Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Name: Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 medium onion (chopped); 1 (28 fluid ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 1 (10 fluid ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies (with juices); 1 cup chicken broth; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 tablespoon chili powder; 1 (12 fluid ounce) can corn (drained); 1 (14 fluid ounce) can black beans (drained & rinsed); 1 cup heavy/whipping cream; 2 cups cooked chicken ((I used a rotisserie chicken)); Salt & pepper (to taste); Toppings (optional, to taste): tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, Tex-Mex cheese, etc.

Published: Mar 28, 2021 / Updated: Apr 16, 2021 / 30 Comments

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This creamy chicken tortilla soup recipe is flavorful, comforting, and comes together fast. It's ready in about 30 minutes!

You may also like my Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup, this Mexican Chicken Soup, or my Creamy Chicken Taco Soup.

This Mexican-inspired chicken tortilla soup is a bit different than the traditional/typical version. I wanted to make a creamy broth that has a bit of thickness to it, so I used crushed tomatoes instead of the more commonly used diced tomatoes.

Heavy cream tones down the acidity of the tomatoes, and smoked paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder perfectly flavor the broth. Rotisserie chicken (or use any leftover cooked chicken) is stirred in right at the end to keep it from getting overcooked and drying out. Quick and simple!

How to make creamy chicken tortilla soup (summary):

Sauté the onion in a soup pot until it's lightly browned, then add in the crushed tomatoes, Rotel diced tomatoes, and chicken broth, followed by the spices, corn, and black beans. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Use this time to prep the toppings. Stir in the chicken and cream and let it heat through for a few minutes. Season generously with salt & pepper, and serve each bowl with toppings as desired.

Recipe notes & tips:

Substitutions:
- The crushed tomatoes give this soup a bit of thickness/body, so I don't recommend subbing them for something else.
- I also don't recommend swapping the cream for a lower fat alternative because it's likely to curdle from the acidity of the tomatoes. You could try coconut milk for a dairy-free option, but it'll alter the taste of the soup a bit.
- If you don't have Rotel diced tomatoes or don't want some pieces of tomato in the soup, you can leave it out and include a 4 ounce can of diced green chilies instead (the green chilies really enhance the flavor of this soup).
This soup isn't particularly spicy as written, even if you use Original Rotel. If you want to make this soup spicy, stir in 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, or add in a chopped up chipotle chili and a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicy/smoky flavor.