Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Printable)

Hearty soup with tender chicken, beans, corn, and creamy cheddar finish. Ready in 45 minutes or slow cooker.

# 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

→ 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 shredded cheddar cheese
19 - Sliced jalapeños

# Steps:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The melted cream cheese creates a silky richness that elevates this beyond standard tortilla soup, without any complicated techniques.
  • You can toss everything in the slow cooker before work and walk into a house filled with mouthwatering aromas eight hours later.
02 -
  • Adding the cream cheese when the soup is too hot can cause it to separate into unappetizing curds, so I always take the pot off the heat for about 2 minutes first.
  • The soup thickens considerably as it cools, so if you're reheating leftovers, keep extra broth on hand to restore the perfect consistency.
03 -
  • When using a slow cooker, placing the chicken breasts in whole rather than pre-shredded results in much more tender meat that pulls apart effortlessly before serving.
  • Reserve a quarter cup of the corn to add in the final five minutes of cooking for surprising pops of texture among the otherwise soft ingredients.
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