Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Printable)

Rich Tex-Mex soup with salsa verde, shredded chicken, peppers, cream cheese, avocado and crispy tortilla chips.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 1 pound)
02 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
06 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Soup Base

08 - 1.5 cups salsa verde
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Creamy Elements

13 - 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed and softened
14 - 0.5 cup heavy cream

→ Toppings

15 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
16 - 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
18 - 1 lime, cut into wedges

# How to make it:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, poblano, and jalapeño. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
02 - Add minced garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in chicken broth and salsa verde. Stir in cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
04 - Add chicken breasts to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 to 18 minutes until chicken is fully cooked through.
05 - Remove chicken breasts from the pot and shred using two forks. Return shredded chicken to the broth.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese, stirring constantly until melted and fully incorporated into the soup.
07 - Stir in heavy cream and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.

# Recipe Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 45 minutes, so weeknight dinners suddenly feel restaurant-quality without the stress.
  • The cream cheese melts into the broth so smoothly that it feels indulgent but tastes clean and bright, not heavy.
  • Every topping adds something—creamy avocado, salty crunch, herbaceous cilantro—so each spoonful surprises you.
02 -
  • Don't skip softening the cream cheese beforehand—cold cream cheese chunks will seize up in the hot broth instead of melting, and no amount of stirring fixes it once that happens.
  • If you're using fresh jalapeños and you want heat, the seeds and white ribs inside hold all the capsaicin, so keep them in for serious kick or remove them completely for mild.
  • Add the toppings just before eating, not before—the tortilla chips will soften into mush if they sit in hot soup, but that crunch matters for the whole experience.
03 -
  • Keep the heat low once the cream cheese goes in—high heat can cause it to break or separate, and you'll end up with grainy texture instead of silky broth.
  • Taste constantly as you season, because salsa verde brands vary wildly in saltiness, and you don't want to over-salt and ruin something that was perfect.
  • Make extra and freeze it in portions without the toppings—the broth keeps beautifully for a month, and you've basically created weeknight relief in advance.
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