Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Printer View)

Hearty soup with tender chicken, black beans, corn, and creamy cheddar finish. Ready in 45 minutes.

# 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) Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, drained

→ 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 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
14 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnishes

15 - Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
16 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - Lime wedges
18 - Extra cheddar cheese
19 - Sliced jalapeños

# Method:

01 - Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
02 - Add cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add corn, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, chicken broth, and shredded chicken. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
04 - Stir in cream cheese cubes until completely melted and incorporated.
05 - Add shredded cheddar cheese and stir until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, cilantro, lime wedges, extra cheese, or jalapeños as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour on the stovetop, or you can throw everything in a slow cooker and forget about it until dinner.
  • The creamy cheddar and cream cheese base makes it feel indulgent without being heavy or fussy.
  • Rotel tomatoes do half the seasoning work, so there's no complicated spice balancing required.
  • Leftover rotisserie chicken means you're really just sautéing onions and stirring in ingredients.
02 -
  • Don't let the cream cheese sit in the hot soup without stirring, or it'll clump up in unfortunate little pockets instead of melting smoothly into the broth.
  • If you're using a slow cooker, wait until the last 30 minutes to add the cheeses or they can separate and get grainy from the long, gentle heat.
  • Rotel tomatoes vary slightly in spice level by region, so taste as you go and don't assume you need more cayenne or jalapeños until you've actually tasted the final product.
03 -
  • Buy pre-shredded rotisserie chicken from the deli counter to cut your actual hands-on time down to barely 15 minutes of active cooking.
  • Keep your cheddar cold until the last moment so it melts smoothly without becoming stringy or separating in the hot broth.
  • A squeeze of fresh lime juice right before eating brightens everything and prevents the soup from tasting one-note, even on your third bowl.
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