Quick Summary: A bright, spicy chicken soup with fresh lime juice, green chiles, and warming spices. Light enough for summer, robust enough for winter. Optional beans for slow-carb compliance. Topped with avocado, sour cream, and cilantro. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 6
Jump to: RECIPE | Ingredients | Flavor Secrets | Nutritional Benefits | How to Make It? | FAQ
This slow carb soup is light enough to have as a summer meal and yet robust enough to warm your soul in winter. Fresh lime juice adds a bright flavor to the soup, spices add the warmth, and I sometimes add beans to make it a little more robust.
It’s versatile, healthy, comes together quickly, and is packed with flavor. What more can you ask?
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Ingredients
The following photo shows you all the ingredients you will need for this recipe. For details on measurements, see the recipe below.
The Flavor Secrets
The problem with most chicken broth soups is the flavorless broth itself. Not so with this broth. It is both spicy and delicious, with the tang of the fresh lime juice and the creaminess of the avocado taking it over the top in flavor.
Similar to the combination that makes Chinese hot and sour soup so tasty, this Mexican soup has a mix of spicy, salty, and sour.
Tip: If avocados aren’t available, you can substitute some sour cream. Go for the avocados if you can however, it makes a difference!
The other ingredient that makes a big difference in the soup’s flavor is the chili spice you use. I used freshly ground chipotles because we grow them and smoke them at our farm and it is my go-to spice all year. Use your favorite chili pepper spice for the heat, but go as fresh as you can for the ultimate flavor.
I like to use a smoky spice with this soup, but if you want to up the heat and turn down the sultry, smoky flavors, then opt for something like a Serrano, jalapeno, or even Habanero. It’s all good, but the type of pepper you use will make a big difference in the flavor profile.
Choosing Your Chile Pepper
The type of chile you use shapes the entire flavor profile:
Smoky options:
- Chipotle (smoked jalapeño): deep, smoky, medium heat
- Ancho (dried poblano): mild, fruity, smoky
- Pasilla: earthy, mild, slightly smoky
Fresh heat options:
- Jalapeño: bright, grassy heat
- Serrano: sharper, hotter than jalapeño
- Habanero: fruity, very hot
I prefer smoky spices with this soup, but if you want more direct heat and less smokiness, go with fresh chiles.
The Nutritional Benefits
Any time I’m developing a low-carb recipe I first look for flavor. Next is ensuring it satisfies the nutritional components of a low-carb or slow-carb diet.
To stay happily satiated on a low-carb diet you need fat and protein. The chicken, of course, provides the protein, and the avocados provide the good fats. Throw in some tomatoes, onions, and celery and you’ve just added minerals and fiber.
Now you have a nutritionally balanced meal that is going to keep you full for quite a while without a bunch of carbs and sugar. Oh, and by the way…..it tastes great.
How to Make Mexican Chicken Lime Soup
The full instructions are in the recipe card below. In short:
- Sauté chopped onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic briefly. Add chicken broth, raw chicken breasts (or pre-cooked rotisserie chicken), green chiles, and spices.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through (30 minutes to 1 hour for raw; 30 minutes for pre-cooked).
- Remove chicken, shred with two forks, and return to pot.
- Add lime juice and beans if using. Taste and adjust salt. Serve with avocado slices, sour cream, lime wedges, and cilantro.
FAQ
Yes. Cut or shred the meat and add it to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes to let flavors meld. This is the fastest version.
Yes, with beans. Beans are allowed on the slow-carb (4-Hour Body) diet. Without beans, it’s also keto-compliant.
Yes. Freeze without the avocado and sour cream garnishes. It keeps for up to 3 months. Add fresh garnishes when serving.
Sour cream adds creaminess. Greek yogurt works too. The soup is still good without, but less rich.
Add more chipotle or fresh jalapeño. Serve with hot sauce on the side for individual adjustment.
Yes. Add all ingredients except lime juice and garnishes. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Add lime juice just before serving.
Low Carb Mexican Chicken Lime Soup
Equipment
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil refined
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced (optional)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin toasted lightly
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, dried or regular dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powdered pepper or 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 7 ounce canned green chiles
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts You can use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken
- 14.5 ounce can of black beans optional
- 14.5 ounce can of pinto beans optional
- ¼ cup lime juice fresh-squeezed
- ⅓ cup cilantro coarsely chopped
- avocados, sour cream, limes Additions to set on table for customization
Instructions
- In a Dutch Oven (or a largeheavy pot) heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic (if using) and saute quickly, about 30 seconds.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, 2-3 cloves garlic
- Add the broth, chicken breasts, green chiles and spices and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until chicken breasts are done (anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour).*Note: if you want to put this together quickly, add the breast meat from pre-cooked chicken and just simmer it all together for 30 minutes. If using pre-cooked chicken, cut it into bite-size pieces.6 cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, dried, 1 teaspoon cayenne powdered pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 7 ounce canned green chiles
- If you used uncooked chicken breasts, remove them from the pot to cutting board and let them get cool enough to handle. With two forks, pull apart the chicken meat, shredding it into bite-size pieces.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot and the lime juice. Add the beans at this point if you are using beans. Return to a low boil, or until beans are heated through. Add salt, taste and add more salt if needed.14.5 ounce can of black beans, 1/4 cup lime juice, 14.5 ounce can of pinto beans
- Ladle soup into bowls. Place avocado slices, lime wedges and sour cream in small bowls and pass around for people to add to soup according to their own taste.avocados, sour cream, limes, 1/3 cup cilantro
I made this last night – SO GOOD! Big hit with husband and sister. That recipe make more like 8 servings, though. I tried your tortillas tonight. They turned out so much better than I expected! Thanks for sharing your great LC recipes – there are so many bad ones out there but yours are always winners!
Thank you so much for your comments and letting me know how these recipes are turning out. I always wonder about serving size because my husband eats a LOT so I err on the conservative side not knowing how much people consider a serving. I will change it based on your comments so thank you! The tortillas were a blend of other bloggers ingredients with my own directions as to how I made them. Happy to see you didn’t find it too fussy. Be well now!
Made this tonight in a hurry with two large cans of chicken rather than rotisserie using 4 servings measurements. Turned out great. I’m sure it would be even better with fresh chicken. Plan to add this to my recipes.
Sooo glad it worked for you. Dinner in a hurry is something that seems to come up a lot this time of the year and it doesn’t have to be fast food from outside. Thanks for your comment Deborah.
Forgot the star rating from my post.