Easy 1-Hour Pollo Tropical Caribbean Chicken Soup Recipe

Last Updated on July 9, 2024

Today, we recreate the Pollo Tropical Caribbean chicken soup recipe. It still has yuca and plantains, but we’ve added even more savory seasonings!

This recipe is very easy to make and can even be prepared in advance. And, it goes great with garlic bread, cooked rice, and a variety of crunchy snacks.

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What Is In This Pollo Tropical Caribbean Chicken Soup Recipe?

Pollo Tropical is a famous chain restaurant franchise based mainly in the South of Florida. This chain primarily focuses mainly on Latin and Caribbean-inspired food.

Since they have been founded in 1988, they have continuously brought out more and more delicious hearty meals. All of these are loaded with authentic flavors and deliciously balanced textures!

One of the most famous dishes on their menu is the Pollo Tropical Caribbean chicken soup recipe. Today, we will try to recreate it based off their menu description. However, we’ve also taken some inspiration from authentic Caribbean chicken soup recipes.

So, while you’ll recognize many of the elements found in the original Pollo Tropical soup, there will also be other additions. But don’t worry, they all help add more flavor and texture for the better!

So, what exactly goes into the original Pollo Tropical soup recipe? This bowl contains delicious grilled chicken, pieces of corn, yuca (cassava), pumpkin, and plantains. As you can see, this is a lot of ingredients that may not be as easy to find in some areas.

So, while we will be making the recipe in the most authentic way, we’ve also included some substitutions in the tips and tricks section.

In addition, we’ve also added some more tomato flavors that will help enrich the soup. Along with the green bell pepper, it adds color and an earthy rich soup base.

What You Will Need For My Rich Flavor-Packed Pollo Tropical Caribbean Chicken Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• Sea salt flakes, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
• 2 cups pumpkin cubes, bite-sized
• 2 cups yuca cubes, bite-sized
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 2-3 cups chicken broth, less sodium
• 2-3 unripe plantains, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch chunks
• Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Pollo Tropical Caribbean Chicken Soup Recipe: Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowls
• Frying pan
• Tongs or spatula
• Paper towels
• Large pot
• Mixing spoon

For me, this pot is the best, because I can cook Pollo Tropical Caribbean Chicken Soup and other dishes in it.

Step By Step Instructions

Let`s do it together.

Step 1: Brown the chicken

To start, preheat some olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add some chicken and brown the meat on both sides for about 3-5 minutes each.

Work in small batches to prevent overcrowding the pan. Then, as you finish a batch, remove it from the heat and drain it on a paper towel.

Set all the cooked chicken aside.

I recommend that you take a quality frying pan so that your dish cooks evenly and is healthy. My choice is this wonderful frying pan.

Step 2: Fry the vegetables

Add some olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Then, add the onions and saute them for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices. Toast them for another minute or two. Mix the ingredients together very well so the flavors distribute evenly.

Then, add the diced green peppers, pumpkin, and yuca. Also, add the browned chicken at this point. Give them a good stir to coat them with the spices and aromatics. Allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes so their flavors are released.

Step 3: Add the liquids and cook the soup

Once your vegetables are cooked, add the crushed canned tomatoes and 2 cups of chicken broth.

Bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow the ingredients to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Step 4: Add the plantains

After 10 minutes of cooking, add the sliced plantain pieces to the soup mixture.

Then, leave the soup to continue cooking for another 10-20 minutes. The exact cooking time for this Pollo Tropical Caribbean chicken soup recipe will depend on the size of your cubed vegetables.

Step 5: Serve the Caribbean chicken soup

Before removing the soup from the heat, ensure that all of the ingredients (especially the yuca and pumpkin) are completely cooked.

Once cooked, remove the chicken soup from the heat and allow it to stand for 10 minutes.

Then, serve it with your favorite accompaniment or as-is. Remember to top it off with some fresh chopped cilantro!

Expert Tips And Tricks

• Here are some easy alternatives for some of the harder-to-find ingredients in this recipe. First, you can replace the yuca root (cassava root) with sweet potato, potato, or chickpeas. Then, the plantains can be replaced with regular unripe bananas.
• If you want to save a lot of time, you can skip browning the chicken. However, this will cause you to lose some of the meaty sweet flavors. Browning the meat helps release some of its flavors and gives it more color and texture. So, we don’t recommend skipping it, even if it does take longer to make.
• If you use ripe plantains in this recipe, they only need to cook for 10 minutes. If you use unripe plantains, they need to cook for longer, between 15-20 minutes.
• However, if you use bananas instead of plantains, you can add them in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• If you see that the soup is a little too dry, add more chicken stock. You can also add a lot of stock if you like it saucy.
• You can leave them out completely if you don’t love tomato-based soups. Substitute it with more chicken stock so the soup doesn’t become a stew.

Preparations Times And Servings

Final Thoughts On Our Delicious Pollo Tropical Caribbean Chicken Soup Recipe

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our take on the Pollo Tropical Caribbean chicken soup recipe. It is rich, very hearty, and one of our favorite comfort foods out there!

If you love this recipe, don’t forget to have a look at some other great options on our website. And, if there is something specific you are looking for, don’t hesitate to let us know!

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Easy 1-Hour Pollo Tropical Caribbean Chicken Soup Recipe

Today, we recreate the Pollo Tropical Caribbean chicken soup recipe. It still has yuca and plantains, but we've added even more savory seasonings! This recipe is very easy to make and can even be prepared in advance. And, it goes great with garlic bread, cooked rice, and a variety of crunchy snacks.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Caribbean

Keyword: caribbean chicken soup, how to make caribbean chicken soup, pollo tropical caribbean chicken soup recipe, pollo tropical soup, pollo tropical soup recipe

Servings: 6

Calories: 250kcal

Author: Ania Cooking Recipes

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowls
• Frying pan
• Tongs or spatula
• Paper Towels
• Large Pot
• Mixing Spoon

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• Sea salt flakes, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
• 2 cups pumpkin cubes, bite-sized
• 2 cups yuca cubes, bite-sized
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 2-3 cups chicken broth, less sodium
• 2-3 unripe plantains, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch chunks
• Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Instructions

• Brown the chicken

  To start, preheat some olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add some chicken and brown the meat on both sides for about 3-5 minutes each.

  Work in small batches to prevent overcrowding the pan. Then, as you finish a batch, remove it from the heat and drain it on a paper towel.

  Set all of the cooked chicken aside.
  3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced
• Fry the vegetables

  Add some olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Then, add the onions and saute them for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices. Toast them for another minute or two. Mix the ingredients together very well so the flavors distribute evenly.

  Then, add the diced green peppers, pumpkin, and yuca. Also, add the browned chicken at this point. Give them a good stir to coat them with the spices and aromatics. Allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes so their flavors are released.
  3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large onion, diced, 4 garlic cloves, minced, 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, 2 tablespoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, Sea salt flakes, to taste, Freshly ground black pepper, to taste, 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced, 2 cups pumpkin cubes, bite-sized, 2 cups yuca cubes, bite-sized
• Add the liquids and cook the soup

  Once your vegetables are cooked, add the crushed canned tomatoes and 2 cups of chicken broth.

  Bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow the ingredients to simmer for about 10 minutes.
  1 can of crushed tomatoes, 2-3 cups chicken broth, less sodium
• Add the plantains

  After 10 minutes of cooking, add the sliced plantain pieces to the soup mixture.

  Then, leave the soup to continue cooking for another 10-20 minutes. The exact cooking time for this Pollo Tropical Caribbean chicken soup recipe will depend on the size of your cubed vegetables.
  2-3 unripe plantains, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch chunks
• Serve the Caribbean chicken soup

  Before removing the soup from the heat, ensure that all of the ingredients (especially the yuca and pumpkin) are completely cooked.

  Once cooked, remove the chicken soup from the heat and allow it to stand for 10 minutes.

  Then, serve it with your favorite accompaniment or as-is. Remember to top it off with some fresh chopped cilantro!
  Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Notes

Here are some easy alternatives for some of the harder-to-find ingredients in this recipe. First, you can replace the yuca root (cassava root) with sweet potato, potato, or chickpeas. Then, the plantains can be replaced with regular unripe bananas.

If you use ripe plantains in this recipe, they only need to cook for 10 minutes. If you use unripe plantains, they need to cook for longer, between 15-20 minutes. However, if you use bananas instead of plantains, you can add them in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

If you don't love tomato-based soups, you can leave them out completely. Substitute it with more chicken stock so the soup doesn't become a stew.

Nutrition

Serving: 240ml | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 10g | Sodium: 500mg | Fiber: 4g

Ania

My name is Ania, and I am very glad to see you here. I have always loved cooking; even some of my earliest memories are flipping through a cookbook and making pudding standing on a stool because I was too small to reach the stove.

You should know that I am not a professionally trained chef, just a big food lover who grew up in a family obsessed with cooking and focused on what we eat.