Chicken Tortilla Soup
The secret to this soup’s creamy texture is whisking softened cream cheese into the hot broth – it melts smoothly without clumping, creating a rich base in minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 (15-oz) can red enchilada sauce
- 1 (14.5-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
- 1 (16-oz) can chili beans in mild sauce, undrained
- 2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 4 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- Salt and pepper
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- ~2 2/3 cups freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- ~3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- Toppings, as desired (tortilla strips, sour cream, avocado, lime, cilantro)
Sauté the Aromatics and Build the Base
In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for ~3-5 minutes, until softened.
Add the garlic, enchilada sauce, undrained tomatoes, undrained chili beans, drained black beans, corn, and chicken stock. Stir in the paprika, cumin, and chili powder, along with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil.
Add the Cream Cheese and Cheddar
While the soup heats, microwave the cream cheese in a small bowl until it is very soft, ~1 minute.
Once the soup is boiling, briskly whisk in the softened cream cheese until the broth is completely smooth.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded Cheddar cheese a handful at a time, until it is fully melted.
Finish and Serve
Stir in the shredded chicken until it is heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately with your desired toppings.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 can red enchilada sauce 15-oz
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles 14.5-oz, undrained
- 1 can chili beans in mild sauce 16-oz, undrained
- 2 cans black beans 15-oz, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 4 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- Salt and pepper
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- ~2 2/3 cups freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- ~3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- Toppings tortilla strips, sour cream, avocado, lime, cilantro, as desired
Method
- Heat olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat.
- Sauté onion 3-5 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, all beans, corn, chicken stock, and seasonings.
- Bring to boil.
- Microwave cream cheese 1 minute until very soft.
- Whisk softened cream cheese into boiling soup until smooth.
- Remove from heat, stir in Cheddar gradually until melted.
- Add shredded chicken and heat through.
- Serve topped with tortilla strips, sour cream, avocado, lime and cilantro as desired.
