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Creamy chicken tortilla soup served in a white bowl topped with crispy tortilla strips, fresh avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese, showing tender chicken and vegetables in tomato broth.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Creamy, flavorful chicken tortilla soup made with rotisserie chicken, black beans, corn, and a rich tomato base. One-pot meal ready in just 30 minutes with customizable toppings.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 portions
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Calories: 250

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 0.5 medium Yellow Onion, chopped
  • 1 can (28 oz) Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, undrained Or substitute 1 can diced tomatoes plus 1/2 can diced green chilies
  • 1 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 0.5 tbsp Chili Powder
  • 1 can (12 oz) Corn, drained Frozen or canned
  • 1 can (14 oz) Black Beans, rinsed and drained Rinsing thoroughly removes excess starch
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 cups Cooked Chicken, shredded or chopped About 1 rotisserie chicken
  • to taste Salt and Pepper

Equipment

  • Large Soup Pot (6-8 quart capacity)
  • Wooden spoon
  • Ladle for Serving
  • Cutting board
  • Chef's knife

Method
 

  1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and translucent.
  2. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes with their juices, and chicken broth. Add the garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, corn, and black beans. Stir well to combine, then increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, which should take about 3-5 minutes.
  3. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Let the soup simmer gently for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and deepen.
  4. While the soup simmers, prepare your toppings: slice the avocado, portion out the sour cream, shred the cheese if needed, and set aside the tortilla strips.
  5. Stir the heavy cream and shredded chicken into the soup, reducing the heat to low and never allowing the mixture to boil, which would cause the cream to separate. Let it warm through for 3-5 minutes until the chicken is heated through and the soup reaches a creamy consistency.
  6. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Serve immediately while hot.

Notes

Always add heavy cream at the end over low heat to prevent curdling. Drain and rinse black beans thoroughly to remove excess starch and prevent a muddy-looking soup. Add rotisserie chicken in the last few minutes of cooking to keep it tender. If cream appears curdled when adding, reduce heat to lowest setting and stir constantly while slowly drizzling in the cream. Prepare soup base (all ingredients except cream and chicken) up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate, then reheat, add cream and chicken, and serve with fresh toppings. Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months without cream added.