Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Why This Recipe Works

Simple Yet Flavorful: Making this homemade creamy chicken tortilla soup is super simple and results in the most flavorful soup! You can have this boldly flavored soup on the table in just under one hour! And one of the best parts about chicken tortilla soup are all the delicious toppings like tortilla strips, sharp cheddar cheese, and creamy avocado!

Creamy Goodness: What makes this chicken tortilla soup recipe extra special is just how creamy it is. The cream cheese added towards the end of the cooking process will melt into the broth, creating a silky smooth, creamy broth! It rounds out the bold flavors of the spices and enchilada sauce perfectly!

Ingredients

• Onion & Garlic: The flavor will really start building here with some diced onion and garlic!
• Spices: Add cumin and chili powder for a bold flavor.
• Enchilada Sauce: I like to use red enchilada sauce here! You can make a homemade enchilada sauce, or buy a can!
• Fire Roasted Tomatoes: Diced and canned fire roasted tomatoes add an extra smoky flavor!
• Black Beans: Canned, drained black beans add extra heartiness. You can omit them if you don’t like beans! Or feel free to add pinto beans instead.
• Corn: Canned, fresh or frozen corn all work well here.
• Chicken: Add 2-3 raw chicken breasts to be cooked directly in the soup! You can also use chicken thighs, but I would use at least 4 chicken thighs.
• Broth: I used low sodium chicken broth! If you use regular, be careful when you add additional salt.
• Cream Cheese: Cream cheese will make this chicken tortilla soup nice and creamy! Give it time to dissolve fully into the soup.
• Salt: To taste!
• Lime Juice: Also to taste. Some people like it tangier than others!
• Toppings: You can top it with all your favorite toppings. I personally like avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips and shredded cheese!

Here’s How to Make It

Step by Step Instructions

1. Sauté Onion: Heat the oil in a large pot of saucepan and set over a medium high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until soft and just starting to color. This should take about 8-10 minutes. (photo 1)
2. Add Garlic & Spices: Stir in the crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Stir in the spices, and cook for a minute more. (photos 2-3)
3. Add Additional Ingredients: Next, stir in the enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans and the corn. (photos 4-6)
4. Then add the chicken breasts and the chicken broth. Raise the heat to high, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Season well with salt, then allow it to simmer for 20 minutes, of until the chicken breasts are cooked through. (photos 7-9)
5. Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken from the soup and shred with a pair of forks. Return it to the pot, along with the cream cheese. Simmer for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cream cheese has dissolved into the soup. (photos 10-11)
6. Season & Serve: Season to taste with salt and lime juice before serving with your choice of toppings! (photo 12)

Expert Tips

• For ease, you can substitute the chicken for about 2 cups of leftover or rotisserie chicken instead! Just be sure to add the pre-cooked chicken towards the end of the cooking process so that it can get warmed through but doesn’t get overcooked!
• The cream cheese will melt more seamlessly into the soup if it has been softened to room temperature! If you don’t have cream cheese on hand, you can also add heavy cream. It won’t be as tangy but you will still get a nice creaminess added to the soup. Start with about 1/3 cup of heavy cream and add more if desired.
• This best creamy chicken tortilla soup recipe is versatile and can be adjusted to your personal taste. Add more veggies like bell pepper or zucchini! If you like it spicy, add in diced jalapeño or a dash of cayenne pepper!