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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I actually have the original recipe.
Yours is very good.
Super excited to make this today! Do you think it would be ok to roast the peppers, onions and garlic? Just trying to cut back on the oil and butter. Thoughts?
Sure, Joey, but I wouldn’t cut out the oil and butter completely or the soup will lack body and flavor.
Loved it! I lived in San Antonio for 12 years and fell in love with tortilla soup. St. Armand’s Circle is too far to travel now on a weekday so this recipe hit the spot. And my husband just inhaled a second bowl!
I am so, so, sad. This was literally tasteless….followed recipe to a T. I threw it away.
When that happens I question my chicken broth. Make sure you taste it before adding it to a recipe. Most store bought broths taste awful.
This soup is so easy & quick to make & it is delicious! Thanks again for a great recipe Jenn!
Loved this!! I added a chopped jalapeno pepper in the with the veggies for some more heat. I also think this soup REALLY needs some acidity to balance out the flavours, so I added some lime juice at the end. Amazing recipe, though! And super easy. Thank you!
I could not get enough of this soup. It is unlike a traditional chicken tortilla soup, in my opinion, but still sooooo good. I kept hiding the leftovers for myself!
Jennifer, your recipes are delicious. I have recommended your site to numerous people. As usual this soup was fabulous. Thank you for sharing your God given talent.
Thanks so much for your kind words Susan! ❤️
Plan on making tomorrow. Since I’m subbing crushed corn chips, what quantity would you recommend?
Hi, I’d estimate you’d need about 3 handfuls. Hope you enjoy!
I made this soup yesterday and had to make one substitution – I didn’t have the fresh corn tortillas on hand so I used corn tortilla chips. The soup was a hit! My husband said he could eat it all day, and the same for my adult son. I did add some leftover rotisserie chicken as you suggested. I love chicken tortilla soups and this one was dee-lish! Thanks for another great recipe Jenn!
Nancy
Another day at home, another Once Upon A Chef recipe experiment!!! Planned to make this today but just realized my tortillas are flour based not corn. Do you think that will be a problem? Thanks for keeping us well fed 😷
Hi Annie, I wouldn’t use flour tortillas but you could use crushed up tortilla chips. Hope that helps!
Thanks Jen,
I ended up using corn taco shells and it was phenomenal!!!!! I wish I made a double batch, so so good. Thanks again for another stellar recipe