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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…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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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!
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!
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!