Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Chicken Tomatillo Soup Recipe
A bowl of chicken soup doesn't have to taste the same every time. Tomatillos give this one a bright, tangy edge that keeps you coming back for another spoonful. It's still a warming, hearty bowl to sit down with when soup for dinner sounds just right.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Beans & lentils
- Cuisine
- American · Mexican
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Brown first, simmer later
Give the chicken and onion their few minutes in the pot before the broth goes in. That quick browning builds a savory base, and taking them out keeps the pot clear for charring the tomatillos next.
2. Let the tomatillos break down
The soup thickens as the tomatillos soften and come apart. Stirring after the broth and beans go in helps them break up even more, so don’t worry if the quarters look chunky at first.
3. Keep the simmer steady
After the boil, turn the heat down to medium low and let it cook until the soup has thickened. A gentler bubble gives the tomatillos time to melt into the broth without rushing the pot.
Get to know the ingredients
Chicken in small chunks
The chicken breasts are cut into about 1/2 inch pieces, which lets them brown quickly and fit easily on the spoon once the soup is finished. Try to keep the pieces fairly even.
Canned tomatillos
Use the canned tomatillos quartered as listed. They go into the hot oil before the broth, where they char a bit and then continue breaking down as the soup simmers.
Drained white beans
The white beans go in drained and rinsed, not straight from the can with their liquid. They help give the soup body while the tomatillos and broth cook down together.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Chicken Tomatillo Soup Recipe
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
You’re looking for a thicker soup with most of the tomatillos broken down. Once it reaches that point after the simmer, give it a good stir so the beans, chicken, and softened tomatillos are evenly mixed.
A little more help as you go
A little help before you start
Have the garlic, broth, beans, and seasonings ready before the tomatillos go in. Once they’ve charred a bit, everything else gets added back to the pot together and mixed well.
About the oil
The ingredients call for vegetable oil, and the cooking step mentions canola oil. Use the listed oil for the recipe page; either way, the oil’s job here is to brown the chicken and help char the tomatillos.
A few questions you might have
Do I need to cook the chicken all the way through before simmering?
Brown it with the onion as directed, then it goes back into the pot with the broth and simmers for the rest of the cook time. The recipe has it cook again once everything is combined.
Why remove the chicken and onions from the pot?
It makes room to char the tomatillos in the oil. After that, the chicken and onions go right back in with the garlic, broth, beans, and seasonings.
Should I mash or blend the tomatillos?
No extra step is listed. Mixing the soup after everything goes in helps break them apart, and the simmer finishes the job until most of the tomatillos have broken down.
When do the beans go in?
Add the drained and rinsed white beans when the chicken and onions return to the pot, along with the garlic, broth, cumin, salt, pepper, and oregano.
How thick should the soup be at the end?
It should be noticeably thickened, with most of the tomatillos broken down into the broth. That’s the cue given after the medium-low simmer.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinnerthendessert.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
