Description
A bright, smoky twist on classic chicken noodle soup: chipotle and cumin warm a tomato-kissed broth, tender shreds of chicken add protein, and a squeeze of lime plus creamy avocado balance the heat. It’s weeknight-easy (one pot, ~35 minutes), flexible with swaps, and built to reheat well for lunches.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, sliced into coins
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, minced (plus 1 tsp adobo sauce)
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juices
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
8 oz wide egg noodles (or rotini)
3 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached)
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
Heat oil in a 5–6 qt pot over medium. Add onion, carrots, celery + a pinch of salt; sauté 3–4 min until glossy.
Stir in garlic, cumin, and oregano; cook 1 min until fragrant.
Add chipotles + adobo; cook 30 sec.
Stir in tomatoes with juices; scrape up any browned bits.
Pour in stock; bring to a lively simmer. Season lightly with salt. Simmer 8–10 min.
Add noodles; simmer 6–8 min until just tender.
Stir in chicken; warm 2–3 min. Season with salt and pepper.
Off heat, squeeze in lime to taste. Serve topped with avocado and cilantro.
Notes
What each ingredient does: oil blooms aromatics; onion/carrots/celery = sweet base; garlic = depth; cumin/oregano = warm/herbal; chipotle/adobo = smoky heat; tomatoes = body + acidity; stock = backbone; noodles = slurp + starch; chicken = protein; lime = brightness; avocado = cooling richness; cilantro = freshness.
Substitutions: turkey or cannellini beans; rice noodles (GF) or orzo; add peas, corn, or zucchini.
Pro tip: use low-sodium stock so you can finish-season perfectly.
Make-ahead/Storage: 4 days in fridge; for firm noodles, cook/store separately. Freeze up to 3 months without noodles.
To adjust: more lime + salt if flat; a splash of stock or knob of butter if too spicy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: soup recipes
- Method: One-pot stovetop
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex–inspired