Chicken tortilla soup is a comforting, flavorful meal that combines tender chicken, vegetables, beans, tomatoes, Mexican-inspired spices, corn, and a creamy finish. This version is made especially rich by blending some of the beans, tomatoes, and chipotle peppers into the soup before adding heavy cream.
The recipe featured in the video by Mr. Make It Happen uses rotisserie chicken to keep the preparation simple while adding plenty of flavor. Crispy fried corn tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, cheese, and cilantro finish the soup for a satisfying combination of creamy, spicy, fresh, and crunchy textures.
Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken
The recipe uses a cooked rotisserie chicken. Remove the bones, skin, cartilage, and other unwanted parts, then cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Leftover cooked chicken can also be used. The chicken is added toward the later stage of cooking because it is already cooked.
Vegetables
- 1 large red onion
- 4 cloves garlic, or about 1½ tablespoons minced garlic or garlic paste
- 1 jalapeño, optional
- Corn
The onion, garlic, and jalapeño form the vegetable base of the soup. The jalapeño can be left out if you prefer less heat.
Spices and Seasonings
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- Salt, as needed
- AP seasoning, as needed
- Buttery garlic pepper, as needed
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon chicken base
Mexican oregano can be used if available. The amount of chipotle and adobo can also be adjusted according to your preferred spice level.
Soup Ingredients
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Beans
- Tomatoes
- Chipotle peppers in adobo
- ½ cup heavy cream, or up to 1 cup for a creamier soup
Using low-sodium chicken broth gives you more control over the final salt level.
For the Crispy Tortilla Strips
- Corn tortillas
- Oil for frying
- Salt
For Serving
- Sour cream
- Cheese
- Avocado
- Crispy tortilla strips
- Cilantro
How to Make Creamy & Delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup
Step 1: Prepare the Rotisserie Chicken
Start by breaking down the cooked rotisserie chicken.
Remove the bones, skin, cartilage, and anything you do not want in the soup. Keep the meat and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Set the chicken aside while you prepare the vegetables.
Using rotisserie chicken keeps this recipe convenient because the chicken is already cooked and can be added later in the cooking process.
Step 2: Prepare the Vegetables
Dice one large red onion and remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeño before dicing it.
Prepare four cloves of garlic. If using minced garlic or garlic paste, about 1½ tablespoons is equivalent.
The vegetables do not need to be perfectly fine. A slightly chunky dice works well if you enjoy pieces of vegetables throughout the soup.
If you prefer a smoother texture, the vegetables can be chopped more finely.
Step 3: Sauté the Vegetables
Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add a little avocado oil.
Add the diced onion and jalapeño. Add the garlic as well, making sure not to let it burn.
The goal at this stage is not to fully cook the vegetables. Instead, sauté them enough to begin developing the flavor that will form the foundation of the soup.
Step 4: Add the Spices and Seasonings
Once the vegetables begin cooking, add the spices.
Add:
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon chicken base
- AP seasoning
- Buttery garlic pepper
Stir everything together.
Cooking the spices with the oil and vegetables helps bring out their flavor. This is particularly useful with spices such as cumin, which becomes much more aromatic once heated.
Step 5: Add the Tomatoes and Chicken Broth
Add the tomato component to the pot and stir it into the seasoned vegetables.
Next, pour in 5 cups of low-sodium chicken broth.
Mix everything well and allow the soup to come up to a simmer.
Using low-sodium broth allows you to taste the soup as it cooks and adjust the seasoning without making it unnecessarily salty.
Step 6: Add the Beans
Add the beans to the simmering soup and stir.
At this point, the soup will still have a relatively brothy consistency. That is perfectly fine because part of the recipe’s technique is used later to make the soup thicker and creamier.
Allow the soup to continue heating until it reaches a simmer.
Step 7: Thicken the Chicken Tortilla Soup
One of the key techniques in this recipe is using some of the soup’s own ingredients to create a thicker texture.
Take approximately 30% of the solids from the soup, particularly the beans and tomatoes, and place them into a bowl.
Add the chipotle peppers in adobo that have not yet been used.
Blend the mixture using an immersion blender. A countertop blender or food processor can also be used.
Once blended, pour the mixture back into the soup.
This adds body to the soup without requiring a separate thickening mixture.
Step 8: Add the Chicken and Corn
Add the prepared bite-sized chicken to the soup.
Then add the corn.
The corn provides a subtle natural sweetness that works well with the spicy ingredients in the soup.
Stir everything together and taste the soup. Adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
Step 9: Simmer the Soup
Allow the soup to simmer for approximately 20 to 30 minutes so the flavors can come together.
Continue tasting and adjusting the seasoning as needed.
The soup can be kept relatively brothy or made thicker using the blending technique described above.
Step 10: Add the Heavy Cream
For the creamy finish, add approximately ½ cup of heavy cream.
If you want the soup to be even creamier, the amount can be increased to as much as 1 cup.
Stir the cream into the soup.
The cream adds richness, contributes to the soup’s thicker texture, and helps soften some of the heat from the spicy ingredients.
Continue cooking for about another 15 minutes, allowing the beans and tomatoes to cook down further and the flavors to come together.
Taste again and make any final seasoning adjustments.
How to Make Crispy Tortilla Strips
The crispy tortilla strips are an important part of chicken tortilla soup because they provide the crunchy texture that contrasts with the creamy soup.
Step 1: Cut the Corn Tortillas
Take store-bought corn tortillas and cut them into strips.
Step 2: Fry the Tortilla Strips
Fry the tortilla strips until they become crisp.
Once they are finished frying, transfer them to a wire rack so excess oil can drain.
Step 3: Season with Salt
Season the hot tortilla strips with salt immediately after frying.
A wire rack is preferred for draining because placing freshly fried tortilla strips directly on a paper towel can make them soggy.
How to Serve Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Once the soup is ready, ladle it into a bowl and add the toppings.
The video finishes the soup with:
- A spoonful of sour cream
- Cheese
- Avocado
- Crispy fried tortilla strips
- Fresh cilantro
Add a generous amount of crispy tortilla strips for extra crunch.
The combination of creamy soup, melted cheese, avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and crispy tortilla strips gives the finished bowl a variety of textures and flavors.
Tips for Making Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Use Rotisserie Chicken for Convenience
Rotisserie chicken is an easy option because it is already cooked and can simply be broken down and added to the soup later.
Leftover chicken can also be used.
Control the Spice Level
The heat can be adjusted according to your preference.
The jalapeño is optional. You can leave it out for a milder soup.
The amount of chipotle peppers and adobo can also be adjusted to control the heat.
Use Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
Low-sodium chicken broth gives you greater control over the salt level. Taste the soup during cooking and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Don’t Skip the Spice-Sautéing Step
Allowing the spices to cook with the vegetables and oil helps develop their flavor before the broth is added.
Blend Some of the Soup to Thicken It
Instead of adding a separate thickener, blend some of the beans, tomatoes, and chipotle peppers and return the mixture to the pot.
This creates a thicker consistency while keeping the ingredients already used in the soup.
Add the Tortilla Strips Just Before Serving
For the best crunch, add the fried tortilla strips when serving rather than leaving them in the soup while it cooks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Can I use leftover chicken instead of rotisserie chicken?
Yes. The recipe specifically allows leftover cooked chicken to be used. Cooked chicken can be cut or shredded and added to the soup toward the end of cooking.
Can I leave out the jalapeño?
Yes. The jalapeño is optional. Leaving it out is one way to reduce the heat.
How can I make the soup less spicy?
You can control the heat by reducing or leaving out the jalapeño and adjusting the amount of chipotle peppers and adobo.
The heavy cream also helps soften some of the spice.
How do I make chicken tortilla soup thicker?
Blend approximately 30% of the soup’s solids, including beans and tomatoes, together with the chipotle peppers in adobo. Return the blended mixture to the pot and stir.
The heavy cream also adds additional thickness.
How creamy should chicken tortilla soup be?
The recipe starts with about ½ cup of heavy cream. Up to 1 cup can be used if you prefer a more intensely creamy soup.
What should I serve on chicken tortilla soup?
The finished soup is topped with sour cream, cheese, avocado, crispy fried tortilla strips, and cilantro.
Why are the tortilla strips important?
The crispy tortilla strips add a crunchy texture that contrasts with the creamy soup. They also provide the signature tortilla element of the dish.
Final Thoughts
This Creamy & Delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup is built around a simple idea: start with cooked chicken, develop flavor with vegetables and spices, build the soup with broth, beans, tomatoes, and chipotle, then use some of the soup’s own ingredients to create a thicker texture.
Heavy cream gives the soup its creamy finish, while corn adds a touch of natural sweetness. Finally, sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and crispy fried tortilla strips complete the bowl.
The result is a hearty, creamy, slightly spicy chicken tortilla soup with plenty of texture and flavor.
Recipe at a Glance
Recipe: Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Main Protein: Rotisserie chicken
Soup Base: Chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, vegetables, and spices
Creamy Element: Heavy cream
Texture: Creamy and hearty with crispy tortilla strips
Spice Level: Customizable
Main Garnishes: Sour cream, cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, and cilantro