This Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup is rich and satisfying. It will become your new favorite chicken tortilla soup!
I didn’t have a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup on the blog for the longest time.
That’s a shame because it’s one of my favorite soups.
So now I’m not just giving you a chicken tortilla soup recipe but the best chicken tortilla soup recipe.
Seriously, this is incredible. My daughter was initially uninterested in it. But then she remembered she had a bowl. Then there was another. Then he returned for a third.
And after I shared a batch with a neighbor, she texted me later to say that her husband said it was the best chicken tortilla soup he’d ever had.
So don’t just take my word for it.
This is delicious. And quite simple. It takes some time because you must first bake the chicken, but this can always be done beforehand. You can also use cooked, shredded chicken that you have on hand. If you do this, dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes.
That sounds pretty incredible to me!
Ingredients
The ingredient list appears lengthy, but most should be readily available!
- Chicken breasts – you can save time and effort by using rotisserie chicken or any cooked, shredded chicken you have on hand. Cooking the chicken takes up the majority of the time in this recipe. Always season with salt and pepper!
- Chicken broth: When possible, I use low-sodium broth.
- Any neutral cooking oil will suffice in this case. Extra virgin olive oil is also an option.
- I always have yellow onions on hand!
- Jalapeno: My jalapeno was extremely hot the second time I made this, so I was concerned, but the final soup was not overly spicy. So I’m not going to cut back on this!
- Garlic is another ingredient that I always have on hand.
- Chili powder – according to the book, you can use regular or chipotle chili powder. I simply used regular.
- One of my favorite spices is ground cumin.
- Smoked Paprika: Although the original recipe calls for regular paprika, I almost always substitute smoked paprika because I love it.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes – I substitute these for regular diced tomatoes with peppers because I like the smokiness they add.
- Masa Harina: To make masa harina, dried corn is treated with a water and lime solution. It is then finely ground. This should be easy to find in your grocery store’s Mexican aisle. It is frequently packaged in a bag that resembles a bag of flour.
- I use 2% milk because that’s what I have on hand.
- Black beans and pinto beans have been rinsed and drained. You can use all black beans or all pinto beans, but I prefer the combo.
- Corn is always better frozen. Of course, fresh corn is preferable, but canned corn will suffice in a pinch.
- Heavy Cream: This is simply regular Heavy Whipping Cream from the dairy section.
- Sour cream – I use plain, full-fat sour cream. If low fat is what you have on hand, you could probably use it.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cook the Chicken: To cook the chicken, combine it with some broth, cover it, and bake it until it is thoroughly cooked. This will also be simple to shred once completed.
To make the soup, sauté the onion and jalapeno in oil in a large Dutch oven, then add the garlic. Then add the chicken broth, including any leftover liquid from cooking the chicken. Season with chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika before adding the fire roasted tomatoes.
Thicken the Soup: The soup is thickened with a masa harina and milk mixture. Make sure to thoroughly mix this in.
Add the Good Stuff: Combine the cooked chicken, black beans, pinto beans, and corn in a mixing bowl. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream and sour cream. You don’t want it to boil at this point but want it to be warm.
Serve it up! It’s time to serve once it’s thoroughly heated! While this soup is delicious, check out the suggestions for toppings below to take it to the next level!
Toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is my favorite part of creamy chicken tortilla soups like this one! Here are some suggestions for topping your soup:
cheese shredded
the sour cream
avocado, diced
wedges of cilantro lime
strips of tortilla
Toasted tortilla chips
green onion, chopped with hot sauce
jalapenos
Know more: Recipe for Banana Bread