Spicy Jalapeno Popper Chicken Soup (Printable Version)

Creamy chicken soup with jalapeño popper flavors, tender shredded chicken, and cheesy goodness in every spoonful.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

→ Vegetables

02 - 4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
03 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 2 green onions, sliced for garnish

→ Dairy

07 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
08 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
09 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Liquids

10 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 tsp cumin
13 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
14 - 1 tsp salt or to taste

→ Optional Toppings

15 - 4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
16 - Extra shredded cheddar cheese
17 - Sliced jalapeños

# Method:

01 - Place chicken breasts or thighs in a large pot and pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15–20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
02 - Remove chicken from the pot; shred with two forks and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, add onion, garlic, jalapeños, and red bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until vegetables soften.
04 - Add the shredded chicken back into the pot. Stir in smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, and salt.
05 - Lower the heat and add the cream cheese. Stir continuously until the cream cheese is melted and thoroughly combined.
06 - Stir in shredded cheddar cheese, heavy cream, and, if the soup is too thick, a bit more broth as desired.
07 - Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup is creamy and flavors are well combined. Serve hot, garnished with cooked bacon, extra cheddar, sliced green onions, and additional jalapeños as desired.

# Expert Tricks:

01 -
  • Its basically a jalapeño popper melted into soup form, which means you get all those crave worthy flavors without the fuss of stuffing and frying peppers
  • The cream cheese and cheddar create this velvety rich base that somehow balances the heat perfectly, so you get warmth without overwhelming your tastebuds
  • This soup freezes beautifully and actually tastes better the next day when the spices have had time to really make friends
02 -
  • If you add cold cream cheese directly to hot soup, it will seize up into tiny rubbery balls that never melt, so let it sit on the counter while you prep everything else
  • The soup will continue thickening as it sits, so always make it slightly thinner than your ideal consistency because it will be perfect by serving time
03 -
  • Rotisserie chicken shreds beautifully and cuts your prep time in half, just skip the first step and add it when the recipe calls for shredded chicken
  • Use an immersion blender if you want a perfectly smooth soup, but I love the texture of the vegetable chunks and tender chicken pieces

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