Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Simple, one pot dinner with tender shredded chicken loaded with your favorite toppings. So creamy & so so cozy.
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Fall is here, the leaves are falling, the cozy sweaters are coming out of hiding, and we are making this winner winner chicken dinner on repeat.
Tender chicken thighs are simmered in all of its goodness, letting all the bold flavors come together so fast in this weeknight staple. It’s not too thin, it’s not overly creamy – it’s just enough to hold up all of your favorite toppings.
So load them up as you see fit – diced avocado, shredded Mexican blend cheese, cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and all the homemade crispy tortilla strips you can find (or crushed tortilla chips when you’re in a pinch).
This one pot chicken tortilla soup is also incredibly freezer-friendly (sans heavy cream, of course). So make a pot (or two) and freeze as you go. It’s a cozy, dreamy soup dinner you want handy all season long.
what to serve with chicken tortilla soup
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the heavy cream (cream soups tend to separate when frozen) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding heavy cream when serving.
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
For the crispy tortilla strips
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, sliced in half and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and chicken; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended, about 20 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the Dutch oven; shred, using two forks.
- Stir in chicken, heavy cream and lime juice until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately with crispy tortilla strips and desired toppings.
For the crispy tortilla strips
- Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Working in batches, add tortilla strips to the Dutch oven and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
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A definite winner, followed recipes as written and it was perfect.
I’m allergic to cumin, and my husband doesn’t like tomatoes, so I monkeyed around with the season a bit ( upped the oregano a little, subbed smoked paprika for the cumin, added a few shakes of garlic powder, onion powder and Tajin) and swapped out the tomatoes for half of a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
It was awesome! I have yet to be disappointed in any of Chungah’s recipes! Always so good!
Looks incredible, are nutrition facts calculated anywhere? I’ve been looking for this exact soup without beans-it’s perfect!
Thank you for the recipe, it is very useful for our family.
Sooooo good!! I substituted a can of fire roasted tomatoes and used an oven roasted rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods! I also fried my tortillas in the air fryer! 10/10 thank you!!
Made this a couple of days ago, it was very easy and very tasty! Would make and eat again.
This Tortilla soup is outstanding! It was easy to make and delicious with the chicken thighs.
Good soup, lots of flavor. The fried tortilla strips were a big hit.
You don’t mention tortilla strips in your ingredients nor instructions. However, the title is “Tortilla Soup”? Also, the top photo shows the strips.
Do you not put these in the soup at some point while cooking? Is the soup just poured into a bowl of fresh chips? (if so, please add that to your last sentence about serving immediately)
And…. soup is always something I make enough for 2 or 3 nights. Your “serve immediately” makes me wonder if that is wise with this recipe?
Uh Tortilla strips are mentioned in the ingredients and the directions. You might want to read it again.
Hi from South Africa. When do you add the tortilla chips? Is it spicy. My daughter refuses to eat anything burny. Can you substitute lemon juice for the lime juice? Love your recipes xxx
Tortilla soup without tortillas!?!?!??
Can you substitute rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken from the recipe?
Thank you.
Absolutely!
But where are the tortillas?
Look under “cilantro leaves” in the recipe for the tortilla strip recipe
It’s a chicken tortilla soup without tortillas?
It’s your prerogative if you don’t have to add them; however, they are listed in the ingredients and prep.
For the crispy tortilla strips
1 cup vegetable oil
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, sliced in half and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Working in batches, add tortilla strips to the Dutch oven and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
very good