I'm a huge fan of soup and can eat it year-round. This one is perfect for cooler weather, especially when it simmers on the stovetop for a while. A lot of varieties of tortilla soup are more broth-based, but I prefer mine to be creamy. That's pretty much how this creamy tortilla soup recipe was born! I used to make a more complicated tortilla soup that involved charring and peeling poblano peppers, but that recipe was a bit too labor-intensive for me to make very often with my busy schedule. It also just had too many ingredients. This simpler recipe also didn't have any compromise in deliciousness vs the original!
Recipe Notes
This is a great recipe to use with leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie. I also like to make it with my Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken. Salsa chicken is great to have on hand in the freezer for for impromptu taco night or soups like this one.
I use vegetable stock in this recipe because I always have some in my freezer, too. Carrot, celery, and onion scraps are always accumulating in a bag in the freezer. Once I have enough, I make vegetable stock in the slow cooker. Carrot peelings, carrot tops, the rooty end of onions, and onion skins (things I'd normally be tossing in the compost!) are all good to save to make stock. Son Shine Kitchen has a good post about making homemade vegetable broth from kitchen scraps. You can also use chicken stock in this recipe, and store bought chicken or vegetable stock is also fine!
I make this in a large dutch oven on the stovetop, but you can also make it in a slow cooker. Follow the same process, but cook on low for an hour or two before adding the remaining ingredients in step 5. It might also take a bit longer for the soup to fully get hot again in step 2 if using a slow cooker rather than the stovetop.
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven or other large pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 jalapenos seeds removed, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cups vegetable stock also OK to use chicken stock
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes 28 oz can
- 1 can Ro-Tel or other brand tomatoes with diced green chiles
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 packet taco seasoning or 2 tablespoon homemade taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn
- 1 cup heavy cream
Toppings (as desired)
- shredded cheese Monterey jack or Mexican blend recommended
- sour cream
- tortilla strips
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat on the stovetop.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add onion and jalapenos to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to caramelize.1 medium onion, 2 jalapenos
- Add the canned tomatoes, Ro-Tel, vegetable stock, tomato paste, taco seasoning, smoked paprika, and salt. Stir to distribute ingredients.6 cups vegetable stock, 1 can petite diced tomatoes, 1 can Ro-Tel, 2 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 packet taco seasoning, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the heavy cream, black beans, corn, and chicken.1 can black beans, 1 can corn, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- Continue cooking on low until the soup is sufficiently hot after adding the additional ingredients. Stir occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings and salt as needed, and top each serving with desired toppings.
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