Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup {GF}

Published March 30, 2014. Updated August 21, 2019

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Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup. A hearty, warming and comforting soup made with juicy chicken, vegetables and loaded with delicious toppings. Best of all this soup is whipped up in around 30 minutes and couldn’t be easier!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup in a white bowl with a spoon

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Since it’s starting to warm up a little I decided I better get my last good soup days in. Don’t get me wrong, I still eat soup all summer long, not quite as frequently, but it is much more enjoyable on a cold snowy day or a cloudy rainy day than it is on a hot, sunny summer day.

I think of this soup as a hybrid of two southwestern soups that I love, this Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup and this Chicken Enchilada Soup. But, this one has something neither of those do – the creaminess. Aren’t creamy soups the best? Especially when they are smothered with a generous helping of cheese.

Ingredients – What You Need

  • Chicken Breasts
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Jalapeno
  • Chicken Broth
  • Diced Tomatoes
  • Chili Powder
  • Milk
  • Masa Harina
  • Black Beans
  • Pinto Beans
  • Corn
  • Heavy Cream
  • Sour Cream

An overhead shot of Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup in a bowl topped with avocado and lime wedges at the side

The Best Toppings To Choose

  • Cheese – cheddar, Monterey Jack or your favorite cheese
  • Avocado
  • Cilantro
  • Fresh Lime Juice
  • Tortilla Chips

I made this recipe to be practically a 30 minute meal. It is made all in one pot, no cooking chicken separately or making a roux in a separate pot. This is a soup that is perfect for a weeknight meal, and it’s one that your whole family can enjoy.

Top Tip –  If you don’t like heat, reduce the amount of jalapeño, and if you love heat leave the seeds.

A close up of Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup topped with avocado

You will love this filling and deliciously satisfying Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup! It’s loaded with a whole lot of goodness. Enjoy!

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4.86 from 21 votes

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (GF)

A hearty, warming and comforting soup made with tender chicken, fresh vegetables and loaded with delicious toppings. 
Servings: 6 servings
Prep15 minutes
Cook35 minutes
resting time5 minutes
Ready in: 50 minutes

Ingredients

For serving:

  • Shredded cheese (I used a blend of cheddar and monterey jack), sour cream, diced avocados, cilantro, lime wedges (optional), corn tortilla chips

Instructions

  • Heat canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and jalapeño and saute 3 minutes, adding garlic during last 30 seconds of sauteing.
  • Add chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, paprika and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken breasts and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover pot with lid and gently boil until chicken has cooked through, about 15 minutes.
  • Remove chicken and allow to rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add diced tomatoes with green chilies to pot. Then, in the 2-cup liquid measuring cup used to measure milk (or a bowl), whisk together milk and masa harina until well blended.
  • Pour mixture into pot and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture boils and thickens slightly (it won't thicken much). Dice chicken and add to pot, then add black beans, pinto beans and corn. Then stir in cream and sour cream and cook until heated through.
  • Serve warm topped with cheese, sour cream, avocados, cilantro, limes and tortilla chips.
  • *If chicken breasts are fairly thick, slices them horizontally through the thickness to create two portions. They will cook faster this way and be more tender as they'll cook more evenly.
  • **If looking to make this gluten free, be sure the masa harina you're using is labeled as gluten-free, same with the tortilla chips. Masa harina can be found in the Latin section of the grocery store.
  • Recipe Source: Cooking Classy
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (GF)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 521 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 105mg35%
Sodium 405mg18%
Potassium 1331mg38%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 12g50%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 37g74%
Vitamin A 760IU15%
Vitamin C 13.8mg17%
Calcium 196mg20%
Iron 4.7mg26%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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194 Comments

  • Claudia

    A great soup! I love this! I am a very picky eater so that is saying something. I don’t like onions or peppers so I used onion powder and I put all the seeds of a jalapeño pepper in the soup and not the pepper it self, to give it the kick! Everything else I followed and it turned out great! Everyone loved it.

  • Maureen Porcelli

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This is now a staple in our house! Whole family gave a thumbs up the first time I made it and now asks for it often!

  • Gail

    This is fantastic! We like the Costco chicken tortilla soup and were hoping to recreate it at home. This is even better and we know what all the ingredients are. We left out the heavy cream and used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. The masa is the secret for creamy consistency without all the fat.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      So glad you liked it Gail! I love when I can recreate a recipe at home. Thanks for your review!

  • Hannah Abaffy

    Totally agree with you guys on looking for reviews from people who have actually made the recipes! So much supportive yet unhelpful comments. Haha okay rant over. I made this recipe tonight and my boyfriend and I loved it! Delicious, easy and quick, all my favorite things! I loved the addition of a squeeze of fresh lime and the avocado. I added a small amount of spicy salsa on top of mine as well. Ahh delicious great recipe I am definitely making it again!

  • Kathy

    I made this except I cut back on the spices. I used about 1/2 of each of them with a little more of the cumin than the rest, and added some jalapeno powder. I also omitted the pinto beans and just used black beans and corn.
    It was a huge hit. We all loved it, even my very picky grandkids. .

  • Carol Reyes

    Very good soup, will be a keeper for us. I used Rotel diced tomatoes with cilantro and lime, it was what I had on hand. I used corn meal instead of masa and added extra can of beans (kidney, it was what I had in pantry). We sprinkled Mexican shredded cheese and tortilla strips on top.

  • Drew Miller

    Just made this on a snowy day. Incredible! This is my new favorite. Thanks so much!

  • Tina

    Wow – this was AWESOME! I followed it exactly and it was amazing (except for I did not add avocado or sour cream to individual bowls at the end). Per usual when making soups from scratch, I did have to add what some may consider to be a LOT of kosher salt to bring out the flavors, but that is to be expected. Adding the cheese, cilantro, and lime juice to individual bowls really took this over the top (I was especially pleasantly surprised by the lime juice). Instead of regular tortilla chips, I used the Fresh Gourmet Santa Fe Style Tortilla Strips. It tasted even better the 2nd day, and my husband kept repeating over and over again how delicious this soup was (and he is generally not repetitive with his comments). No need to search anyore for the perfect chicken tortilla soup recipe…this is it.