Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Printable Version)

Hearty, creamy soup with chicken, beans, corn, and cheese.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 cup frozen or canned corn, drained
05 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
06 - 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, diced

→ Liquids

07 - 4 cups low sodium chicken broth

→ Dairy

08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
09 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed

→ Spices and Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
11 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
12 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnishes

15 - Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
16 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - Lime wedges
18 - Extra cheddar cheese
19 - Sliced jalapeños

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté 3-4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
02 - Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add corn, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, chicken broth, and shredded chicken. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
04 - Stir in cream cheese cubes until melted and fully incorporated.
05 - Add shredded cheddar cheese, stirring until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, cilantro, lime, extra cheese, or jalapeños as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of cream cheese and cheddar creates this velvety texture that coats your spoon perfectly - its like a warm hug in soup form.
  • You can toss everything in a slow cooker before work and walk into a house smelling like a cozy Tex-Mex restaurant without any effort.
02 -
  • Adding the cheese too early or over too high heat can cause it to separate and create an unpleasant texture - patience is key here.
  • The soup actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had time to deepen and marry overnight in the refrigerator.
03 -
  • The quickest route to deeper flavor is sautéing the onions until they start to caramelize slightly before adding the garlic and spices.
  • Reserve a little shredded cheese to stir into individual serving bowls rather than adding it all to the pot - this creates delightful pockets of melty cheese throughout each spoonful.
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