Chicken tortilla soup topped with sliced avocado and parsley in a brown bowl with a brown towel behind on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

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Make a warm and hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup with a tomato base, shredded chicken, and other delicious toppings with a hint of Tex-Mex flavor.

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In the colder months, I love to make a warm, hearty meal for dinner. When I saw our temperatures would be dipping into the lows 40s, I knew it was soup time. I started searching for ideas online and came across this recipe for chicken tortilla soup. I showed it to Justin and he agreed that it was a great weekend meal.

My only worry with the meal was the cajun seasoning. Anything remotely spicy doesn’t always agree with me. So, I cut that down and changed how it was used in the recipe which worked well.

I also don’t care for black beans on their own, but they were perfect in this recipe. The soup had the right ratio of broth to substance for me. Justin prefers his with a bit less broth, so he scooped out the meat of the soup for himself.

Bonus: the soup refrigerates and reheats really well. We both had some for lunch the following day and it tasted just the same as it did fresh. We just saved the toppings for after it was heated.

The original recipe suggests baking the chicken, but I prefer boiling it when it needs to be shredded. Justin usually hates when I boil chicken, but because of the way this soup comes together, he didn’t even notice!

Make sure you use a large stockpot for the soup. I had my largest pot and it was still a little difficult to stir at times.

For the toppings, we used:

  • Avocado slices
  • Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Sour Cream
  • Cilantro

Obviously, if you use some of the toppings, it won’t be a dairy-free soup. But since it is only a topping, you can omit those if needed.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion (chopped)
  • 1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 28 oz whole tomatoes (peeled)
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cup water
  • 19 oz black beans (drained and rinsed)

Preparation

Boil the chicken until it is cooked through, then shred. Meanwhile, prepare your vegetables by chopping the onion and pepper and mince the garlic.

Mise en place ingredients for chicken tortilla soup: Stainless steel bowls with whole tomatoes in sauce and tomato paste, glass measuring cups of black beans and chicken broth, round white plate with shredded chicken, and a bamboo cutting board with chopped yellow pepper, onions, and minced garlic all on a wooden surface

In a large stockpot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, pepper, and garlic. Sprinkle it with the cajun seasoning and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Chopped onions and yellow pepper sauteeing with minced garlic in a large stockpot on a wooden surface

Add the shredded chicken to the pot and stir.

Sauteed vegetables with shredded chicken in a large stockpot on a wooden surface

Place the whole tomatoes in the pot. Use the spoon to gently press them against the edges to squish. Or, you can use your hands to squeeze the tomatoes as you put them in the pot.

All soup ingredients added to a large stockpot on a wooden surface

Pour in the juice from the tomatoes (if you haven’t already), the chicken broth, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Chicken tortilla soup simmering in a large stockpot on a wooden surface

Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool for about 20 minutes. Prep the toppings while the soup cools. Serve warm with desired toppings.

Chicken tortilla soup topped with sliced avocado and parsley in a brown bowl with a brown towel behind on a wooden surface (vertical)

Recipe

Originally Published On: February 4, 2019

Last Updated On: July 31, 2023

Chicken tortilla soup topped with sliced avocado and parsley in a brown bowl with a brown towel behind on a wooden surface

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Make a warm and hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup with a tomato base, shredded chicken, and other delicious toppings with a hint of Tex-Mex flavor.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course:
Main Dish
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
chicken
|
soup
|
tomato
Servings: 6 cups
4.50 from 2 votes

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion (chopped)
  • 1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 28 oz whole tomatoes (peeled)
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cup water
  • 19 oz black beans (drained and rinsed)

Recommended Equipment

Instructions

  • Boil the chicken until it is cooked through, then shred
  • Meanwhile, prepare your vegetables by chopping the onion and pepper and mince the garlic
  • In a large stockpot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat
  • Add the onions, pepper, and garlic. Sprinkle it with the cajun seasoning and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent
  • Add the shredded chicken to the pot and stir
  • Place the whole tomatoes in the pot
  • Use the spoon to gently press them against the edges to squish (Or use your hands to squeeze the tomatoes as you put them in the pot)
  • Pour in the juice from the tomatoes (if you haven’t already), the chicken broth, tomato paste, water, and black beans
  • Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer
  • Cook uncovered for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
  • Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool for about 20 minutes
  • Prep the toppings while the soup cools
  • Serve warm with desired toppings
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Nutrition Facts
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 274 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Cholesterol 48mg16%
Sodium 740mg31%
Potassium 1178mg34%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 10g40%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 1285IU26%
Vitamin C 69.3mg84%
Calcium 66mg7%
Iron 3.2mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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32 thoughts on “Chicken Tortilla Soup (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)”

  1. GiGi Eats

    Warm and Hearty, this meal is every bit of that, that’s for sure! And while it’s definitely not as cold in Los Angeles as it is in other parts of the world right now… It’s still “cold” for us, so… I could see myself making this warm and hearty meal!

    Reply
  14. Fransic Verso

    4 stars
    The is topping is really nice, we have been looking for warm meals as well since its getting colder and we need to keep our bodies warm. This recipe we haven’t tried before which would be perfect to try it, thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  15. Neely Moldovan

    My husband is sitting next to me and just insisted we try whatever I was looking at becuase it looked incredible! I agree it looks so good!

    Reply

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