Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Printable)

Creamy, hearty Tex-Mex style soup with tender chicken, beans, corn, and melted cheddar. Quick stovetop or slow cooker friendly.

# 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

→ 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 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
14 - 1/4 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

# How to make it:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
02 - Add corn, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, chicken broth, and shredded chicken to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
03 - Stir in cream cheese cubes, stirring constantly until fully melted and incorporated throughout the soup.
04 - Add shredded cheddar cheese, stirring until the soup reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
05 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, additional cheddar cheese, or sliced jalapeños according to preference.

# Recipe Expert Tips:

01 -
  • This soup comes together faster than you'd expect, perfect for those nights when you need comfort food but also need your life back.
  • The combination of Rotel and cream cheese creates a flavor that tastes fancier than the minimal effort actually requires.
  • It's endlessly customizable, so everyone at the table gets to build their own bowl exactly how they want it.
02 -
  • If you add the cream cheese when the soup is boiling, it can break or get grainy; keep the heat at a gentle simmer when you're doing the creamy part.
  • Using block cheddar that you shred yourself melts infinitely better than the pre-shredded stuff, which contains anti-caking agents that sometimes create a weird texture.
  • Taste the soup before you serve it—the seasoning should surprise you, not disappoint you, and it's impossible to know if it needs adjusting unless you actually taste it.
03 -
  • Buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store instead of cooking your own—it saves time and tastes genuinely great, which is the whole point of easy weeknight cooking.
  • Keep the heat moderate when you're adding cheese; gentle warmth melts it into silky perfection, while too much heat can make it break or separate.
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