This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This chicken tortilla soup recipe is creamy, hearty, filling, loaded with flavor, and keeps you warm and satisfied. Make this easy tortilla soup any day of the week and serve it to family and friends all year round.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
Everything you love about Mexican flavors is placed in one pot and it is ready in just 45 minutes including prep time. Loaded with chicken and veggies, this creamy chicken tortilla soup recipe can be made on your stovetop, instant pot, or slow cooker. A comforting one-pot meal that will impress your friends and family. Made with shredded chicken, corn, salsa, beans, a variety of seasonings, cream cheese, and broth. Top your creamy tortilla soup with a variety of different toppings of your choice to create the most impressive soup dish of all time.
Why you will love this recipe
- Flavorful: If you love Mexican food you will love the flavors in this chicken tortilla soup. Everything you are looking for in a Mexican meal will be found in this soup. It tastes so good!
- Easy and Healthy: Making this tortilla soup is quite easy and made with healthy ingredients. You may even eliminate the cream cheese and use coconut milk.
- Filling: This creamy chicken tortilla soup will keep you full for hours because it is so filling and packed with protein.
Ingredients you will need
Below is a list of ingredients and some substitutes you can use to make this creamy tortilla soup on your stovetop. The full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.
- Avocado oil: essentially, any oil you decide to use is fine. Olive oil will be just fine.
- Onion: we used yellow onion, but purple or white sweet onion can also be used.
- Bell pepper: any color works, but we used red.
- Garlic cloves: use fresh garlic cloves instead of garlic powder. If you must, you can use garlic powder.
- Seasonings: cumin, dried oregano, and taco seasoning. To make taco seasoning at home, check out our post on how to make taco seasoning.
- Beans: we used black beans, but any other bean will do.
- Corn: use frozen, canned, or fresh corn.
- Tomato salsa: if you like your tortilla soup to be more on the spicy side, use spicy salsa. You may also use chopped fresh or canned diced tomatoes.
- Pickled or fresh jalapeños: pickled is our preferred choice. you may use fresh.
- Chicken breast: use raw, or to save on time, use shredded rotisserie chicken. You may also use boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
- Broth: low sodium chicken broth was used, but you may use vegetable broth
- Cheese: You will need shredded cheese like cheddar and one pack of cream cheese
- Additional garnishes: chopped avocado, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, yogurt, or sour cream.
How to make creamy chicken tortilla soup
Heat the oil in a dutch oven pot and saute the onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic and seasonings and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
Add the corn, salsa, jalapeño, beans, chicken, and broth. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to a low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it. Return back the shredded chicken and stir in with the cheeses.
Top with additional garnishes and enjoy! Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
Recipe notes and Tips
- Things you can serve with this creamy tortilla soup: crispy tortilla strips, tortilla chips, crusty bread, sliced avocados, diced green chiles, and sliced fresh jalapenos, or just a simple squeeze of lemon juice.
- Make it spicy by adding a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or chili powder some for added heat.
- We made this creamy by adding cream cheese to give it a creamy texture instead of heavy cream. If you do not want to use cream cheese, you may use half and half or light coconut milk which is usually found in cans.
- You can make this creamy tortilla soup in an instant pot, crockpot, or slow cooker. Scroll further down to see how to make this creamy chicken tortilla soup in the slow cooker.
Frequently asked questions
There are a variety of sides you can serve with your chicken tortilla soup. our favorite picks would be some tortilla chips, chips & guacamole, roasted corn, cornbread, Mexican rice, breadsticks, grilled cheese, or Quesadillas.
To add more protein to your soup, consider adding some sort of meat like some shredded chicken breast. Another great way to add protein to soup is to add legumes. Beans work great with soup and any type you choose will work well. Another great option for protein is to add in some dairy.
If your soup is too watery, don’t fret. There is a solution to your problem. Things you can do quite easily to thicken up your soup is to use flour or cornstarch. Mix about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with some cold water and add it to the soup. The same goes for flowers but you may need to use 2 tablespoons of flour. Another way to thicken up your soup if you don’t want to use cornstarch is to simply remove some of the soup, blend it, and add it back into the pot. You may also consider adding in some dairy like yogurt, some rice, or lentils.
How to make in a slow cooker
- Heat the oil in a dutch oven pot and saute the onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic and seasonings and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Turn on the slow cooker, add in the sauteed veggies. Then, add the corn, salsa, jalapeño, beans, chicken, and broth.
- Cover the slow cooker and set it on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours
- Open the slow cooker, remove the chicken breast and shred it. Return back the shredded chicken and stir in with the cheeses. Mix well.
- Top with additional garnishes and enjoy!
- Tip: If the tortilla soup is watery, use a spoon and mash some of the beans on the side of the pot, add in some cornstarch or flour (mix the cornstarch and flour with cole water before adding it in)
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: Store leftover soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You may also freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: If the tortilla soup is frozen, you may allow it to thaw first in the fridge overnight. Then reheat soup in the microwave or small pot on your stovetop over medium heat until heated through.
More soups you may like
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
- Easy Moroccan Vegetable Soup
- Mexican Sweet Corn Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Vegan Lentil Soup
- Chicken Cabbage Soup
- Crockpot Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
If you try a recipe and you like it, leave us some feedback in the comment section below, and don’t forget to rate it! We would love it if you shared it with friends and family.
Finally, please use our hashtag #healthyfitnessmeals on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured! FOLLOW Healthy Fitness Meals on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER for all of our latest blog posts and recipes.
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Chef's knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil, or olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 oz. packet taco seasoning
- 15 oz corn, one can, drained
- 8 oz tomato salsa, spicy or mild, one can
- 8 oz pickled jalapeño slices, one can
- 15 oz black beans, one can, drained and rinsed
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 oz cream cheese, one pack, at room temp
- Additional garnishes: chopped avocado, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, yogurt, or sour cream
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a dutch oven pot and saute the onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic and seasonings and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Add the corn, salsa, jalapeño, beans, chicken, and broth. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to a low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it. Return back the shredded chicken and stir in with the cheeses.
- Top with additional garnishes and enjoy!
Notes
- serving size: one bowl or 2 cups
- corn: use canned or frozen
- chicken: use shredded rotisserie chicken, leftover turkey, or make your own chicken breast
- cream cheese: use light cream cheese
- if you don’t have chicken broth, you can use vegetable broth
- any oil works
- black beans preferred but any other bean works
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This soup is so delicious and my wife and I love it! It is creamy and full of flavor. It’s great for a fall or winter dinner and will clear up a stuffy nose with the jalapeños!
Thanks! So happy you loved it.
Just a question is it spicy? Just thinking if I can give it to the little ones
Hi. Skip the Jalapenos for sure and use milk tomato salsa. Then it will be perfect to share with the kiddos.
This soup was so good. My husband enjoyed it and he’s not crazy about Mexican food
So glad you guys loved it
Muy creamy best lgbtq+chicken tube steak soupa recipe #1
What brand of tomatoe salsa do use?
I made it a few times and everyone enjoyed was delicious.
Thanks Rena for all your great delicious recipes.
Thanks for the feedback grace. So glad you loved it
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! Can this be frozen and reheated later?
Yes. You sure can
Thank you! This soup is so good!
Thank you, Lynn. Glad you loved it
When do you add the cream cheese? Am I over looking it in the instructions?
I like adding it towards the very end. Mix it in until it dissolves, and let it simmer for the last 5 mins.
How do you substitute coconut milk for the cream cheese in this recipe?
You can add in the coconut milk towards the end and let it simmer for 5 minutes before serving
This is the best tortilla soup I’ve tasted. Made in the crockpot and my husband couldn’t stop eating.
Topped with avocado and tortilla strips !!!
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you loved it.
The best ever!!!!
Thank you Donna
If I was to make this in the crock pot do I just put all the ingredients in at once? And how long would you recommend cooking it for in the crock pot?
I cook on low till done, not sure of time but I throw it all in except the cheese and do not sauté veggies. Happy Eating
Has anyone made this with coconut milk instead of the cream cheese? Wonder how it would alter the taste. Or is there a better substitute? Any advice would be welcome!
it should be fine. Use the canned coconut milk
I made it tonight and substituted 14 oz of coconut cream (omitting the cheese and cream cheese). It turned out great. The coconut cream made a good thickener.
This is the perfect comfort soup on a cold day. It’s easy, quick to make and soooo good. I put a dollop of sour cream on top and it was perfect. Thank you for so many delicious recipes Rena.
You are sweet. Thank you so much. Glad you loved it
It’s lovely, just made it! However I added too much cheese as cheese should be specified in grams not cups. Will make again but will be careful on the amount of cheese! Thanks so much x
I just made this tonight! My husband loves it! He likes it better than a famous chef’s tortilla soup, which is what I usually make. I added some chopped carrot and celery only because I like to add more veggies! I will be cooking this again! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
wow the sheen on that looks spectacular drool worthy and finger licking delicious love it! A must try soon!