Mexican chicken soup with pumpkin and chipotle

Why I love this spicy chicken soup

The weather is finally starting to cool down, and it’s almost fall. I’m loving the weather change. It’s finally time for cozy clothes – scarves, boots, sweaters. Time for pumpkins, apples, warm drinks and soup.

Pumpkin soup to be exact. But I’m not 100 percent ready for a season change. So this soup gives you a little of both worlds. A summery kick of chipotle peppers and corn mixed with a warm, velvety richness of pumpkin.If you like this recipe, you have to try this vegetable beef barley soup, and this New years black eyed pea soup and this creamy zucchini basil soup.

Searching for more pumpkin recipes? Try this easy vegan pumpkin spice latte, my dairy free pumpkin pie or this pumpkin pecan streusel bread. For something a little more savory, these rosemary pumpkin dinner rolls are a great addition to this spicy chicken soup and a lot of other meals.

chipotle chicken and pumpkin soup

Ingredients & substitutions

  • Chicken – I used a rotisserie chicken to make the soup this time, but you could use leftover chicken if you have it. I just really wanted soup for dinner and fast – so the rotisserie shortcut did the trick this time.
  • Pumpkin – We used a can of pumpkin pureé, it’s a simple way to add creaminess, flavor and thickness to the soup.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

SHOP THIS RECIPE:

close up of spicy chicken soup

The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.

How to make spicy chicken soup

Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, carrots and celery and sauté until the onions become translucent. Stir in the broth and whisk in the pumpkin pureé until it reaches a smooth consistency.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Add the chicken, chipotle peppers, black beans, corn kernels, cumin, and salt and bring to a slow boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for another ten minutes. Top with dairy free cheese shreds and fresh, chopped cilantro before serving.

A hearty stew with pumpkin and black beans, carrots and chicken garnished with cilantro.

FAQ’s and tips for making spicy chicken soup

  • How can I make this soup less spicy? If you don’t want the soup to be too spicy, leave out one or both of the chipotle peppers – but don’t skip on the adobo sauce unless you really can’t handle the heat because you want to keep the flavor of the chipotle adobo sauce.
  • What type of bread goes with spicy chicken soup? A hard crusty and hearty bread roll would be great served alongside this soup. A nice sweet cornbread or pumpkin loaf would also pair well! 
  • How long will spicy chicken soup last in the fridge? If you keep your soup in an airtight container in the fridge you can expect it to last anywhere between 3 and 5 days and be just fine.
  • Can you freeze healthy chicken soup? Yes you can! This soup can freeze very well. After your soup has cooled completely sort it out into serving size or meal size and pour it into a freezer friendly airtight container and keep stored for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat and enjoy.
3 bowls of chicken and pumpkin soup and 3 spoons off to the side with towel and garnish
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4.50 from 2 votes

Spicy Chicken Soup

By: Melissa Belanger
This Mexican-inspired, spicy chicken soup is the perfect healthy soup recipe for fall. It’s made with creamy pumpkin and spicy chipotle peppers, and loaded with hearty rotisserie chicken, beans and vegetables.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8 -12
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Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 large carrot, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 large celery stalk, about 1/2 cup
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 15- ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 4 cups shredded chicken
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
  • 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from chipotle pepper can
  • 1 15- ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups corn kernels, thawed if frozen
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions 

  • In a large stockpot, heat olive oil to medium.
  • Add onion, celery, carrots and garlic.
  • Sauté until onions are translucent – about 5 minutes.
  • Add chicken broth and pumpkin puree – stirring until smooth.
  • Stir in chicken, chipotle peppers, black beans, corn kernels, cumin, and salt.
  • Bring to a slow boil.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for ten minutes.
  • Top with shredded cheese and cilantro before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 1168mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin C: 7mg

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

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes.

Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

Read more about me

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4.50 from 2 votes

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21 Comments

  2. Kathryn Rodgers says:

    This soup was perfect! Made it for dinner last night and it came together so easily, I even used your “how to purée a pumpkin” tutorial for this recipe. So much flavor and the perfect amount of heat!
    And plenty of leftovers!! Loved it!

    Reply
    1. Melissa Belanger says:

      Yey! I’m so, so glad you liked it! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write a comment!

      Reply
  3. Cheryl says:

    I just made this today minus the carrot & celery as the recipe I had didn’t include them. It was delicious!!! I’m sure the carrots & celery would be great also but it was tasty without. This is a super recipe & my picky teenage son even loved it. Next time will double the recipe as for 4 of us there are zero leftovers!! 4 stars!!!

    Reply
  4. Cheryl says:

    I made this today minus the carrots & celery as my recipe didn’t include them. It was absolutely delicious!! The carrots & celery would be a great addition but was fine without. Even my teenage son loved it! Next time I will double the recipe for leftovers. I used two peppers & heat was perfect for us! I give this 4 stars!! Cheryl from Florida

    Reply