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Chicken soup in a brown bowl with tortilla chips and cilantro.
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Leftover Roast Chicken Soup

Leftover Roast Chicken Soup is one of my favorite soups because it is so tasty and so easy to make. I can enjoy this easy chicken soup within 30 minutes. And to save you more time, use leftover rotisserie chicken meat! Great for a weeknight meal!
Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword comfort food, spicy chicken soup
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 131kcal
Author Jocelyn | JOZmahal
Cost $8

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Onion chopped
  • 2 cups Carrots chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 stalk Celery chopped
  • 1 fresh Jalapeño chopped
  • 4 cups Chicken Stock
  • 15 oz Canned Tomatoes diced
  • 4 oz Chicken shredded
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin ground
  • 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes ground
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder ground
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander ground
  • ½ cup Cilantro fresh

Instructions

  • On medium heat, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven/stockpot, add garlic and onion and sauté for about 1 minute.
    2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 cup Onion, 2 cloves Garlic
  • Add carrots, celery, and jalapeños, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
    2 cups Carrots, 1 stalk Celery, 1 fresh Jalapeño
  • Add the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and spices. Stir and scrape off the browned bits at the bottom of the pot as this adds a delicious flavor.
    4 cups Chicken Stock, 15 oz Canned Tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, 1 teaspoon Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon Coriander
  • Add the shredded leftover roast chicken (or leftover rotisserie chicken) to the pot. Simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add more spices if needed. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
    4 oz Chicken, ½ cup Cilantro

Notes

  • This recipe also works great with store-bought rotisserie chicken.
  • Jalapeño is optional. However, if you like it spicy, start with one jalapeño, then add more. You're my hero if you can handle more than three!
  • Note with jalapeños, be careful when chopping these as they can leave a burning sensation on your skin. So don't rub your eyes! Ouch!!
  • If you don't have kitchen gloves to use when handling jalapeño peppers, get a piece of Saran wrap and use them to keep your hands from touching the peppers. I like to remove the seeds and chop the peppers for the soup. 
  • You can use fresh tomatoes, especially fresh from the garden will have a more robust flavor.
  • The canned tomatoes are quicker and will save you some prep time.
  • Top with tortilla chips, sliced avocados, sour cream, or shredded cheese.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the stock and rotisserie chicken and the spices used, you may or may not need to add salt and pepper. Enjoy!