Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Not your typical chicken tortilla soup, this creamy, flavor-packed version is a hearty blend of veggies, broth, and corn tortillas. It’s a meal in itself, especially topped with corn, sour cream, avocado, or your favorite seasonal add-ins.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Whenever we visit my parents in Longboat Key, Florida, we have dinner at Tommy Bahama. The food is always good, and we love sitting around a big table under gently spinning wicker fans, listening to a one-man band play endless Jimmy Buffet tunes. While we all have our favorites at Tommy’s, the dish we unanimously love is the chicken tortilla soup. Unlike the typical tomato and broth-based varieties, it’s a hearty, creamy blend of puréed vegetables, broth, and corn tortillas—a combination that, in my opinion, beats the standard version by a mile.
This is my take on Tommy’s tortilla soup. At the restaurant, they garnish it with grilled chicken, charred corn, and a drizzle of crema. Feel free to add these or your own favorite toppings—diced avocado, beans, pico de gallo, and cilantro would all be great additions.
“Delicious recipe! I added chicken & topped with fresh pico and tortilla strips. It was a meal!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Olive Oil and Butter: Used for sautéing the vegetables and also add flavor to the soup.
- Onions, Garlic, Green Bell Pepper: These aromatic vegetables are essential for the soup’s base flavor. They add sweetness, depth, and a slight bite.
- All-purpose Flour: Acts as a thickening agent for the soup, giving it a more substantial texture.
- Chicken Broth: Serves as the liquid base of the soup, providing depth, richness, and body.
- Corn Tortillas: Thicken the soup and add a traditional corn flavor.
- Cumin, Chili Powder, and Cayenne Pepper: These spices add warmth, heat, and a smoky flavor.
- Chicken, Avocado, Corn, Beans, Cilantro, Sour Cream: Optional add-ins to customize your soup.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by heating the oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and green pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. (Turn the heat to medium-low if the mixture is browning too quickly.)
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth, cut tortillas, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne.
Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Off the heat, then use a handheld immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth.
If you don’t have a hand-held blender, let the soup cool slightly and use a standard blender to purée in batches. Be sure to remove the center knob on the blender top and cover with a dish towel to avoid splatters.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Stir in the chicken, if using, then ladle the soup into bowls and serve with optional additions. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Chicken tortilla soup will keep nicely in the fridge for up to 4 days. It may thicken up while refrigerated, so add a bit of water or chicken broth when reheating to thin it out as necessary.
Yes, the soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, thinning it with a bit of broth or water if necessary.
Yes, you can easily make this soup vegetarian by substituting the chicken broth with vegetable broth and omitting the chicken. You can add more vegetables like zucchini or carrots, or black beans to keep the soup hearty and fulfilling.
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Chicken Tortilla Soup
Not your typical chicken tortilla soup, this creamy, flavor-packed version is a hearty blend of veggies, broth, and corn tortillas. It’s a meal in itself, especially topped with corn, sour cream, avocado, or your favorite seasonal add-ins.
Ingredients
For Soup
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped (about 2½ cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into quarters
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth (best quality such as Swanson)
- 6 small (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Optional Additions
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftovers
- Sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, corn, cilantro, avocado, black beans, lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. (Turn the heat to medium-low if the mixture is browning too quickly.)
- Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, cut tortillas, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat, then use a handheld immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and use a blender to purée in batches. Be sure to remove the center knob on the blender top and cover with a dish towel to avoid splatters.) Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Stir in the chicken, if using, then ladle the soup into bowls and serve with optional additions.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be made up to 4 days ahead of time and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. The soup may thicken during storage, so add a bit of water or chicken broth to thin it out while reheating, if necessary.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: 1 bowl (does not include toppings)
- Calories: 328
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Sodium: 579 mg
- Cholesterol: 28 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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my partner and i loved this soup.I only used half the chilli which was still spicy enough for us.thank you
This recipe looks amazing and I’d love to try it, but I don’t have any corn tortillas on hand. I do have Masa harina… could I use that as a substitution? Thanks so much! Love your website!
Glad you like the website! 🙂 I’m not sure how masa harina would impact the texture of the soup, so I’d be reluctant to suggest it – I’m sorry!
Hi Jenn!! First of all I apologize for doubting this recipe! 😔 The ingredients are so simple I thought it wouldn’t be as tasty, but boy, was I wrong. This is packed with flavor, that it would put my favorite Mexican restaurant to shame. It is so delicious! And best of all, very inexpensive to make. After a few bowls, I’ve decided to add corn, black beans, and shredded chicken, and voila….a complete meal. Thanks again for a wonderful recipe!
LOVED this! So spicy and thick!
Jenn we were there on Monday. My wife likes the Macadamia nut crusted goat cheese appetizer. I like their salads and the tortilla soup. We sit on the front balcony and people watch.
Your email came the next day and I’ve been wanting to try your “inspired” recipe anyway so I did. When I served it something was missing. Then, like a big duh… I realized I’d forgotten to use the corn tortillas!! So, I cut some into small pieces, sautéed them with the same spices then added some broth and let it simmer. Voila! Masa!! I added it to the soup and that indeed was what was missing. The depth of flavor from the corn flour.
Btw, we live by Portofino, on the north side of the marina, and just finished remodeling our condo. My kitchen, that’s right, my kitchen, has a wonderful island in it now, and proudly displayed on an acrylic book stand is my copy of your book. 😃
🙂 I’m flattered that my book has residence in your cookbook stand!
So flavorful! Another award winning recipe. It can be quick with the help of a roitessere chicken or if you prefer make your own stock. Seasonings are spot on and additional sides make it fun. I also had rice for another side which we enjoyed. I don’t have an immersion mixer so I just pulled out the veggies and put in my Vitamix.
This was good. I added rotisserie chicken and used 3/4 of the spices. I didn’t use the pepper since we don’t like them. I only used 6 cups of broth since we prefer a thicker soup. I didn’t blend it. It was tasty with sour cream and cilantro on top. I would have added an avocado too, but it wasn’t ripe yet.
My family LOVED it!
I grew up in Sarasota!! I can’t wait to try this … now, if you could get Walt’s to divulge the smoked fish dip recipe…. 😉
I’m on it!
Great recipe! I’ve made it 2-3 times, and my husband and I love it.