Southwestern Chicken Soup

Southwestern Chicken Soup

4.5 of 5 (225)
member ratings
Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 8
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 270.5
  • Total Fat: 10.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 35.1 mg
  • Sodium: 178.4 mg
  • Total Carbs: 25.8 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 8.0 g
  • Protein: 19.8 g

View full nutritional breakdown of Southwestern Chicken Soup calories by ingredient


Introduction

A quick and hearty soup with plenty of spice! A quick and hearty soup with plenty of spice!
Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

    1 lb (16 oz) chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
    1 small onion, chopped
    3 cloves garlic, chopped
    1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional; leave in seeds for more heat)
    1 green pepper, chopped
    4 c fresh spinach or about 4 oz frozen spinach (this is an estimate; you can add more or less)
    1 T cumin
    1 T olive oil
    1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes (preferably low-sodium)
    2 avocados, chopped
    1 quart chicken stock (preferably reduced-sodium)
    1/4 c cilantro, torn
    2 limes, juiced
    1 14-oz can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
    2 c cooked brown rice

Tips

I made this soup after trying a similar one at a restaurant. Theirs had fewer tomatoes, no beans and white rice. I wanted to add more nutrition, so I added spinach, a green pepper and more tomatoes, and I use white meat chicken instead of dark. Beans and brown rice add fiber. This new soup is a good compromise of taste and time.


Directions

Makes 8 hearty cup-size servings

If you're not using cooked rice, start making rice before you begin the soup.

Heat oil in a large soup pot set over medium-high flame, and add garlic, onion and peppers. Cook until soft and starting to get some color, about 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add chicken and cumin and cook another five minutes. Add chicken broth, beans, spinach and tomatoes. Raise heat to medium-high and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice, stirring well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Sodium from optional salt not included.)

To serve: place 1/2 c rice in bottom of each bowl. Sprinkle avocado and cilantro on top.

(For vegetarian version: Heat olive oil, add garlic, onion and peppers, cooking until fragrant. Add stock, tomatoes and beans, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add lime juice. Remove from heat and add about 1/4 of an avocado and 1/2 T cilantro to each bowl.)


Member Ratings For This Recipe


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    56 of 60 people found this review helpful
    *Serve with whole-wheat tortilla strips that have been baked until crisp. (Add 33 calories per serving; about 1/4 of an 8" tortilla.)

    Other suggestions:

    Add your favorite salsa instead of canned tomatoes.

    Use 3 large fresh tomatoes when they're in season.

    Top your soup with low-fat so
    - 4/24/09


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    Incredible!
    22 of 23 people found this review helpful
    I just finished making it and couldn't wait to let you all know how good it is. I used a non-chunky salsa instead of tomatoes, and also added the rice right to the soup. Its amazing. The flavors are so yummy! - 4/25/09


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    Incredible!
    20 of 21 people found this review helpful
    Easy to make. Great color. Great mix of flavor and textures. The jalapeno was spicy enough for most tastes (I used 1/2 the seeds and ribs). Paired very well with "Spicy Southwestern Salad" also available on this site. Served to a SparkFriend (ODDBODKIN) and her DH. All adults and 13yo boy loved it. - 5/18/09


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    Incredible!
    18 of 18 people found this review helpful
    I did not add the spinach, I followed along with the directions and realized when it was done it never said to add it! I did have a bag of frozen roasted peppers, green red and yellow, I used this instead of a fresh green pepper. Instead of plain tomato, used Rottell with lime and cilantro - 4/28/09


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    Incredible!
    13 of 13 people found this review helpful
    Very Delicious and Only 5 Weight Watcher Points per serving!! - 6/29/09


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    Incredible!
    12 of 13 people found this review helpful
    I made this recipe with half the ingedients ( using fresh tomatoes), added 1/2 a cup of frozen fresh corn and served with multi-grain 'food should taste good' chips. Yum! Everything looked so colorful and pretty while tasting soooo good! - 4/24/09


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    Incredible!
    10 of 10 people found this review helpful
    This just took the top spot for our favorite soup. Yum! - 4/28/09


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    Incredible!
    8 of 8 people found this review helpful
    This soup is great. We had lots left over so we added the remaining rice into the pot and separated it into individual servings to freeze. Had some for lunch today, very filling and tasy! - 5/7/09


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    8 of 12 people found this review helpful
    Just a question - should it be 1/4 cup of rice in each bowl or should the recipe contain 4 total cups of cooked rice? That will change the nutrition info. - 5/1/09


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    Incredible!
    8 of 8 people found this review helpful
    I made this for supper tonight - it was FANTASTIC! Thanks for a great recipe! - 4/26/09


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    Incredible!
    7 of 7 people found this review helpful
    I also added the rice to the soup, salsa for spice then strained it and put that in a tortilla and used the sauce to cover them. - 4/28/09


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    Incredible!
    6 of 7 people found this review helpful
    My family raved about this soup. I used a can of Eden Organic Caribbean Black beans, undrained, and added corn scraped off a leftover cob from the night before. I used 1/2 cup salsa in addition to a tin of diced tomatoes. Served with whole wheat quesedillas made with low fat cheese. - 8/9/10


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    6 of 9 people found this review helpful
    I have a question...if using boneless breasts, am I to assume I use only 8 oz total, not 16 oz? - 2/17/10


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    Incredible!
    6 of 15 people found this review helpful
    This was really good. I did make changes. I used cabbage instead of spinach and left out the jalapeno, avocados, cilantro, lime juice, and the brown rice. I ate it along side a turkey sandwich. Loved it. Even my son enjoyed some. Will make again. - 5/1/09


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    Incredible!
    6 of 8 people found this review helpful
    I am allergic to spinach, so I substituted cabbage for the spinach. - 4/25/09


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    Incredible!
    5 of 5 people found this review helpful
    I was making chicken breasts like I usually do and decided to make a soup out of it. I was able t use a lot of my GINORMOUS bag of spinache from costco in this and I love it!! I did change it to suit what I had laying around. (Chicken,spinache,green pepper,black beans,brown rice,and tomatoes) YUM! - 8/17/10


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    Incredible!
    5 of 5 people found this review helpful
    OMGoodness, this was SO GOOD! I didn't have any avacado, but it was still delicious! This one's a keeper! - 4/5/10


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    Very Good
    5 of 5 people found this review helpful
    very colorful and filling. I added the spinach to my bowl instead of to the soup, as I don't like it cooked. - 3/22/10


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    4 of 14 people found this review helpful
    Great! - 5/23/10


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    Incredible!
    4 of 4 people found this review helpful
    My whole family loved this, we couldn't get fresh jalepenos so we used the canned version...mama...it was hot. 1/4 of a small can would have done it. We will make this again. - 5/6/10


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    Incredible!
    4 of 4 people found this review helpful
    All of these recipes are amazing, but this one especially is one of my favorite. - 4/18/10


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    Incredible!
    4 of 4 people found this review helpful
    This is very familiar to me being from TX. I was leary about the spinach but it was very mild. Too increase the heat we added tbs of paprika. FANTASTIC flavors and very filling! - 4/7/10


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    3 of 10 people found this review helpful
    cannot wait to try this! - 4/23/09


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    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
    If you put a half cup of rice in the bowl, then your 2 C rice will only stretch to 4 servings. Perhaps only a 1/4 c rice should go in each bowl? - 10/18/11


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    2 of 3 people found this review helpful
    i went out to eat, and think this recipe might duplicate the soup at restaurant - 4/18/10


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    Incredible!
    2 of 4 people found this review helpful
    Another great soup to add to my favorites!
    - 4/18/10


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    2 of 3 people found this review helpful
    Can you omit the avocados? - 3/11/10


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    Incredible!
    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
    This was really good soup. I used just what I had in the house, added red and orange pepper instead of green and diced tomatoes with green chilies instead of the jalopeno and regular tomatoes. Love the spinach, really nice! - 2/18/10


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    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
    Sounds like a really great recipe for soup... will definitely try it!! - 2/11/10


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    Very Good
    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
    Very good. I left out the lime because I didn't have one, but I think that would have made it perfect. All the family loves it. What a great way to get the kids to eat their spinach. - 1/26/10


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    Incredible!
    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
    This came out great and takes substitutions well. I added corn and I put the spinach in after the chicken had browned and before the broth mix and it came out awesome. I added the rice in and wish I hadn't because after refrigeration it had absorbed most of the water. Altough soup still tastes great - 9/26/09


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    Incredible!
    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
    A Spark friend served this to my husband and me for a Sunday lunch visit. YUM! - 5/17/09


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    This is just the best flavored chicken soup I've ever made. Use the ingredients listed and you can't go wrong. I did add more beans and a little less chicken, but, that is just my personal preference. I love black beans. I made a double recipe and canned the bulk. It processed beautifully. - 6/11/13


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    I luv this recipe, it sounds just perfect. - 11/26/12


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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Very filling. - 9/25/10


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    Very Good
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Really good! Even the kids loved it! - 9/21/10


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    I used chard instead of spinach and poblano instead of a jalepeno. GREAT! - 9/19/10


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    Very Good
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Good source of fiber. - 9/10/10


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    The avocado and brown rice is genius! VERY nice soup! Thank you for sharing! The lime juice adds a very nice "zing" as well. - 8/21/10


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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    This sounds so good, I'm definitely going to make it tomorrow. Will add in the salsa for extra flavour as suggested by a few folks. Thx - 8/11/10


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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Sounds yummy. Cannot wait to try it. - 8/9/10


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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Has anyone tried to make this in a crock pot? Love to hear the comments. - 6/17/10


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    It is smelling wonderful on the stove, and I also have great hopes of it's curative powers for my cold ! (Garlic, chicken broth and jalapenos) - 6/14/10


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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    This looks really good. I will try this recipe (with only slight modifications) later this week. I love adding spinach to the soup. Thanks. - 6/14/10


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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Will try soon - 6/12/10


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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    I enjoyed this and really appreciated the simplicity of it. It tasted great too. - 6/2/10


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    This is one of my favorite Spark recipes! - 5/29/10


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    This recipe is excellent and definitely worth making - 5/28/10


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    Very Good
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Very easy and tasty. I used the cilantro and lime juice fresh to taste. - 5/26/10


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    Very Good
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    My hubby and I really enjoyed it, the kids thought it was a little to spicy. Will definatly add it to the recipe file. - 5/13/10


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    Very Good
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    I omit the avocados and substitute it with zucchini. - 5/6/10


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    Good
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Great soup for a Cold evening. I used less spinach. - 5/1/10


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    Very Good
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    The soup was great! I made good use of a homemade salsa that grew too large when it tasted too oniony, so we just kept adding lime juice & tomatoes.
    You check the nutrition info tho-recipe calls for 1/2 c brown rice (100 cals) but the rice in this recipe breakdown only accounts for 23 cals
    - 4/21/10


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    1 of 2 people found this review helpful
    THIS SHOULD BE VERY GOOD! - 3/21/10


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    1 of 2 people found this review helpful
    I will definitely make this with all the protein in it! - 3/20/10


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    Very Good
    1 of 2 people found this review helpful
    I will be making this today. Sounds good!
    For my taste I added more cumin and next time l will add less lime juice. Very good!
    - 1/30/10


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Loved this soup....easy, great taste, filling! I followed the recipe with the exception of a little more cummin and some other mexican seasoning and as I used leftover rice it was less than 2 cups which I just put right in the soup. Hubby liked it also. Thanks so much.
    cher
    - 1/22/10


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    I really enjoyed this soup and will be making it again. I made a few minor changes to suit our tastes, but it's going in my cookbook...thanks for sharing it! :) - 1/8/10


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    Incredible!
    1 of 2 people found this review helpful
    Excellent soup easy to make and very tasty - 12/31/09


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    Incredible!
    1 of 2 people found this review helpful
    Tried this out and both my husand and I really enjoyed it. Reheated really well. I might toss in some corn next time I make it and substute salsa for the tomatoes. - 7/3/09


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    Incredible!
    1 of 8 people found this review helpful
    O MY GOSH, THIS SOUNDS WICKEDLY GOOD! I WILL TRY THIS NEXT TIME I MAKE CHICKEN SOUP - 4/24/09


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    Nice. - 7/21/21


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    I left out the jalapenos. - 7/8/21


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    Very delicious and easy to make - 7/8/21


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    Incredible!
    Yummy - 5/18/21


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    Very Good
    I used half the spinach so my husband would eat it and he loved it - 4/23/21


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    Good recipe, thanks for sharing - 4/15/21


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    Looks delicious!
    - 4/8/21


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    Very Good
    Ok - 3/16/21


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    Very Good
    Very tasty but the jalapeno made it spicy. - 3/7/21


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    yummy - 2/3/21


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    Thanks for sharing - 12/18/20


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    Very Good
    good - 10/13/20


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    Very Good
    Adding avocado is such a great idea! - 9/10/20


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    Incredible!
    Great recipe. Supper tonight - 7/5/20


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    Incredible!
    Really liked this one. Hubby ask for it often - 7/2/20


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    Very Good! - 5/6/20


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    Thanks - 4/11/20


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    Might try this when it gets colder again - 4/1/20


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    Really good, though I left out the spinach and soaked and cooked my own beans. - 2/20/20


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    :) - 2/20/20


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    This is great for cold chicago nights!!’ - 2/19/20


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    SOUNDS GOOD - 1/18/20


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    sounds yummy - 9/18/19


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    Incredible!
    I left out the jalapeño but it was still delicious! I also bought a a pre cooked chicken at the grocery store and took all of the chicken off the bones. If you freeze it in freezer bags, you can grab one and the whole cooking process for this soup is faster. - 9/8/19


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    Incredible!
    Even without the chicken the soup stands up to the test. I tossed in some diced chicken to my serving and it was delicious. The only change made to the recipe was no jalapeno peppers, I used medium hot Rotel. - 8/24/19


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    big minor changes in member comments. sometimes they alter and make a new taste, sometimes they don't - 7/4/19


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    Very Good
    Thanks for sharing - 5/25/19


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    yummy - 5/25/19


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    this is great - 5/20/19


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    very good - 4/28/19


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    NICE - 4/23/19


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    excellent - 4/12/19


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    Not bad for soup. - 4/11/19


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    Thanks - 3/1/19


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    Good
    Wasn't bad - 1/25/19


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    Great idea & the suggestions are good too - 1/19/19


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    I skipped the peppers and I still thought it was a tasty dish, I love soup and this one is a keeper. - 1/15/19


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    Very Good
    I used a can of Mexican chopped tomatoes and left out the jalapeno. I shredded the chicken instead of making it into chunks and topped my soup with a dab of non-fat sour cream. - 1/15/19


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    Nice variation! - 1/15/19