I love soup all year. The soup is delicious. Soup is filling. Soup freezes well. This Chicken and Lime Soup is a great choice. This clear broth is perfect for summer and features a refreshingly spicy, sour and salty broth. This Chicken and Lime Soup will change how you think about chicken soup.

Inspired by a Mexican restaurant visit, this Chicken and Lime Soup were born. I enjoyed the most delicious Caldo Xochitl. Because I love limes, I added more lime to the soup. It gave it the perfect balance of spicy, salty and sour, the same combination that makes Chinese hot and sour soups so delicious. It’s that combination of flavors that makes your tongue tingle!

MAKE YOUR CHICKEN & LIME SOUP MILD

This recipe is quite spicy as it stands. The jalapeno pepper, diced tomatoes with green chilies and the jalapeno pepper provide the heat. You can make Chicken and Lime Soup milder by omitting the jalapeno pepper and using a 15 oz. You can use regular diced tomatoes or fire-roasted diced tomatoes in place of the green chiles.

DICED TOMATOES WITH GREENE CHILES SUBSTITUTES

You can also use a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chilies if they aren’t available in your area. A can of small diced tomatoes and one 4 oz. Can of diced green chilies. You can also leave out the green chiles and use canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes. Also, in the beginning, you can dice a fresh hatch of green chilies and saute them with the onion and celery.

USE MORE CHICKEN IF DESIRED

My calling card uses very little meat in my recipes. So that’s what I did. I only needed one chicken breast. The chicken was shredded to ensure you get just a bit of meat in each spoonful. If you like more meat, you can substitute two chicken breasts for the meat in this recipe.

TOPPING CHICKEN AND LIME SOUP

I find topping the soup with lots and lots of things half the fun. This recipe has many topping options. Avocado was added to the recipe as I believe it is a key ingredient that gives the soup its full flavor. The rest of the toppings are completely optional. I love to use tortilla chips when I have them on hand. I crush them up to soak up the delicious broth. A few pickled red onions would also be great.

CHICKEN AND LIME SOUP

This Chicken and Lime Soup have shredded chicken, fresh cilantro, and lime-infused broth.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 1.5 cups each

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 yellow onion ($0.21)
  • 3 ribs celery (about 1/4 of a bunch) ($0.37)
  • 1 jalapeno ($0.17)
  • 4 cloves of garlic ($0.32)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
  • 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (approximately 3/4 lb. ($2.32)
  • 6 cups chicken broth* ($0.78)
  • 2 10oz. 2 10oz. can diced tomatoes and green chiles (Rotel). ($0.90
  • 1 tsp oregano ($0.10)
  • 1/2 Tbsp cumin ($0.15)
  • 1 lime ($0.22)
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro ($0.40)
  • 1 avocado ($1.50)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Slice the celery, onion, and jalapeno. Mince the garlic. Place the onion, celery, jalapeno, and olive oil in a large soup pan. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
  • The chicken breast, chicken broth, diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, and cumin should be added to the pot. Cover the pot with a lid and heat to boiling. Turn the heat down to low once the broth has boiled. Let the pot simmer for approximately 45 minutes.
  • After 45 minutes of simmering, take the chicken breast out of the pot. Use two forks or a spoon to shred it. The shredded meat should be returned to the pot. Add the juice of 1 lime to the soup (2-3 Tbsp).
  • Rinse and chop the cilantro leaves. Stir the soup and then serve. Add a few avocado slices to each bowl.

NOTES

I use Better Than Bouillon chicken broth base to make my broth. It is cheaper than buying canned or boxed soups.

NUTRITION

Serving Size: 1.5 Cups Calories : 202.58 Kilocalories : 12.35 G Protein: 15.9 G Fat: 11.27g Sodium : 1289.98mg Fiber: 3.73g