This hearty creamy chicken tortilla soup is my family’s favorite soup! Made with a slew of colorful veggies, black beans, canned green chiles, chicken breast, and cream cheese for creaminess, it’s truly a meal in a bowl. Filling enough for dinner and leftovers taste even better! Top with tons of crunchy tortilla chips, duh.
To know a creamy soup is to love a creamy soup (I’m looking at you, Creamy Vegetable Soup!). I love that this recipe is creamy but not too creamy, light enough for lunch but still hearty enough for a substantial dinner, ya dig?
The texture and flavor here are next level thanks to tons of yummy veggies, bright salsa, chicken and cheese. Bold taco-inspired spices pack a delightful punch with notes that are smoky, savory, and crazy comforting.
The magical fiesta of flavors here remind me a lot of my Chicken Enchilada Casserole (with veggies!). I think you’re going to be obsessed!
The low down on ingredients
- Veggies: And lots of ’em! As a dietitian, I’m all about adding extra veg to soup for a flavor and nutrient boost. We’ve got onion, bell pepper, carrot, canned green chiles, and corn but you could also add celery to really veg it up!
- Garlic: Lots of garlic for depth.
- Black beans: Rich in filling fiber and plant protein, black beans are a staple in chicken tortilla soup. Pinto beans would also work.
- Salsa: This adds tons of flavor and umami to create the perfect liquid base. If you use medium or hot salsa, the soup will be spicy so proceed with caution.
- Spices: We’re using a DIY taco seasoning blend of chili powder, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika, but you could also use a taco seasoning packet. (Use less salt if you do that since they’re heavily salted.
- Chicken: We’re cooking a pound of raw chicken breast directly in the soup for even more flavor. You could also add pre-shredded chicken at the end.
- Tortilla chips: The perfect salty, crunchy topper.
- Broth: Veg or chicken broth to add even more savory vibes.
- Cheese: Cream cheese adds delightful creaminess to the soup without being too rich and cheddar cheese adds crave-worthy factor. A dynamic duo! (Most recipes call for a cup or more of cheese so this version is a bit more lightened-up.)
Let’s make it!
Sauté onion, pepper, and carrot and cook for 5 minutes.
Add garlic and spices and cook another minute.
Add corn, salsa, beans, chiles, chicken, and broth. Simmer until chicken is cooked.
Shred chicken and return to pot. Stir in cheese and cream cheese.
Serve garnished with tortilla chips, cilantro and avocado if you fancy!
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I don’t recommend freezing this soup since the texture of the dairy won’t be appealing after thawing. You could however freeze the soup without the cheese and then add it once thawed.
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Veggie-Loaded!)
-
Prep Time:
15 minutes -
Cook Time:
35 minutes -
Total Time:
50 minutes -
Yield:
6 servings 1x -
Category:
Soups -
Method:
Stovetop -
Cuisine:
Southwestern -
Diet:
Gluten Free
Description
This hearty creamy chicken tortilla soup is my family’s favorite soup! Made with a slew of colorful veggies, black beans, canned green chiles, chicken breast, and cream cheese for creaminess, it’s truly a meal in a bowl. Filling enough for dinner and leftovers taste even better! Top with tons of crunchy tortilla chips, duh.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Instructions
- Set out cream cheese to come to room temperature. Warm olive oil in a large pot (I use my Dutch oven) over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, pepper, and carrot and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt and pepper and cook 1 more minute.
- Add corn, salsa, beans, chiles, chicken, and broth. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat to low and simmer (covered) for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked (internal chicken temp should be 165F). Remove from heat.
- Transfer the chicken to a shallow bowl to let it cool down a bit. Use two forks (or your hands) to shred it. Return to pot.
- Stir in shredded cheese and cream cheese (cream cheese will take a bit longer to stir into soup). The soup will get thicker as it sits. Serve garnished with tortilla chips, cilantro and avocado if you fancy!
Notes
*You can also stir in 2-3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken at the end.
Adapted from this recipe
To reduce the sodium, use low sodium broth and start with ½ tsp salt.
