The best creamy chicken tortilla soup with silky smooth tomato broth, corn, shredded chicken, and a delicious trio of spices.

Try our Turkey Tortilla Soup with leftover turkey meat!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Soup season is in full swing and this chicken tortilla soup deserves a spot on your menu. If you’re a fan of silky, smooth, and thick soups, such as Roasted Tomato Basil Soup then you’re going to love this one.

It comes together fairly easy and makes the coziest bowl of soup.

What makes it so cozy is that that base of the soup is completely pureed instead of kept chunky. It’s a little different approach to making chicken tortilla soup but that’s what makes this soup the best

The soup is finished off with frozen corn and shredded chicken. Just two simple ingredients that pair with the base of the soup so well. Also, there are no beans in this soup either because why not.

You can either make your own shredded chicken to use in the soup or save time on prep and pick up a rotisserie chicken instead.

I love to serve this soup with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro, and cheese. But you can add just about any of your favorite toppings.

TIP: Create a little topping bar when serving this soup so everyone can add what they love.

What is Tortilla Soup Made Of?

  • Chicken – make your own shredded chicken (it’s really easy) or swap it out completely for rotisserie chicken
  • Mirepoix – onions, carrots, celery
  • Garlic
  • Cilantro – some goes into the soup and some to serve the soup
  • Spices – cumin, paprika, chili powder
  • Flour – you only need 2 teaspoons of flour to thicken the soup
  • Crushed tomatoes
  • Chicken broth – whether homemade or from the store, you’ll want a good quality chicken broth
  • Half and half 
  • Corn – use frozen corn or if you can get your hands on quality fresh corn, use that. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Ingredients for chicken tortilla soup

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

This soup comes together fairly quickly. It helps to have everything chopped and measured before you begin. You’ll need a high-speed blender or immersion blender for pureeing the soup.

Start on making shredded chicken first. While the chicken is baking, get going on the soup and by the time the chicken is done, it’ll be ready to add to the soup. 

Step 1: Bake the chicken – preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Rub chicken breast with little olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Feel free to add your favorite tex-mex seasoning blend for even more flavor. Bake 25-35 minutes or until cooked through. Cool slightly and shred with two forks. 

TIP: You can completely skip this step and instead use 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken from the store.

shredded chicken

Step 2: Cook the vegetables – in a large soup pot, at least 4-quart, cook the onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are soft. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Stir in cilantro, cumin, paprika, and chili powder and cook for about 30 seconds while stirring. Sprinkle in the flour and combine with the vegetables, and continue to cook for 1 minute longer. 

cooked vegetables in soup pot

Step 3: Add the liquid – Stir in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and a half and half. Make sure to scrape down the bottom of the pot to release all the browned bits.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer for 15 minutes. The soup will reduce and slightly thicken.

creamy tortilla soup in soup pot

Step 4: Purée the soup – if you have an immersion blender then you can purée the soup in the pot. Just move it off the heat first.

Otherwise, transfer the soup carefully to a high-speed blender and purée until smooth. Return the soup back to the pot and stir in corn and shredded chicken. Cook just until heated through. Serve with toppings of choice.

chicken tortilla soup with corn and shredded chicken

Toppings for Creamy Tortilla Soup

Create a simple DIY topping bar when serving tortilla soup that way everyone can add what they like. Plus the kids absolutely love this part! Here are some of the topping options for this soup:

  • Cheese – queso fresco, cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack 
  • Cilantro
  • Tortilla chips 
  • Sour cream
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Avocado – diced or sliced
  • Pico de gallo
  • Jalapeños – thinly sliced
  • Green onions
  • Red chili flakes 
creamy chicken tortilla soup without beans

What to Serve with Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken tortilla soup is definitely a recipe that will find its way to your table year-round.  It is light enough to serve in the warmer months but also filling enough to serve when the weather turns.  So nearly anything can be served with it.

You can get creative or keep it simple by serving cheesy quesadillas for a simple lunch or pair it with bright Mexican Corn Salad for a fresh side.

If planning on serving this soup for dinner, consider some of these lighter main dishes, such as Chicken Fajita Lettuce Wraps, Easy Grilled Chicken Tacosor Sheet Pan Zucchini Chicken Enchiladas. 

If you try Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup, don’t forget to leave feedback and a rating.

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chicken tortilla soup in white bowl

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 35 min
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Simmer
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Description

The best creamy chicken tortilla soup with silky smooth tomato broth, corn, shredded chicken, and a delicious trio of spices. It’s so easy to make and tastes like no other tortilla soup!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast, about 2 medium size breast
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for chicken
  • 1 cup diced onion, about 1 medium
  • 1 cup diced carrots, about 2 medium
  • 1/2 cup diced celery, about 2 ribs
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
  • To serve: tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro, queso fresco, lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Rub the chicken breast with olive oil on both sides and season thoroughly with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes or until cooked through. Cool slightly and shred the chicken using two forks.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large dutch-oven or soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  4. Add the cilantro, cumin, paprika, and chili powder and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 seconds or until the flavors blend. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
  5. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and half and half, scraping down the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Soup will reduce and slightly thicken.
  6. Transfer the soup to a high-speed blender and purée until smooth. You can also achieve this by using an immersion blender.
  7. Return the pureed soup to the pot and stir in corn and shredded chicken, and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Serve with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro, queso fresco, and squeeze of lime.

Notes

  • Chicken: to add even more flavor to the chicken, feel free to rub the chicken with your favorite tex-mex seasoning blend before baking. Also – you can completely skip step 1 and 2 and substitute 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken from the store. It’ll save you on prep time.
  • Leftovers: chicken tortilla soup will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. To reheat, pour into a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until warmed through. I do not recommend freezing the soup since it has cream in it. It can get grainy and separate when rewarmed.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 343
  • Sugar: 13 g
  • Sodium: 551.6 mg
  • Fat: 16 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.5 g
  • Protein: 25.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 74.1 mg

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