This easy Chicken Tortilla Soup is my go-to easy weeknight meal – we have it for dinner nearly every week. It’s an easy recipe to prepare and a great way to use up leftover chicken and veggies in your fridge.
My whole family, even the kids love this soup, too. They get a kick out of eating the cheese off the plate faster than I can shred it. And who doesn’t love a topping bar? For the ultimate in creamy deliciousness, you’ll want to be sure to have cilantro, avocado, and pepper-jack cheese for toppings. The extra spice in this hearty soup is also great for clearing up the sinuses and soothing a scratchy throat!
I like to use leftover chicken to speed along dinner preparations – roasted chicken or grilled works great – simply cut it into bite-size pieces and toss it into the soup during the last 10-minutes of cooking to heat it through. I also use homemade chicken stock to help make this a low-sodium chicken broth recipe. And if I’m lucky enough to have jars of home-canned tomatoes in the pantry, those go in the pot, too!
I hope you love this recipe as much as our family does! For a similar crockpot version, try our slow cooker chicken tortilla soup: creamy chicken tortilla soup – a tad different with corn and black beans, but man, it’s good, too.
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🍲 Ingredients:
- Olive oil – to sear the vegetables, non-stick spray oil works if you’re looking to cut calories. Avocado oil is also a great choice.
- Vegetables – yellow onion, potato, zucchini, carrots, red bell pepper
- Garlic – fresh minced
- Chicken broth – for the delicious broth flavors
- Diced tomatoes – 1 can (14.5 oz.) juice included
- Spices and herbs – dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt/pepper
- Chicken – Rotisserie Chicken or Grilled Chicken
- Avocado – adds a healthy fat and some richness to the dish, we serve it sliced or in chunks on top of the soup, you don’t want cooked avocado.
- Tortilla chips – adds an extra crunch in each bite
- Shredded cheese – my favorite is pepper jack cheese for added spice, but my kids prefer cheddar jack or a mexican cheese blend
- Fresh cilantro – washed and chopped, used to garnish the soup when serving
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable full recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can use fresh tomatoes if you have them. Include all parts and all juice from them. Or fire-roasted tomatoes (in the can with juices) or crushed tomatoes. A can of Rotel (tomatoes with green chiles) also works wonderfully, but does add spice.
- You can choose other veggies you have on hand instead. We have tried mushrooms, yellow squash, sweet corn, green chilies, jalapeno peppers, and all are delicious.
- I love crushed red pepper or chili powder in the soup to give it some spice – if the kids are eating the soup, I tone it down some – the longer you simmer, the more heat the soup picks up from the spice.
- Top the soup with pepper-jack cheese for the ultimate kick in flavor and heat! You can use any kind of cheese though if extra spice isn’t your thing – jack cheese is great, mozzarella, even cheddar if that’s what you have available!
- For a heartier soup, I like to throw in a potato and top with tortilla chips. If you are sticking to a grain-free or low carb diet, skip those additions and load in extra avocado and cheese!
- Try adding a splash of heavy cream or half-n-half to thicken the broth.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Heat olive oil in a large pot on the stove top over medium-high heat.
Step 1: Add onions and sauté, about 5 minutes. When onions are translucent, add garlic and sauté 1 min. longer.
Step 2: Add tomatoes, potato, bell pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, cooked chicken (shredded chicken or diced chicken), and salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients and cook for 2-3 minutes. You’re basically adding everything except for the zucchini, the broth, and the garnish at this point.
Pro Tip – Precook your chicken so it goes into the pot fully cooked already. To keep this a one pot meal, precook your chicken in the same pot. Once cooked, remove the chicken and begin with Step 1. If you are using a rotisserie chicken, since it’s already cooked, just add it into the pot with the other veggies in Step 2.
Step 3: Add the broth and simmer over low to medium heat for 20 minutes. The soup is done cooking when the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
Step 4: Lastly, add the zucchini. Cook just a few minutes longer until the squash is just tender. Simmering the zucchini for the full cook time will result in soggy pieces. I like them just cooked through.
Step 5: Ladle soup into bowls.
Step 6: Top with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, crispy tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, and even a dollop of sour cream. Serve immediately.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve you delicious bowl of soup with any toppings you enjoy. We love it with cilantro, avocado, and crunchy tortilla strips.
Recipe Tips for Grilled Chicken Tortilla Soup:
- Chips can alternately be served on the side to avoid becoming soggy in the broth.
- I prefer to add the zucchini at the end of the cooking so it does not get soggy. If you happen to use yellow squash also, I’d add that in towards the end as well.
Recipe FAQs
We have tried all different types of chicken for this and ALL turn out delicious. We’ve tried rotisserie chicken and grilled chicken breasts or tender chicken thighs.
This can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat simply place into a pot on the stove and warm to desired temperature.
This soup freezes well in an air-tight container or in vacuumed sealed bags. Just make sure to omit the fresh toppings.
To defrost, simply place in the refrigerator overnight and when ready to cook, place in a pan on the stove. Once warm, add your desired toppings.
If you tried this homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, juice included
- 1 large potato peeled and cubed
- 1 zucchini peeled, and sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked chicken cut into bite-size pieces (2 chicken breasts)
- 1 avocado
- 5 tortilla chips
- 4 oz. shredded pepper-jack cheese or cheese of choice
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro washed and chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat.
- Add onions and saute, about 5 minutes.
- When onions are translucent, add garlic and saute 1 min. longer.
- Add broth, tomatoes, potato, zucchini, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.
- Simmer over med-low heat for 20 minutes. Add chicken and heat 5-10 minutes longer.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Top with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, tortilla chips, and fresh cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
- Chips can alternately be served on the side to avoid becoming soggy in the broth.
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Notes
- You can use fresh tomatoes if you have them. Include all parts and all juices from them.
- You can choose other veggies you have on hand instead.
- I love crushed red pepper in the soup to give it some spice – if the kids are eating the soup, I tone it down some – the longer you simmer, the more heat the soup picks up from the spice.
- Top the soup with pepper-jack cheese for the ultimate kick in flavor and heat! You can use any kind of cheese though if extra spice isn’t your thing – jack cheese is great, mozzarella, even cheddar if that’s what you have available!
- For a heartier soup, I like to throw in a potato and top with tortilla chips. If you are sticking to a grain-free or low carb diet, skip those additions and load in extra avocado and cheese!
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Charity says
Mmm… pepper-jack is my favorite cheese. This looks really tasty!
On the subject of cheese… I use a Presto Professional Salad Shooter for shredding it since my family can go through 2 pounds in one week. It’s not super cheap but it can be used for a lot more than cheese. Though if I’m being honest that’s about all I use mine for. 😉 I’ve had mine for 4.5 years, but my mom had one for as far back as I can remember that still works. =)