Chicken and pumpkin? Sounds weird, right? Well just wait until you taste it…
I made this simple pumpkin soup ages ago and decided to make a newer, better, more powerful version today. I took it in a southwest direction by adding some smokey chipotle peppers in adobo, earthy cumin, and fresh cilantro. Black beans, corn, and a shredded chicken help make the soup more hearty and almost stew-like. So nom-nom-nom and perfect for stashing in the freezer!
Get some tortilla chips or hearty bread to dip in to this soup because you’re gonna want to soak up every last drop!
P.S. If you don’t like cilantro, slice up some green onions to throw in there. They’ll offer a nice freshness and a pop of green color to replace the cilantro.
P.S.S. Now that I’m thinking more about it, a little shredded cheddar or a dollop of sour cream would be amazing on this soup.
Chicken and Pumpkin Soup
Servings 6 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 5 cups chicken broth* ($0.35)
- 1 chicken breast (about ¾ lb)* ($1.50)
- 1 15oz. can pumpkin pureé ($1.49)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.89)
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels ($0.24)
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce ($0.66)
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin ($0.15)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.60)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add both to a large soup pot along with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent (3-5 min.)
- Add the chicken breast (whole) and chicken broth. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and allow it to come to a full boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and allow the pot to simmer for 30 minutes. Make sure the pot does not stop simmering after turning down the heat. If it does, increase the heat slightly until it is gently simmering.
- After 30 minutes, remove the chicken breast from the broth and use two forks to shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Add the pumpkin purée and stir until the it has mixed into the broth.
- Take one or two chipotle peppers from the can (one pepper for a milder soup, two for a spicier soup) and mince them. Add the minced peppers and about a teaspoon of the adobo sauce from the can to the soup. Rinse the black beans and add them to the soup, along with the frozen corn kernels and cumin. Allow the soup to come up to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes more to allow the flavors to blend.
- Taste the soup and add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt if desired. Roughly chop the cilantro and stir it into the soup just before serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Step by Step Photos
Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook both in a large soup pot with the olive oil over medium heat until translucent.
Add the chicken breast and chicken broth to the soup pot. If the broth doesn’t cover most of the chicken, go ahead and cut the chicken into two pieces so that it is mostly submerged. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the chicken breast and use two forks to quickly shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
Add the pumpkin purée to the soup and stir until it is mixed into the broth.
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are sold in little cans like this. The peppers are spicy and the sauce is nice and smokey.
Take one or two of the peppers out of the can and mince them. Add the minced peppers and a spoonful of the sauce from the can to the soup. You can freeze the rest of the can of peppers for later use (I actually used peppers that I had in my freezer today. These pictures are from before.). Also add the cumin to the soup at this point.
Give the black beans a quick rinse and add them to the soup along with the frozen corn kernels. Allow the soup to come up to a simmer and then cook for about 10 minutes more to allow the flavors to blend.
Lastly, roughly chop the cilantro and stir it into the soup. Give it a taste and add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt if desired.
It’s AMAZING. I promise.
Colorful, flavorful, and very healthy!
i just got done making this recipe and it is so yummo!!! warming up my “zesty” garlic bread to go with it! i added two peppers – could be hotter lol! but i’ll leave it there for now :)
thanks Beth i have tried numerous of your recipies and loved each one! simple, easy to follow, i love the fact that you even put pics on there! Most of all everything has just been delicious!!
This recipe was SO easy, SO yummy and SO satisfying.
Thanks!
Delicious! Another winner Beth. Warm, spicy, filling and pops of sweet when you bite into a corn kernel. The perfect autumn dish!
Loved this recipe. Now that it’s pumpkin season, an even cheaper and healthier option would be to roast a sugar pumpkin and scoop out the puree. I got the equivalent of about 5 cans of pumpkin and it has no additives. Requires some time commitment though!
I have some ground chipotle chili I got from the spice rack- could I substitute this for the adobe peppers? And if so, how much of the spice should I use? Is it like 1/2 tsp per pepper?
It will taste a little different because the adobo sauce has a unique flavor, but I’m sure it will still be good. I’m not sure how much to use, though, because I’ve never used the dried powder. Start with just a little and add more to taste.
Would this have a sweeter pumpkin flavor without the peppers? I
No, not really. Pumpkin isn’t very sweet on its own and the chicken broth keeps the soup savory, with or without the peppers.
This looks great, and I have everything on hand for it! How hard do you think it would be to double, or even triple this? Anything I should do different?
You shouldn’t need to do anything differently if you want to double or triple it. Just increase all of the ingredient amounts by the same factor and you’ll be set!
This was really delicious, especially on days 2 and 3 after the favors had a chance to meld. I added some crushed tortilla chips as it reminded me of a tortilla soup flavor and found myself really excited for lunch time to come so I could taste it again. I’m back because I plan to make it again and I just finished the first batch yesterday!
Oh dear me this was heaven. Fall starts early here in New England and this was a spicy yet definitively fall tasting meal. Added a little dash of cumin and cinnamon and topped with sour cream. Wow. Thanks so much for a terrific recipe!
This was a God send! Thank you!
FINALLY made this today after eyeing this soup since you posted it, but the weather here in Oregon has been so warm. . . until today when the cool weather and thunderstorms moved in! REALLY, REALLY good! Others have commented on being concerned about the pumpkin flavor, but I couldn’t taste it much; it really just added a luxurious texture and thickened the soup without having to use a bunch of flour. I did use 1/2 a leftover rotisserie chicken instead of the chicken breast , and added a leftover red bell pepper that I didn’t have a plan for (I really hate to throw things away). This really was a home run!
When I saw this recipe, it TOTALLY reminded me of this recipe we tried once for pumpkin sausage soup. It is seriously delicious.
This soup is SO good! My favorite Budget Bytes recipe yet. I am eating it as I type! I added crumbled queso fresco and diced avocado to top it off. Perfect recipe to get me geared up for fall!
Beth – I have to ask you – what do you do with your left over can of chipotle in adobe? So you freeze it? Or try to use it up once the can is open?
I just pour it into a freezer bag and pop it in the freezer. As a matter of fact, the chipotles that I used for this recipe were from frozen :) I just let them thaw enough to scoop one out, then return the bag to the freezer.
Where can you find the smokey chipotle peppers in adobo sauce? Just at your local grocery store?
Jess, I usually find them in the Hispanic or ethnic section of the grocery store – they’re in most decent sized grocery stores. The can is small, so be sure to scan the shelves closely! :)
Walmart sells little cans!
Beth
I dice all the peppers and then freeze them in an ice cube tray. Each chipolte cube averages one tablespoon of pepper plus adobe. You can drop the cubes into the recipe without waiting for it to thaw. I have one ice cube tray that I save for food items.
I love that idea!
I do the same with leftover tomato paste if I only needed a few scoops and have a lot left over.
I just finished making this soup, it is AMAZING! Wonderful flavor, filling and healthy. THANK YOU!!
EXCELLENT!! I added extra peppers (used 3 or so total), so it has an awesome kick. I would almost add another can of pumpkin next time, since I couldn’t even really taste the pumpkin at all. Fantastic recipe.