Butternut Squash Green Chile Chicken Soup

The temps are getting colder and I’ve got a beautiful soup for you that was inspired by my Grandmother Gloria. If you’ve been reading AK for a while, you know that my Grandma is one special lady. And she’s feisty too! Story time: a few years ago my Grandma was in a hit-and-run car accident. She was okay but unfortunately, her car had a few thousand dollars worth of damage.

BUT this is where the story gets good: instead of reporting the hit and run to the police, she got back in her car and chased him down so she could get his information. As in, she literally cut him off the road so that she could get his insurance info. By the way, she’s 82 years old.

I told you she was feisty.

Sharing that story and this butternut squash green chile chicken soup together makes the most sense because it’s both fiery and comforting at the same time (kind of like Gloria). My Grandma shared this recipe with me a year ago, and I made a few changes to adapt to where I live and what’s available this time of year. If you’ve had my green chile chicken pozole, also inspired by Gloria, you’re going to LOVE this fall take!

Butternut squash green chile chicken soup ingredients

This cozy butternut squash green chile chicken soup is filled with nourishing ingredients and warming flavors that are perfect for colder months. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Produce: this veggie-packed soup has butternut squash, green bell pepper, an onion, and corn all simmered together. We’re also adding fresh cilantro, garlic and a squeeze of fresh lime juice for brightness. Learn exactly how to cube your butternut squash with this tutorial!
• Green chiles: you’ll also need a can of mild green chiles to give it a wonderful, unique flavor.
• Herbs & spices: all of those cozy flavors come from ground cumin & oregano. You’ll also need plenty of salt & pepper to season the soup.
• Chicken: this soup packs plenty of protein thanks to boneless skinless chicken thighs that cook right in the broth.
• Broth: you’ll also need some low sodium chicken broth to cook the soup.

Simple ingredient swaps

This butternut squash green chile chicken soup is very easy to customize with produce and other ingredients you have on hand. Here’s what I can recommend:

• Choose your produce. My grandma Gloria typically makes the soup with fresh cubed pumpkin and a Hatch green chile, which are both fantastic! When I originally made this soup I simply didn’t have either of those things, so I opted to use butternut squash and canned green chile.
• Go vegetarian. Feel free to omit the chicken and add a can of chickpeas instead. Then be sure to use low sodium vegetable broth.
• Add more heat. This soup already has a little heat, but feel free to use regular green chiles instead of mild ones if you love spice!
• Mix in a grain. I think adding 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa would also be delicious and add wonderful heartiness. Just add it when you stir in the chicken, corn and broth.
• Keep it paleo. Simply omit the corn to keep the soup paleo-friendly.

Green chile chicken soup in 4 easy steps

1. Saute your veggies. You’ll start by cooking down the garlic, onion, green pepper & cilantro in a large pot with some olive oil.
2. Add the squash & spices. Once the onions are translucent, stir in the cubed butternut squash, green chiles, cumin & oregano.
3. Chicken time. Next, add in the chicken broth and chicken thighs, along with the corn, salt, pepper & lime juice. Bring it all to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer it.
4. Shred & serve. Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the pot and shred it with two forks. Get our best tips for shredding chicken here! Then add it back to the soup, taste and adjust your seasonings, and serve.

How to store & freeze this soup

• To store: store this butternut squash green chile chicken soup in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Feel free to reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop!
• To freeze: let the soup completely cool and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container (or multiple containers for meal prep purposes). Freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, first let the soup thaw in the refrigerator, then heat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop.

See how to make the green chile chicken soup

More healthy soup recipes to try

Get all of our delicious soup recipes here!

I hope you love this butternut squash green chile chicken soup. Best served with saltine crackers and a smile. If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. P.S. thanks grandma for the recipe inspiration. I love you!

This post was originally published on January 1, 2018, and republished on October 22, 2021.