Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup starts with onions, bell pepper, and corn tortillas simmered in chicken stock and blended with spices like cumin and chili powder. This soup is a knock-off from the famous soup recipe at Tommy Bahamas. Get ready to lick your dinner bowl because this is the easiest soup and this chicken recipe will be ready in 30 minutes or less.
CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP RECIPE
I’ve been on an avid search for the perfect Chicken Tortilla soup. I’m talking I’ve made three different Chicken Tortilla soup recipes in the past week and a half because I just didn’t find one that I loved.
That says a lot considering I can go an entire month without repeating a meal once. My family is officially sick of it, not to mention my husband said they’ve also been serving it at work a couple of times too. But we all agree that this is the one.
Now don’t confuse this Chicken Tortilla soup recipe with Chicken Chili that is thick and chunky with beans and other goodies in there.
If you are a real Chicken Tortilla soup purist it’s actually a broth based soup.
I have a really good Chicken Taco Soup recipe and White Chicken Chili recipe if that’s what your looking for. But to me, a Chicken Tortilla soup recipe is chicken broth based that has a few simple ingredients.
Thanks to my friend Rachael for giving me this recipe which is supposedly a knock off from the Tommy Bahamas restaurant.
I know it may not look like much but it has a really deep flavor. I started taste testing it and couldn’t stop kind of flavor.
INGREDIENTS
- YELLOW ONION – you could use white or red onion but yellow onion has the best flavor for this soup.
- GREEN PEPPER
- GARLIC – if you don’t have fresh garlic you can use garlic powder.
- CORN TORTILLAS– you could use flour tortillas here but corn are more traditional.
- BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS – any shredded chicken will do. You can use shredded chicken breast or chicken thighs. A great use for leftover chicken.
- BUTTER
- CUMIN
- OLIVE OIL
- CHILI POWDER
- LIME WEDGES
- CHICKEN BROTH – you could use vegetable broth as well.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
First, start by coarsely chopping some onions, green pepper, and garlic. I was extra lazy when chopping so these are REALLY coarsely chopped.
Next, sautee the veggies in some oil and butter over medium-high heat. The butter gives it flavor but the oil has a higher burning temperature allowing you to cook the veggies longer without burning them. See how the edges are just starting to brown. Brown = flavor.
Then, cut some corn tortillas up and throw those in with some spices. You can’t have tortilla soup without tortillas and it makes a thicker soup.
Right about here your kitchen will smell like fajitas. You might think about stopping here to just eat this. But don’t. It gets better.
Add some chicken broth and simmer away.
Finally, you’re going to blend the entire soup. You can use an immersion blender here or a regular blender in two batches. Be careful. Hot soup is…well hot.
Rotisserie chicken is the only way to go here. It’s perfectly moist and flavorful. Add some to your blended soup.
Then garnish with slices of avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. You can even add some cut corn tortillas to the soup and let them hang out until they’re soft.
Yum.
Here’s something to keep in mind. If you are blending yellow corn tortillas and green bell pepper the resulting color can be a little in between yellow and green which can be…meh?
If the you don’t care about color because this soup is so delicious (and it is), carry on.
Some things you can do to control the color of the soup:
- Use white corn tortillas.
- Use a red bell pepper and not green.
THE BEST SOUP RECIPES
- Lasagna Soup
- Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Easy Tomato Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
- Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Egg Drop Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup
This Chicken Tortilla Soup starts with onions, bell pepper, and corn tortillas simmered in chicken stock and blended with spices like cumin and chili powder.
Ingredients
Soup:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped (about 2½ cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 green or red bell pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
- 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into small pieces (about 1¼ cups), see note
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 8 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot sauce, (optional)
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
Garnish:
- Crushed tortilla chips or crispy tortilla strips
- Sour cream
- Handful chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 avocados, diced
- Lime
Instructions
- Heat olive oil and butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add cut corn tortillas, chili powder and cumin; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, a few minutes more. Add chicken stock, salt and cayenne pepper (if adding) and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat and puree until completely smooth. An immersion blender is easiest for this or blend in batches in your blender. Stir in chicken, then ladle soup into bowls and garnish. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
If you blend yellow corn tortillas with a green bell pepper it can be a brownish color. Still tastes great though. For a more optimal color use white corn tortillas and a red bell pepper.
Source: my friend Rachel Quinton
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Trans Fat: 0g
Do you have a recipe for a plain custard pie?
This is excellent. I added half of a fresh jalapeno to the other vegetables. I was prepared to adjust the heat with cayenne at the end but it was the perfect heat level. I used only 6 C. of chicken stock. I poached a large chicken breast half, shredded it, and seasoned it with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder. It was presented to be put in the bowl first, topped with the soup, and garnished with crumbled tortilla chips, fresh cilantro leaves, cubed avocado, sour cream and lime wedges.
Big hit!
So happy you liked it!
Please give your friend Rachel Q a hug and tell her that the internet loves her. My wife and made this tonight for the first time and doubled it at the last minute. This is exactly the consistency and flavor profile I’ve been searching for. They serve this exact soup at The Chop House in Dayton, OH. We used yellow bell pepper and only added 2.5qts of broth. I made the mistake of using Vidalia onions and it was slightly sweet…took me a few minutes to figure it out but I will use yellow or white onions next time. 5 stars! Thank you so much!
Yay! I’m so glad you approve! I love this one!
I just made this recipe and it turned out AMAZING!! It fed the 6 people I had over and everyone loved it. It reminded me of the chicken enchilada soup from Zupas in Utah. Sooooo good. I ended up adding another red bell pepper and green chili’s to the mix before blending. Also added the cayenne and only one tablespoon of salt. Once it was blended, I added the chicken along with a can of corn and a can of black beans!!! Soooooo yummy I’m excited to make this again!!!
So glad you liked it. I actually went to Zupas today!
Loved this recipe. I used the white corn tortillas and the red pepper because I happened to have them. It’s a pretty orange color and tastes remarkably like a chicken enchilada soup Chili’s used to have which I loved! Highly recommend.
5 star…a crowd pleaser and so easy, Added one medium can of fire roasted tomatoes w/out juice and some diced sautéed carrots. Had avocado, tortilla strips, green chiles, sour cream, cilantro, limes, and hot sauce for customizing . Family of all ages loved this recipe, Thank you, Christy.
You’re welcome Jacqueline.
Tortilla soup is supposed to be creamy yellow/ green. That’s how I chose your recipe, by seeing the pictures. Looking forward to trying it. Thanks!
Hope you love it!
Last fall we add this soup to our little restaurant’s menu. It was a huge hit! The only change we made is replaced half of the salt with season salt and add a hint of smoked chipotle powder. Customer’s beg for it when we rotate it out during summer months. Bringing it back this week! Thank you for a winning recipe!
Wow! Awesome!
Oh my goodness this is GOOOOD!!! I added corn, tomatoes, beans and a diced jalapeño at the end and it wasn’t even necessary…I skipped the chicken, sour cream and cheese cause the meat products don’t sit well with me…I also added a taco season and lemon pepper seasons which seemed to kick the flavor up a notch…will re make again and again!
Thank you!
Hi quick question if anyone can answer!
My grocery trip today proved successful for toilet paper and all other necessities (for the first time in a while) BUT the store was wiped out of corn tortillas (???) Is there any way flour would work or should I use hard corn taco shells?
Sorry! Flour tortillas will just get mushy. Maybe taco shells?
A great soup the house is filled with devine smells .
I did make extra and substituted a red and yellow peppers for green. . We also added two jalapenos . A bit of a kick for sure . Yum
Sounds delicious!
Just finished up making and eating this lovely and easy-to-make soup! We loved it!!
Glad you loved it!
This recipe has become a family favorite. I catch my kids licking their bowls! It is just so good! Thank you!
I lick mine too!
I really liked this recipe but made a few changes as I am want to do (my husband has learned to accept that as the norm). I only used about 3/4 t. salt and even found that too salty. I also like more of a chunky soup so I added a can of corn and a sauteed diced red pepper along with the chicken. One last thing – I forgot to use the olive oil but I don’t think that made a difference.
This soup is IT!!! I mean, like, the bomb!!! So yummy. So easy. I did add some Pico de Gallo garnish to give that one in a while warmer bite.
Here’s another idea: I split the soup base into 1 cup containers and froze. Froze some sour cream, cilantro, pico de Gallo, and cheese (individually, not mixed together) in silicone ice trays. Froze chicken, lime wedge, tortilla strips, avocado, and 1 or 2 of each of the flavored “ice cubes” into freezer bags. Now just grab a base and a bag and quick easy delicious lunch is ready in no time flat!!!!
Amazing!!
I just finish making this soup!!! It is so delish & I haven’t even completed the garnish. Do you know the calorie count? THANHS much.
I will add it!
I made this tonight and it is amazing! I already had a favorite chicken tortilla soup recipe but thought I’d try this since you recommended it so highly. I’m so glad I did. The addition of the corn tortillas and then blending it all made for a very rich and flavorful soup. My family agreed that this will be our new go-to Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe!
It’s deceiving right? But so good.
This has turned into my favorite chicken tortilla soup recipe. It was delicious and so easy to make. My only change from the recipe is I used taco seasoning and some chipotle chili powder because that’s what I had. Yum, comfort food at its best.
So glad you loved it!
This looks amazing and I can ‘t wait to try it. It is definitely turning into soup weather here in Utah! This is going on my “must make list.”
Thank you!
Wait, why do you have to blend it?! That sounds kinda nasty! What happens if you don’t?!
No, it’s fabulous. I promise. If you don’t you’ll have a thin chunky soup/
I’m always on a lookout for a good beet recipe since much has been said about the benefits of this veggie. But somehow, no matter how I make it, it doesn’t really tickle my taste bone. Now this was totally different. Who would’ve thought? A delicious beet!? This makes me feel so good; I don’t know if it’s only my imagination, but I can really feel myself getting stronger after having it for breakfast.
Haha. Glad you loved it!
Just made this tonight for my family of 6, and OH MY GOODNESS!!!! We devoured it and I want to make another batch right now because it was sooooooo delicious!!!!!! Thank you SO much!!!
You’re so welcome! Honestly one of the most underrated recipes on here. I need to update the photo!
Hi….question: I have a choice between baked tortilla chips you “scoop” with dip or hard corn taco shells. Which would you recommend for this soup????
Tortilla chips probably? You mean if you don’t have corn tortillas?
Even though the only soup I normally make is chicken noodle, I had to give this recipe a try. Let me tell you it was super easy to make and the flavor is tantalizing. My entire family loved it and can’t wait for me to make it again.
Bryan,
Tantalizing! Wowza! I love hearing that.
i just stumbled across this recipe this afternoon while searching for tortilla soup recipes. I doubled the recipe because I wanted to use up most of all the chicken I had! Mine came out close to the ones you made, but WOW. So delicious!!! I would definitely make these again. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!!!