Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

Taco night in a bowl, this creamy Tex-Mex chicken soup hits every note: shredded chicken, sweet corn, chewy hominy, salsa, and a packet of taco seasoning, all made luxuriously velvety with melted cream cheese.

Hominy is the ingredient that makes it taste authentically Tex-Mex, lending a soft, chewy, corn-forward bite you do not get from regular corn alone. Tomato paste deepens the broth and gives it body.

The one technique that matters is how the cream cheese goes in. Do not just drop it in the pot, or you will fight white lumps all night. Instead, ladle some of the hot soup over the cream cheese, whisk it smooth, then stir that mixture back in. It melts into the broth for a silky finish. Use shredded rotisserie chicken and the whole thing comes together in about half an hour. Top with tortilla chips, cheese, and cilantro.

Kitchen Tips

• Temper the cream cheese: whisk a ladle of hot soup into it until smooth, then stir it back into the pot. That prevents lumps.
• Soften the cream cheese first so it blends in easily.
• Use shredded rotisserie chicken to get dinner on the table faster.

Variations

• Stir in a can of black beans or diced green chiles for more substance and heat.
• Swap the hominy for extra corn if you cannot find it, though you lose some of the Tex-Mex character.
• Pile on the toppings: crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, and lime.