed and portioned into 2-ounce lidded containers and frozen for future use.
• I used a 24-cavity mini-muffin tin, this recipe makes enough batter for 40 cornbread mini-muffins. Be sure to re-spray the muffin cavities again for the remaining batch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 157kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 1g, Sodium: 333mg, Fiber: 5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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