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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.

chicken tortilla soup

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!”

Tammie

What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

ingredients 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.

Vegetables in a pot.

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.)

Pot of cooked vegetables.

Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Flour in a pot with vegetables.

Add the chicken broth, cut tortillas, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne.

Chicken stock and spices in a pot.

Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Pot of boiling broth.

Off the heat, then use a handheld immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth.

Immersion blender in a pot of soup.

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.

Immersion blender in a pot of smooth soup.

Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Stir in the chicken, if using, then ladle the soup into bowls and serve with optional additions. Enjoy!

chicken tortilla soup
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can chicken tortilla soup be made ahead?

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.

Can chicken tortilla soup be frozen?

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.

Can I make chicken tortilla soup vegetarian?

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.

You May Also Like

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.

Servings: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes

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

  1. 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.)
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Made this last night and holy moly this was good!! Just finished the leftovers for lunch. I added a couple of shredded rotisserie chicken breasts to the finished soup, along with avocado, cheese, and lime juice. Will definitely make again. Thank you!!

    • — Monica on March 1, 2024
    • Reply
  • This was a fatastic recipe and ready in no time. Not to mention it was so tasty, loved the flavours and texture, will definitely make again.

    • — Gemma on February 29, 2024
    • Reply
  • This soup is fabulous! It has a bit of a kick but that can easily be adjusted. We will definitely have this again. We are reducing our meat meals so we excluded the chicken and didn’t miss it!

    • — Shirley Johnson on February 29, 2024
    • Reply
  • Made this favorite again for dinner last night. I add cooked chicken at the end and serve it with shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and cilantro on top. My family and I all love it! Leftovers don’t last long. Thank you for another great recipe!

    • — Cyndi on February 26, 2024
    • Reply
  • This recipe is sensational! It was so easy to throw together and I loved the flavors and smooth consistency of the soup. If I could give it more stars I would!

    • — Paul Lenhard on February 25, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hi Jen, love your recipes….can I use bone broth for this?

    • — Lori A on February 25, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Lori, Yes I think that’d work well.

      • — Jenn on February 25, 2024
      • Reply
  • As per usual this was delicious. I had a Fresno pepper that I also included but followed directions otherwise. This was so good and easy and we had NO LEFTOVERS. So. I will 100% make this again and again.

    • — Teresa on February 24, 2024
    • Reply
  • FYI…. The Tommy Bahama website has their exact recipe for this tortilla soup served in the restaurants

    • — Marina on February 22, 2024
    • Reply
  • I am wondering if the taste would be altered too much if i used a yellow pepper instead of green ? I don’t like green peppers. What would you use ?

    • — Jan on February 22, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Jan, It won’t significantly impact the flavor and I think yellow is a good way to go. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on February 22, 2024
      • Reply
  • Seriously, the best tasting tortilla soup… added a can of green chilis and black beans and corn along with the chicken… family loves this! It’s a keeper and so so easy to make… takes so little time to put together! Thank you for such an awesome flavorful recipe!

    • — Kimberley on February 15, 2024
    • Reply
    • I can’t wait to make this recipe. I will be making some changes though: poblano instead of bell; crushed corn tortillas instead of raw tortillas; and, will add lime juice. I’ll definitely add black beans as well.
      Thanks, Jenn

      • — Camilla Coy on February 22, 2024
      • Reply
  • Love, love, love this soup! I have made this several times and it never disappoints. I do add white corn and black beans as well as juice from lime. Great for winter night dinner.

    • — Rhonda Simonson on January 17, 2024
    • Reply
    • Can you substitute corn starch for flour?

      • — Tom Gray on February 24, 2024
      • Reply
      • Hi Tom, Sure, cornstarch will work. I’d mix it with some cold water and add it at the very end. You could also use fine cornmeal (or instant polenta), increase the amount of corn tortillas, or reduce the amount of broth to make the soup thicker. Enjoy!

        • — Jenn on February 26, 2024
        • Reply
  • We made this recipe last night and this was my first disappointment from this site. I found the soup too thin and one note in flavor, too heavy in cumin and missing salt. It made a large amount and we had to adjust the seasonings considerably.

    • — Debra on February 10, 2023
    • Reply
    • Add more salt then. These recipes are templates. Be smart about it if it needs more of something, and add it.

      • — Justin Snyder on July 2, 2023
      • Reply
  • I made this soup last week. I live alone so gave a fair amount away. Ive had it for the last 4 days and would happily have it for 4 more days. To say it is fabulous is an understatement. I love and trust your recipes so much. Muchosimas gracias! Id give it 10 stars if I could.

    • — Judy on January 15, 2023
    • Reply
  • …And I didn’t think I liked chicken tortilla soup! This is a fabulous recipe. Based on the reviews I chose to add corn and black beans. I can’t wait to share the soup with my family. Thanks Jen for yet another 5 star recipe…yours are the best and never disappoint.

    • — Kathy M. on January 2, 2023
    • Reply
  • I found the flavors and, consequently the soup, thin. I added Better than Bouillon Chicken base, additional cumin and chili pepper to ramp it up. Substituted poblano peppers for the green pepper, which should have only enhanced the intensity. After a fair amount of doctoring, including adding frozen corn from this summer’s harvest, it got to the consistency and flavors I sought.

    This was a rare miss as my family and I routinely rate Jenn’s recipes 5 stars.

    • — Anne Joel on December 31, 2022
    • Reply
  • This is such a winner of a recipe! Thanks for sharing! I made this with your best grilled chicken recipe and it was so delicious!

    • — Trina W on December 24, 2022
    • Reply
  • Great recipe. Thank you Jen. Jen’s recipes tend to be family friendly, and we like spicy, so I subbed poblano pepper for the green pepper and doubled the cayenne. To make topping chips, just cut tortillas into strips, toss with a small amount of oil and bake at 350 for 12 minutes. This hits all the notes of tasty, easy, reasonably healthy and affordable.

    • — Stacy Rynd on December 7, 2022
    • Reply
  • Delicious recipe! I added chicken & topped with fresh pico and tortilla strips. It was a meal! This soup will be part of my regular rotation! Thanks Jenn!

    • — Tammie Farley on December 5, 2022
    • Reply
  • Great soup recipe! I only used the olive oil and didn’t add extra butter like someone commented earlier and it still tastes great. I also added about 1/4 cup of lime juice and some greek yogurt for extra protein and it turned out amazing. Definitely use a rotisserie chicken as it makes prep for this meal so easy.

    • — Wora on November 28, 2022
    • Reply
  • Fantastic recipe! This has become a staple in our house and I always keep a quart or two in my freezer for a quick lunch or dinner. I usually add a cup or two of fresh or frozen corn kernels for extra texture in the soup. I’ve omitted the flour for my gluten-free friends and it comes out just fine.

    • — Gail on November 18, 2022
    • Reply
  • Hi Jen,
    Would it work to leave the onions and green pepper in a small dice instead of pureeing them?
    I would add the diced onions and green pepper after pureeing the remaining ingredients.
    Thanks,
    Diane

    • — Diane on October 7, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Diane, as long as you’re still sauteing them, I think that should work. The soup won’t be quite as thick but will have more texture from the onions and peppers. Hope you enjoy!

      • — Jenn on October 10, 2022
      • Reply
  • Love the fact that I can use rotisserie chicken in this soup. It is so delicious and easy to prepare. And it’s much better than any Tortilla Soup I’ve tried in a restaurant! Thanks, Jenn….another winner!

    • — Liz on August 14, 2022
    • Reply
  • I’ve made this many times both with and without chicken and it is one of my all-time favourite soup recipes. It’s funny I’ve tried tortilla soup at a few Mexican restaurants and walked away thinking it wasn’t what I imagined. But when I tried this recipe, it was exactly what I’d been looking for. Thank you, Jenn, for sharing your version of this recipe!

  • Loved this soup – added to my winter arsenal of soups. It was a complete meal. I followed the recipe with a few adjustments for my family’s needs/taste. I made it Gluten Free, so I replaced the flour with 1 Tbsp of corn starch mixed with a little water (this also might have helped the over thickening mentioned in the notes). I eliminated all the butter and did NOT increase the oil – I found the butter wasn’t needed, and made the soup a little healthier. I added three cups of chicken to make the soup more like a whole meal/chunkier. I also upped the spices a bit/rounded Tbsps, added a little black pepper and added about 1/2 cup+ of chopped cilantro to the soup at the end. Delicious!

  • Super delicious and especially easy when using rotisserie chicken! I loved the southwestern flavors. Definitely a keeper.

  • This Chicken Tortilla soup recipe is delicious!! Followed recipe as written and wouldn’t change a thing about it.

  • I made this tonight with rotisserie chicken and added black beans. It was amazing! Will definitely make again soon. Thanks Jen. Your recipes never disappoint.

    • I love this soup and how unbelievably easy it is to make! Something this easy isn’t usually this delicious! It is silky and so flavorful I didn’t change a thing, just added rotisserie chicken! I will be making this regularly! Thanks for another incredible recipe, Jen!

      • — Andrea on September 25, 2022
      • Reply
  • Great tortilla soup recipe! I wouldn’t expect anything less! I added the chicken, a chopped jalapeno, and a little more seasoning at the end. Super yummy.

  • I just made this soup for the first time yesterday and it is amazing! The corn tortillas add so much wonderful flavor. My 16-yr old daughter said this is one of her favorite soups I’ve ever made!! Thank you for sharing, Jennifer!

  • If there’s no tomatoes, its not tortilla soup.

    • — Tortilla soup king
    • Reply
    • Oh just stop it. You never tweak a single recipe to your liking or necessity? There are tortillas in the soup, therefore it is a tortilla soup. What a boring planet this would be if everyone had to make each dish exactly the same.

      • — Margerelli on February 22, 2024
      • Reply
  • This was delicious, I will definitely make it again. My family loved it.

  • I boiled one large chicken breast with bones and skin and shredded the chicken to add to the soup.
    I strained the broth and used this with enough store bought broth to make the required amount. I did thicken the soup a bit more. We also added tortilla strips when we served the soup.
    I must say this was excellent and my husband asked me to keep the recipe. He is always fussing at me about something but not this.

  • Our first cold front of the season was a great excuse to make Chicken Tortilla Soup today! I added frozen corn, black beans, and used Ancho Chili powder to make it milder. I don’t have a blender so tried using a Bullet. That was messy, so I only blended half the soup. It turned out delicious!!!….will probably do the half-blending again!! Chef Jenn’s recipes make it fun to try new dishes (except I stay up too late at night reading through her recipes and comments 🙂 🙂

  • Hi Jenn I love this recipe ! I wanted to make today and realize i only have a red bell pepper, will that work?

    • Sure — enjoy!

  • A great recipe! To please my spice loving palate I added more chili powder, some onion powder and a little granulated garlic before simmering. The small amount of cayenne satisfied my taste for heat perfectly. Appreciated the note with a recipe for roasting chicken breast. It was quick and easy and the chicken surprisingly moist. Will use again in the future.

  • Hi Jenn! Was wondering if this could be made with poblano peppers? Would I have to roast the skins first? Btw – ordered your 2nd cookbook – just terrific!! Thanks!

    • Hi Diane, Yes, I think poblanos would work here and you wouldn’t need to roast them. And thanks so much for your support with the cookbook! 🙂

  • This was great! However, I did end up having to add more salt and I added a tablespoon of white wine vinegar to brighten the flavor a little bit more, as well as an extra teaspoon of chicken Better than Bouillon (I had used homemade chicken broth—maybe this batch of broth hadn’t simmered long enough). The tortillas we used were the Mission brand, extra thin ones and I ended up adding 2 more tortillas to get the consistency I wanted. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!

  • Hi! If you use a rotisserie chicken, how much do you recommend using?

    • I’d recommend a generous 2 cups. Hope you enjoy!

  • I love this soup! When I first made it i realized during prep that I had forgotten to buy corn tortillas, however I substituted hard-shell corn tacos which worked great!

    • — Allison Gilliam D'Ottavio
    • Reply
  • This soup is a family favorite. Our kids (ages 3-12) gobble it up. I always double it and freeze half. We love to add chicken, black beans, shredded cheese, and crushed tortilla chips, but it is wonderful on its own, too. Many thanks for sharing this recipe, Jenn!

  • I have had a favorite chicken tortilla soup I’ve been making for a few years but because I love all of Jenn’s recipes I have e this one a go and it did not disappoint! The ingredients are so simple and it is packed with flavor. I finally bought an immersion blender too and the soup turned out perfectly. I have made it several times now, and cooked my own chicken as Jenn says to do in the recipe book and it’s better than my favorite Mexican restaurants tortilla soup.

  • Love this soup recipe. So authentic.

  • Made this last night and it was DELICIOUS!!! It was a perfect meal for our rainy weather night. Topped it with sour cream and avocado. A real keeper.

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