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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This is THE ONE! I’ve tried numerous Chicken Tortilla soup recipes over the years, trying to duplicate what I’ve enjoyed in one of the best Mexican restaurants ever. I finally found the perfect recipe with this one. Don’t look any further. Just make this and you will be thanking Jenn for it. 5 Stars!
Excellent, though I might add an extra pepper next time. I served with the charred corn, rotisserie chicken, cilantro, crema, and air fried tortilla strips. Everyone liked it!
Hi Jen,
I never know which type of chili powder to use. I tried this recipe for the first time. I used the spices suggested but didn’t have any “chili powder” so used New Mexican chili powder along with the cayenne. The soup wasn’t as spicy as I had hoped ( always a balancing act because my hubby doesn’t like lots of spice.) I then added a bit of chipotle and more New Mexican.
I used too many small tortillas so the soup was a bit tortilla heavy ( my error) so I added lime juice to the chicken.
Now the soup tastes great. I think I will garnish it with corn chips, sour cream and avocado.
If you could weigh in on the various chili powders, that would be great. Thanks again,
Cheri
Hi Cheri, when I call for chili powder in a recipe, what I’m referring to is your standard chili powder like this one. In my recipes, I also occasionally incorporate ancho chili powder and/or chipotle chili powder, but if they are required, I’ll specify that in the ingredient list. I’ve never cooked with Mexican chili powder, but I know it offers a more intense, distinct chili flavor and is used in Mexican dishes like mole or adobo sauces. Hope that clarifies!
I believe “chili” powder refers to the spice blend (typically includes ground dried chiles, cumin, garlic powder, and paprika) whereas “chile” powder is only ground dried chiles.
It might be a great soup, because your recipes are excellent, but I have over 20 ads on this page. Too irritating. Is there a paid subscription where I can see your recipes free?
Thank you
Hi Bonnie, as of now, I don’t have a paid subscription option – I’m sorry! I’m sorry you’re seeing too many ads! I know from being on other websites how frustrating it can be. The first thing I’d suggest is to try going to the site using a different browser as that can sometimes make a difference. If that doesn’t help, if you’d like, you can install an adblocker on the browser you use. I tried it and it really works! You still see some unobtrusive ads, but it’s a much better experience. It will also eliminate annoying ads on all websites you visit — not just mine. The only downside is that it blocks the videos too, and unfortunately, there is no way around that.
Another option is to view the recipe as if you were going to print it. That will remove all the ads. So, you’d go through the process of preparing to print a recipe and just view it that way. Hope those options help!
What a great soup for election night! I did 1 and 1/2x the recipe. Added corn, black beans, along with fajita chicken from Aldi, and I upped the spices just a bit for our tastes. Served with jalapeños, cilantro, Mexican créma, avocado, cheddar, lime, and the chips. It was delicious. Also added a bit more salt after adding the cheese and chips as I wasn’t sure how much salt they would add. I did bloom the spices about the same time I added the flour.
Great meal. THANK you! My family loved it and I will definitely make it again soon.
Hi Jen! I discovered your recipes about a year ago and have so enjoyed all of them I have tried. Quick question on this one – I have all ingredients except corn tortillas. Is there a good substitute? I do have cornmeal.
Hi Judy, crushed up tortilla chips would make a good substitute. 😊
Great flavor and easy to make
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!!
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.
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!