Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
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This creamy chicken tortilla soup has all the bold Southwestern flavor of the classic, but with a smooth, velvety texture that makes it extra special—pure comfort in a bowl.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
This creamy chicken tortilla soup was inspired by a version served at Tommy Bahama Restaurant, a breezy, island-inspired chain with a laid-back vibe. Unlike typical tomato- and broth-based tortilla soups, this one starts with a purée of vegetables, broth, and corn tortillas, giving it a hearty texture and deep, satisfying flavor. In my opinion, it beats the standard version by a mile.
At the restaurant, it’s topped with grilled chicken, charred corn, tortilla strips, and a drizzle of crema, but you can make it your own. Diced avocado, black beans, pico de gallo, cilantro, or a sprinkle of cheese would all be delicious additions.
“Made this last night and holy moly it was good!!”
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: Thickens 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 for finishing the soup.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the aromatics and peppers. Heat the oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. If they’re browning too quickly, lower the heat to medium-low.
Step 2: Add the flour. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for about a minute. This cooks off the raw flour taste and helps thicken the soup later, giving it that rich, creamy texture. The mixture will look a bit pasty at first—that’s okay.
Step 3: Build the base. Add the chicken broth, cut tortillas, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne. Give it a good stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. The tortillas will soften and infuse the broth with a subtle corn flavor that gives this soup its signature taste once blended.
Step 4: Blend. Take the pot off the heat and use a handheld immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, let the soup cool slightly, then carefully purée it in batches in a regular blender. Be sure to remove the center knob from the lid and cover the opening with a dish towel to allow steam to escape and prevent splatters.
Step 5: Finish and serve. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Stir in the chicken (if using), then ladle the soup into bowls and add your favorite toppings. The soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes beautifully for longer storage.
More Hearty Soup Recipes You May Like
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
For the Soup
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped (about 2½ cups/375 g)
- 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-in/15-cm 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.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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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Best tortilla soup I’ve ever made at home or eaten in any restaurant!! Thank you Jenn for such a delicious, easy soup.
Awesome Recipe Jen. Only problem is I can’t order it in a restaurant anymore. Never compares to yours.
This soup was really great! My husband and I both enjoyed it, and the leftovers were just as good, if not better! My only change for next time would be to cut down on the oil and butter the veggies sauté in. I found that it was too much and detracted from the rest of the soup. I’ll at least halve that amount next time. Otherwise- it was fantastic!!
My family and friends cannot get enough of this soup. It is packed with flavor for such few ingredients. When making it at a friends house, she only had chipotle powder. We used this instead of chili powder and we loved the extra spice. I’ve made it many times both ways and it does not disappoint. I’ve also used bouillon cubes and water when I don’t have chicken broth on hand and I leave out the salt. Definitely a favorite!
The best recipe and tastes just like Toomy Bahama’s version! I add a can of fire roasted tomatoes as well.
Fantastic!! 🥣
I made this soup for dinner tonight and it was delicious! The flavors are just outstanding I will definitely make it again. I got your cookbook and followed that recipe so wish I would’ve added the flour to thicken but no worries it was still super good!
Honestly…I cannot believe how completely delicious this soup is. Made it the other night, along with the fish tacos (ridiculously good…), and the corn and black bean salad with the chipotle vinaigrette (also wonderful…). But this soup!?! Good gracious.
I am preparing for some medical treatment and want to make meals ahead to have in the freezer. It seems this would be a good option, adding the toppings later. Thoughts?
I haven’t made this recipe yet but a friend recommended with a rave review!
Hi Lauren, Yes, I do think this would freeze nicely. See the bottom of the recipe for freezing instructions. Also, I have a category of recipes that freeze well – you may get some inspiration there. Best of luck with your treatment!
I purchased your cookbook as I am a big fan of your recipes. I am wondering why you don’t include the flour in your recipe in the cookbook? Will this change the recipe at all?
Hi Stella, This is a newer version of the same recipe – the only difference is that the flour makes the soup a bit thicker. Hope that clarifies!
Great recipe! Very tasty!
I made it with some alterations, and loved, loved, loved it! This is the best soup ever and also now a party favorite in my house! My guests praised it, ate all of it and asked when I am making it again :))
A few things I did based on my experience (I am known in my circles as the “soup nut” :)) ) :
1. I make my own broth from scratch. It makes a huge difference, if you want the right, homey flavor in the end product. It is very simple to make: 4 chicken thighs (with bones and skin), 1 whole yellow onion peeled and with slits for the juice to come out, kosher salt to taste and a pinch of black pepper. When cooked, I take out the chicken thighs, take off the skin, debone them – which is really easy when chicken is cooked through. And then I cut up the meet and add it back to the soup AFTER the blended ingredients. I love the taste of chicken chunks mixed in, which adds rich flavor, especially when fresh avocado and cilantro is added before serving.
2. I replace flour with just corn kernels of two corn sticks that I cook in advance and instead of tortillas, a cup of my favorite blue tortilla chips. You will need to adjust the salt then, since tortilla chips are salted.