Save My sister texted me at 4 PM on a Tuesday asking if I could bring soup to dinner that night, and I had maybe forty minutes to pull it off. I remembered this tortilla soup from a potluck months earlier, the kind that tastes like it simmered all day but actually doesn't. That night, as the kitchen filled with cumin and the broth turned golden, I realized why people keep asking me for this recipe—it's the rare dish that feels homemade without demanding your whole evening.
I made this for my neighbor last winter when she was recovering from surgery, and watching her face light up when she tasted it told me everything I needed to know. She didn't want something precious or complicated—she wanted something that tasted like someone cared, and this soup does exactly that.
Ingredients
- Cooked chicken, shredded (2 cups): Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is your secret weapon here; it saves you cooking time and tastes better than you'd expect, plus it means you can make this soup on nights when you haven't planned ahead.
- Yellow onion, diced (1 medium): This is your flavor foundation, so don't skip the sautéing step—let it get soft and golden first.
- Garlic, minced (2 cloves): Just enough to whisper in the background without overpowering everything else.
- Corn, frozen or canned (1 cup): Frozen corn actually works beautifully here and requires no draining anxiety.
- Black beans, canned (1 can, 15 oz): Drain and rinse these to reduce the sodium and get a cleaner flavor.
- Rotel tomatoes (1 can, 10 oz): This is the ingredient that makes people ask what your secret is; the green chilies built right in do most of the heavy lifting.
- Chicken broth (4 cups): Low sodium gives you control over the final seasoning, which matters more than you'd think.
- Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup): Use the real stuff, not the pre-shredded version if you can; it melts into the soup more smoothly.
- Cream cheese, softened and cubed (4 oz): This is what makes the soup creamy without feeling heavy—it dissolves into the broth like magic.
- Ground cumin (1 tsp): Toast this with the spices to wake up its flavor.
- Chili powder (1 tsp): Adds warmth and a subtle depth that makes people wonder what they're tasting.
- Smoked paprika (1/2 tsp): The smoke is the detail that makes this taste like it came from somewhere with a story.
- Salt and black pepper (1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper): Start here and taste as you go; you'll likely add a pinch more at the end.
Instructions
- Sauté the foundation:
- Heat a splash of oil in your pot over medium heat and add the diced onion, letting it soften for 3-4 minutes until the edges start to turn golden. Add the garlic and stir for just 30 seconds—you want it fragrant but not browned, or it turns bitter and ruins the whole mood.
- Bloom the spices:
- Stir in the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, cooking for about a minute until the kitchen smells like a taco truck in the best possible way. This step matters because it wakes up the spices and distributes them evenly through the oil.
- Build the soup:
- Add the corn, black beans, Rotel tomatoes (juice and all), chicken broth, and shredded chicken, stirring gently to combine. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes while you take a breath and maybe pour yourself a drink.
- Make it creamy:
- Drop in the cream cheese cubes and stir constantly until they disappear into the broth—this is when the soup transforms from good to the kind people remember. Once that's smooth, add the cheddar cheese in handfuls, stirring between each addition until you have that silky, cohesive texture.
- Taste and adjust:
- Taste a spoonful and decide if it needs more salt or a crack of pepper; this is your chance to make it exactly right for your palate.
- Serve and celebrate:
- Ladle into bowls and let everyone build their own masterpiece with tortilla strips, cilantro, lime, extra cheese, or jalapeños—the toppings are where people get creative.
Save My daughter asked me why I don't make this soup every single week, and I realized it's because once you feed someone something this good, they start requesting it like it's their job. Now it's become our thing—the soup she asks for when she's had a bad day, when friends come over, when we want something that feels like home.
Slow Cooker Magic
If you're the type of person who likes to dump everything in the morning and come home to dinner, this soup adapts beautifully to a slow cooker. Throw in the onion, garlic, spices, corn, beans, Rotel, broth, and chicken all together, cover it, and let it go on low for 4 hours (or high for 2 hours if you're in a hurry). During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in your cream cheese and cheddar, and you'll have the same silky, satisfying result with zero active cooking time.
Storage and Leftovers
This soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container, and it actually tastes better the next day when the flavors have had time to get comfortable with each other. When you reheat it, do it gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, because high heat and leftovers don't always play nicely together with the cheese.
Make It Your Own
The beauty of this soup is that it welcomes your creativity without falling apart. Swap the cheddar for Monterey Jack if that's what you have, use a Mexican cheese blend if you want extra flavor, or throw in some smoked chicken if you're feeling fancy. If you want it spicier, jalapeños are your friend—fresh ones added at the end or stirred in during cooking, depending on how adventurous you're feeling.
- For vegetarians, replace the chicken with extra beans and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and you won't miss a thing.
- If anyone at your table needs gluten-free, use certified GF broth and skip the tortilla chip garnish, or use GF chips instead.
- Double the recipe and freeze half if you want the luxury of having homemade soup waiting in your freezer for next week's chaos.
Save This soup has become my answer to so many moments—when someone needs comfort, when I need dinner to happen, when I want to feel like I've done something kind. That's the real recipe.
Recipe Questions & Answers
- → Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Absolutely. This soup actually tastes better the next day as flavors have time to meld together. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat gently on the stovetop.
- → What's the best way to shred chicken for this soup?
A rotisserie chicken works perfectly for convenience. Simply remove the skin, pull the meat from the bone, and shred it with two forks or your fingers. You can also poach chicken breasts in broth until cooked through, then shred.
- → Can I freeze this tortilla soup?
Yes, but leave out the cream cheese and cheddar before freezing. The dairy can separate when frozen and reheated. Freeze the cooled soup in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months, then stir in fresh cheeses when reheating.
- → How can I make this soup vegetarian?
Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and replace the shredded chicken with extra black beans, pinto beans, or plant-based chicken alternatives. The spices and creamy elements will still deliver plenty of satisfying Tex-Mex flavor.
- → What toppings work best with this soup?
Crunchy tortilla strips or crushed chips are essential for texture. Fresh cilantro, lime wedges, extra shredded cheese, sliced jalapeños, and avocado slices all complement the flavors beautifully. A dollop of sour cream adds even more richness.
- → Is this soup spicy?
The Rotel tomatoes provide mild heat from green chilies, but the overall spice level is moderate and family-friendly. For more heat, add cayenne pepper, diced jalapeños, or use hot Rotel instead of regular.