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.
In the colder months, I love to make a warm, hearty meal for dinner. When I saw our temperatures would be dipping into the low 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. For me, the soup had the right ratio of broth to substance. Justin prefers his soup 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 it 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.
Topping Suggestions
- Avocado slices
- Cheddar cheese, shredded
- Sour Cream
- Fresh Cilantro
- Strips of corn tortillas
- Lime wedges
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.
Serving Suggestions & Tips
- Serve with a side of tortilla chips and salsa.
- Instead of boiling boneless skinless chicken breasts, you can use shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken.
- Add a more intense flavor by mixing in some chili powder, green chilies, taco seasoning, poblano pepper, hot sauce, sweet corn, jalapeno peppers, cayenne pepper, or red onion.
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)
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 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.
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, you can 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.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Leftovers
Storage: Let the soup cool to room temperature then place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Store the toppings, such as cheese, sour cream, avocado, and green onions in separate containers from the soup.
Reheating: The best way to reheat the soup is in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
Recipe
Originally Published On: February 4, 2019
Last Updated On: March 14, 2025
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion (chopped)
- 1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 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
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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- One-Pot Potato and Cream Cheese Soup
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- Red Lentil Soup
- The Best Bread for Soup: A Cozy Pairing for Every Bowl
- Zesty Chicken Tortellini Soup
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- Lazy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
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- Lasagna Soup
- Ratatouille Soup
- Creamy Artichoke Soup
- Pasta Fagioli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
- 15 Bean Ham Bone Soup
- Green Chicken Soup
- Roasted Tomato and Cheddar Soup
- Leftover Turkey Tortellini Soup
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- Easy One Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)
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- Kreacher’s French Onion Soup
- Easy Slow-Cooker Potato and Cheddar Soup
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- Minestrone Soup: The Perfect Warm Vegetarian Soup
- Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
- Tomato Soup (Vegan and Dairy-Free)
- Cheesy Broccoli Soup with Ramen Noodles
Tex-Mex Recipes
- Chili Nacho Dip
- Bean and Cheese Tostadas
- Taco Pizza
- 5 Layer Bean Dip
- Frito Pies or Walking Tacos
- Taco Tostadas
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Pico de Gallo Recipe
- Tex-Mex Queso Recipe without Velveeta
- Pork Carnitas
- Southwestern Salad with an Avocado Dressing
- Taco-Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Homemade Queso with Real Cheese
- Chicken Enchilada Skillet
- Two Minute Salsa
- Sheet Pan Nachos
- Chicken Flautas with Buttermilk-Avocado Sauce
- Taco-Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- How to Create an Allergy-Friendly Taco Bar
- Chicken Enchilada Suizas Skillet Dinner
- Chipotle Chicken Tacos
- Halloween Quesadillas
- Tortilla-Crusted Chicken
- Taco Dip
- Chicken Tortilla Soup (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)
- Beefy Nacho Cheese Dip in the Slow Cooker
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!
I totally understand! I’m in Houston, so we don’t often get the freezing temperatures or snow or anything crazy. But it’s 60 right now and that’s “cold” to me!
Mmm now you are speaking my language. I love anything like this and I would probably up the cajun spice.
You could easily add more spice. My husband would love more, but it just doesn’t always agree with me.
I love this soup! I have never made it home though. something I need to change, looks and sounds so good!
I had never had anything like it so had no expectations, but it was delicious! And not hard to make, either.
Ohhh this sounds so good! I love a good tortilla soup recipe!
I had never had one before, but was surprised at how yummy it was! Now that I know, I’ll have to try others when I get a chance.
This soup looks so good. I like that you pair it with avocado which I have never done and you bet I am going to try it.
I am slowly adding more avocado to things since they are so healthy. I don’t like them plain but can eat them in something like this or on a taco or similar meals.
Wow! this is mouth-watering and delicious. I would love to try out the recipe.
You should try to make it! It takes a while to cook, but there isn’t a lot of prep work for this recipe.
I love to eat a lot of soup in these cold seasons. This looks really warm and delicious.
It was the perfect mixture of warm for the cold weather and still reminded me of summer days with the avocado and toppings.
I love a good chicken tortilla soup recipe. Such a perfect winter comfort food that makes me think of warmer places south of the border!
It really is a wonderful combination of warm soup with reminders of warmer summer days. I think that’s why I liked it so much and am ready to make more already!
This soup looks delicious. I have never tried making something like this, so I am going to give this recipe a try.
I hadn’t before either, so wasn’t sure what to expect but I was blown away by how good the soup was!
Oh my goodness! I love the uniqueness of this soup. I will give this a try. Thanks for letting us know!
The tortilla soup was definitely something different for me. I had never had anything like it, but will be making it again for sure!
This looks so so good! Especially with the cheese and sour cream on top!
Definitely needed the cheese and sour cream for me! But, I like that it has the option so it’s good for vegan or dairy-free as well.
This sounds delicious. I might give it a try with our leftover turkey from Thanksgiving this week. Thanks for the idea.
Oh I bet that would work really well, too! I didn’t think about that but it’s a great idea.
I would love to make this soup and I will for sure! I love soups, especially during winter. Great recipe.
Soups are so perfect in the winter! This was a great way to mix that summer feel of the TexMex flavors with a warm winter meal.
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.
Thanks! I love having meals that warm you from the inside when it’s so cold outside.
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!
Hah, my husband often does the same thing! It’s how we end up trying new foods, too.
I so love chicken soup but never thought of making it this way! I must try your recipe soon, hubby will surely love it 😍🤗
This is a delicious way to make chicken into a soup. It’s different than regular chicken noodle so great for variation in meals.