Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of my favorite comforting soups! This one-pot soup recipe is filled with yummy Tex-Mex flavors for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
I love snuggling up on the couch with a blanket and a bowl of soup to watch TV with my husband. When we tried this Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup for the first time, we LOVED it! It was a nice alternative to beefy chili or taco soup with all the yummy Mexican flavors you love. It’s crazy easy to make and the leftovers taste just as good heated up the next day!
CREAMY CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
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Chicken tortilla soup is one of my favorite tex-mex soups, but sometimes I just want it a little creamier. I add heavy cream to this yummy soup packed with shredded chicken, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, and of course tortillas!
This was great for a warm lunch the next day, too! I was worried about the corn tortillas, but they did great even the next day, like an enchilada. Make it for your next meal prep recipe or an easy Taco Tuesday dinner.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
ROTISSERIE CHICKEN: The secret to all my chicken soup recipes is a simple rotisserie chicken! You can also use leftover chicken, or boil some chicken breasts just for this soup. My favorite hack is taking leftover chicken from my husband’s favorite chicken tacos, to add more flavor! But really, I’ll use any recipe hacks I can to keep dinner easy.
CORN TORTILLAS: The key ingredient that makes taco soup into tortilla soup is the corn tortillas! Cut them into small strips or even fun shapes.
TOMATOES: I use both tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes with green chiles. There is a bit of spice in this creamy southwestern chicken tortilla soup from the green chiles, but not a lot. A dollop of sour cream tames that heat instantly!
If you want to add a little more heat, try fresh jalapeños, habaneros, or a pinch of cayenne pepper. The sky’s the limit with the toppings and add-ins to this creamy tortilla soup.
How To Make Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- First, sauté the onions in a Dutch oven in some olive oil. After a few minutes, add the garlic and season it all with salt and pepper.
- Then, add the shredded chicken, Rotel tomatoes and green chiles, tomato sauce, black beans, chicken stock, and heavy cream. Stir it up and bring to a boil to simmer until it’s thickened some.
- When it’s almost time to serve this creamy chicken tortilla soup with Rotel, add the corn tortilla slices and stir it all together. That’s it!
Garnish with all your favorites from sour cream and shredded cheese to avocado slices and cilantro. If you wanna add a little crunch, toast a few of the tortilla strips, or crush up tortilla chips!
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup Creamy
When it comes to the ultimate creamy soup, the secret is almost always dairy.
I use heavy cream to make this creamy chicken tortilla soup recipe. I think it adds the perfect creamy richness without overpowering the tortilla soup flavors. Half-and-half or milk would also work, but it wouldn’t be quite as creamy.
You can also use sour cream, or make this creamy chicken tortilla soup with cream cheese! I like to use sour cream as a garnish once I’ve served the soup up. However, it will melt into the soup too with a few good stirs. Same with cream cheese!
More Yummy Tex-Mex Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Mexican Beef and Vegetable Soup
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadilla
- Mexican Shrimp Skillet Dinner
- BBQ Ranch Chicken Tacos
- More MAIN DISH recipes…
Tools used to make this Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe
Dutch oven: A trusty Dutch oven is the best soup pot with its heavy bottom and lid. You’ll want at least a 6-quart pot for this chicken tortilla soup recipe since it can feed an army!
Cheese grater: Store-bought shredded cheese is always an option, but did you know it’s cheaper to shred it yourself? Once I got a cheese grater, I never looked back. Plus I can have any cheese shredded onto soups and into casseroles.
*This post originally posted on 09/09/2015.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded (see note)
- 20 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies (I use two 10oz cans or Rotel)
- 29 ounces tomato sauce
- 15 ounces black beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 corn tortillas cut in half, then in 1/2-inch slices
Toppings
- Sour cream
- Colby jack cheese shredded
- Avocado diced
- Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add cooked chicken, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, chicken stock, and heavy cream to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add in the tortilla slices and stir into the soup.
- Serve warm with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Stacey says
29 oz of tomato paste??? Seems alot
Real Housemoms JK says
Hello Stacey, it is tomato sauce…not paste. Hope this helps!