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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For those who added corn & black beans…did you add it at the end or blend it up with everything else? Making this tonight, looks awesome!
Thought we had the best tortilla soup recipe. This one is Delish!! Our new favorite. Made just as described and made a great meal!
This soup is so good! I would be pleased with this if it was served to me in a restaurant. As a matter of fact, it is better than most tortilla soups I have had in a restaurant. It is as good as my favorite, which thanks to you, I can now make at home! Thank you for sharing!
This recipe has been my go-to for at least a couple of years. The recipe is good as is but I find that sautéing the tortillas in the very beginning adding more to the flavor. I also fry some tortillas to add some crunch in the end. I serve with avocado and chopped cilantro
This recipe was a huge hit in my household. I am a soup lover but my husband is only an occasional soup eater and my 5yr old has never been a fan. This recipe changed that. They both request it and often.
I follow this recipe exactly and then modify the toppings based on what I have on hand(avocado, chicken, sour cream,squeeze of lime, etc.). I find it very forgiving too so I have added less/more peppers/garlic/onion because of how much I had and it comes out perfect regardless. It freezes very well and I freeze before adding any extras. I have just started a low carb/no sugar diet so I need to find a way to make this with no corn tortillas or less. or just eat it as a cheat meal 🙂
This is one of our favorite weeknight meals. It’s affordable, simple to prepare and delicious! I substitute red or orange peppers for the green, because I just simply prefer the taste. I do also add chicken and avocado. I use two organic chicken breasts and roast with olive oil, salt and granulated garlic. I love what it adds to the soup. I completely forgot about the chicken one night so we ran to the store for an emergency chicken, cut it up and it did the job pefectly! And, don’t forgot crushed tortilla chips and the dollop of cream (I use whole plain yogurt). It’s an all time hit and my children are excited every time they see it waiting for them at dinner time. 🙂
Love your recipes! chicken tortilla soup is one of my husband’s favorites and this recipe really knocked it out of the park! He loves spicy food and I’m wondering how to increase the heat without changing the flavor too much? Would substituting a poblano pepper for the green pepper work well? Or do you think just increase the cayenne pepper at the end?
Hi Autumn, so glad you like the recipes! A diced jalapeño pepper would work well – you could add it with the green peppers (add the seeds at your discretion – that’s where most of the heat is). As you mentioned, you could also increase the cayenne pepper. Hope that helps!
Another delicious recipe 🙂 I have cooked more than 20 of your recipes and can say you are by far my fave food blogger. You have a gift for impressive, delicious recipes that are simple enough for even beginner chefs to follow. I think I learn something with every new recipe I try. Also, just pre-ordered your book, can’t wait!!
Thanks so much, J! I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes and appreciate your support. 😊
While the taste was similar to Tommy Bahamas it was not the same. Also this soup is very thin whereas Tommy’s is thick. Still a good soup.
I made this over the weekend and it’s delicious.