Slowcooker Southwest Bean Soup with Chicken
Thanks to flavorful simple ingredients, southwest bean soup is an easy to prepare healthy weeknight meal the family will devour.
This recipe is marvelously quick and easy to make, toss the ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning and when everyone arrives home tired and hungry at the end of the day, a healthy dinner will be waiting.
Just like a thick chili, southwest bean soup is packed with protein and fiber but with a lighter texture.
Three options for cooking
Make southwestern bean soup in a big pot on the stove, simmer it all day in a 6 quart slow cooker, or use an electric pressure cooker to prepare this simple recipe in a flash.
Tips:
- Reduce the salt in this recipe by using homemade or no-sodium chicken broth.
- Cut the cost of this already frugal recipe by using dry beans that have been soaked and simmered until tender.
- Use leftover chicken. Substitute 2-3 cups of shredded meat for the chicken thighs as directed below.
I know you'll love this easy crock pot recipe!
Southwest Bean Soup with Chicken
Southwest bean soup uses a simple trick to give this simple soup a tempting creaminess. Thanks to flavorful quick and easy ingredients, this is an easy to prepare healthy weeknight meal the family will devour.
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion diced in ¾ inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1 lb chicken thigh boneless, skinless
- 2 15 oz cans white beans, rinsed
- 1 15 oz can fat free refried beans
- 4 oz fire roasted diced green chilies
- 4 cups low or no sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian dry herbs
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, sauté the onion in oil until the edges begin to brown.
- Add the cooked onion and remaining ingredients -except the corn - to a 6-qt slow cooker.
- Cook on low heat for 8 hours. Add the corn 15-20 minutes before serving, just enough time for it to heat through.
Notes
May also be prepared in an electric pressure cooker. Saute onions in pot as directed above. Add remaining ingredients, including corn, and cook on soup setting for 30 minutes.
May substitute boneless, skinless, chicken or turkey breast for the chicken thighs - may alter nutrition.
For added texture use a combination of beans such as cannellini and butter beans.
May substitute boneless, skinless, chicken or turkey breast for the chicken thighs - may alter nutrition.
For added texture use a combination of beans such as cannellini and butter beans.
Originally published March 4th 2013, updated February 20th 2017
Wow, chicken food, i have special love with chicken food ^^
Great recipe! I was having a crazy Monday morning so the chicken went in raw and I added the sauteed onions after 8 hours on low (when the corn went in). Turned out great! Chicken was moist, good flavor, and it was easy! We ate it with fresh lime, cilantro and tortilla chips. Win!
Could you make this using raw boneless, skinless breats? Loooking for a basically no effort meal....
I haven't tried this with raw meat. However, if you leave this cooking all day, it should be plenty of time to fully cook the chicken.
Hi Rose,
Something to think about with regards to dry beans/vegetables vs. canned is this: dry food is LIVE and canned food is DEAD (or OLD). My husband really noticed the difference when he was deep into a meditation practice and his awareness of things like this was keener. Since frozen foods are often processed within hours of being picked, usually within a day, they are also considered to be LIVE. Canned, not so much. So not only are canned fruits and vegetables and beans more expensive, they are not as good for you. That is, if you care about such things. They have one thing going for them, and that is convenience.
That is a really interesting way to think about food. Thank you for sharing Loretta!
Ahhh!!!! I already used up my one chicken for the month! I make your roast chicken, homemade stock, and then we had a big salad with homemade dressing and left over chicken. I'll have to try this recipe next month. :(
It could be made with the broth and leave out the chicken or use a different meat. You could also try making it with veg. broth. I didn't test that method but I bet it would be good.