Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Printable Version)

Hearty soup with tender chicken, beans, corn, and creamy cheddar finish

# What You'll 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) diced 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
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 3-4 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, tomatoes with chilies, 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, and jalapeños as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes on the stovetop or practically cooks itself in the slow cooker while you handle actual life.
  • The cheddar and cream cheese create this velvety richness that makes even canned ingredients taste intentional.
  • Rotel tomatoes do the heavy lifting for flavor, so you don't need to fuss with fresh tomatoes or complicated layering.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans; I learned this the hard way when my soup turned cloudy and tasted like metal instead of intentional seasoning.
  • If you're using a slow cooker, add the cheeses during the last 30 minutes of cooking, not at the beginning—they'll break or separate if they cook too long.
  • Taste before serving because every broth brand salts differently, and you might need half a teaspoon more or less depending on what you grabbed.
03 -
  • Buy a rotisserie chicken and you've already won half the battle—shredding takes two minutes, and it tastes better than deli chicken.
  • Soften your cream cheese by leaving it on the counter for 20 minutes instead of adding cold cubes, because those cubes turn into pockets instead of melting smoothly.
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