Ya know what’s not fair? It’s not fair that chicken noodle soup gets crowned the ultimate soup comfort food. I completely disagree with this. Truth be told I don’t even like chicken noodle soup. I’m here to say I challenge chicken noodle soup with Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup.
I fully support Creamy Chicken Tortilla soup as the ultimate soup comfort food. And with homemade crispy flour tortilla strips on top this is comforting, hearty, and everything you want in a bowl of soup.
What’s so comforting about this chicken tortilla soup?
It’s stocked with black beans, corn, tomatoes, chicken stock, spices, tender rotisserie chicken then topped with homemade crispy tortilla strips, cheese and sour cream. I mean, that’s dinner in a bowl. Loaded with so many goodies and definitely not lacking in flavor.
This is called a soup, but it’s almost like an in the middle between a soup and a chowder.
It’s thicker than a straight broth soup but not as thick as something like my Creamy Mexican Corn Chowder.
The light cream and shreds of rotisserie chicken make this the perfect blend between a soup and a chowder! A meal in itself, this loaded chicken tortilla soup is packed with everything you need to feel and satisfied for lunch or dinner.
How to make homemade tortilla strips
Homemade tortilla strips are so easy to make and taste fresh and perfectly seasoned.
- Take 4 flour tortillas, the size for tacos not the size for burritos. You need flour tortillas not corn. Corn tortillas don’t get the crisp you need, and you’ll be able to get the extra crispiness with flour tortillas.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil with 1/8 teaspoon of each of these seasonings: salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
- Brush each of the 4 flour tortillas with the spiced oil mixture with a basting brush. Then, with a pizza cutter slice each tortilla into thin strips.
- Place under the broiler on high for 3-4 minutes, then remove and flip all the strips over, and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Important to note, the strength of the broiler can vary by oven! Always watch something very closely when it’s under the broiler since these can go from perfect to burnt very quickly. The cooking times above were perfect for my broiler which is located under the oven with the open flame.
When cooked, they should be dark brown (not burned) and snap when you break them in half.
Cooking tips
- This is called a creamy soup because of the addition of 1 cup of light cream. But this isn’t thick like a chowder. The soup is a bit thicker than a traditional broth-only soup, but definitely not thick and heavy like a bisque or chowder.
- Want the broth thicker? Add heavy cream, or increase the cornstarch in the slurry to help the broth get a bit sturdier.
- You can use cooked and shredded chicken breast if you want, but I love using rotisserie chicken since it makes it so easy…and faster!
- I use low-sodium broth here. If you’re using regular broth just taste the soup before adding the salt, you don’t want it to be overly salty!
- I like using flour tortilla for the homemade tortilla strips. You can use corn tortillas if you want, or skip entirely and just crush some of your favorite tortilla chips over top! If I’m not making the strips, I love using these corn tortilla chips instead.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and I like to eat within 3 days! The leftovers are just as good as the first day!
Want more recipes inspired by Mexican flavors and ingredients? Check out some of my favorites here on the blog!
Can’t decide between tacos or enchiladas? Combine the best of both worlds with these Enchilada Tacos!
Make your next taco night a bit different, try these Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes , Chicken Burrito Bowls, or Taco Meatballs.
Bring this Mexican Corn Pasta salad to your next cook out and be the hero of the party!
Got appetizers? Mexican Smashed Potatoes, Spicy Chicken Nuggets, Cream Cheese Salsa Dip
and Mexican Street Corn Fries would be a hit at any party!
If you made this recipe let me know in the comments!
PrintCreamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
A hearty soup that’s a blend between a soup and a chowder. Packed with black beans, corn, tomatoes and rotisserie chicken then topped with lime juice and cheese. This is comfort food in a bowl!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients
For the Homemade Tortilla Strips
4 flour tortillas, taco sized
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
For the Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 and 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 of of white or yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, grated
1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 15oz can black beans, drained
2 and 1/2 cups corn– you can use fresh, canned or frozen. If you use frozen you need to cook it first. If you use canned it needs to be drained first.
3 14.5oz cans of low sodium chicken broth or stock
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons corn starch mixed into 2 teaspoons water
1 cup light cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice, plus lime juice for garnishing
Sour cream and shredded Cheddar cheese or Queso Fresco for garnishing
Instructions
1. To make the tortilla strips, lay your tortillas out on a broiling pan, you may need to do these in batches. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil with 1/8 teaspoon of each of these seasonings: salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Brush each of the 4 flour tortillas with the spiced oil mixture with a basting brush. Then, with a pizza cutter slice each tortilla into thin strips. Place under the broiler on high for 3-4 minutes, then remove and flip all the strips over, and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes. Broiling time really depends on your oven, keep a close eye on these for when they are getting browned and crispy. Things can go from browned to burned very quickly under the broiler! Once done, remove from the broiler and carefully crumble into bite-sized pieces.
2. Pour the olive oil into a large pot and heat over medium heat, add the diced onion and garlic and cook for a minute, then pour in the corn and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally allowing the corn to get slightly browned.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, black beans, shredded chicken, corn starch and water mixture, light cream, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cilantro, lime juice, and oregano. Stir so everything is blended together then raise the heat to bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. To serve, ladle soup into a bowl and top with shredded Cheddar cheese, fresh squeezed lime juice, and the homemade tortilla strips. I mix sour cream with a little water and drizzle that on top as well!
An option serving method if you want to make this cheesy, pour soup into oven/broiler safe bowls, top with shredded pepper jack cheese ans broil several minutes until browned and bubbly.
Notes
After adding the spices and allowing to simmer, carefully taste and adjust spices to your liking.
I like the low sodium broth to cut down on the salt. If you use regular chicken broth you might need to cut down on the teaspoon of salt so the soup isn’t overly salty.
If you don’t make the homemade tortilla strips, you can crumble your favorite tortilla chips over top.
Keywords: creamy chicken tortilla soup
No you don’t have to drain the tomatoes. This soup isn’t supposed to be super thick and creamy like a chowder, so it does stay more “brothy”. The added cream just adds a little extra body to the broth. I would recommend trying with the light cream…and if you want it to be thicker you can try draining the tomatoes and adding a bit more cornstarch!