Chicken soup is the ultimate pick-me-up, but why limit yourself to boring old chicken noodles when you could have a soup that sizzles!? This white chicken tortilla soup is the updated classic you have been waiting for and so easy to make!
What is White Chicken Tortilla Soup?
Corn is life! It’s a wonderfully versatile and delicious plant that many cuisines celebrate, but no one country has mastered corn quite like Mexico!
Many delicious traditional Mexican dishes use corn in creative and unexpected ways to make truly unforgettable cuisine and that is where this tasty soup gets its roots.
White Chicken Tortilla Soup plays with corn in three different ways to make a garden-fresh chicken soup that satisfies your hunger for spice and fresh flavor!
Why You’ll Love White Chicken Tortilla Soup
Just Hot Enough – This soup has just enough spicy heat from the seasonings and peppers to bring a nice kick to your bowl, but not so much that little ones will shy away from it!
Perfect Starter – This soup makes the perfect appetizer for so many dishes. Serve it before a grilled snapper or tacos for the perfect Mexican-inspired meal.
Light yet Satisfying – This is a lighter take on tortilla soup that still delivers filling flavors yet pairs perfectly with heavier dishes.
How to Make White Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Preparation Time – The preparation for this soup takes about 20 minutes maximum.
- Total Time to Make – With preparation and cooking time accounted for, this recipe takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to make.
- Total Servings – This fresh soup recipe makes 6 servings of 1 cup each.
- Dress it Up – This soup is so fun to serve; you can dress it up or down to make it for a nice dinner or a cozy night in.
- Fresh is Best – When shopping for this dish, fresh is best. Choose fresh over frozen veggies, chicken, and tortillas for the most authentic garden-fresh flavor!
Ingredients for White Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Chicken Breasts – Choose fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- Taco Seasoning – You can find shakers of this handy seasoning in the spice aisle or mix one up from scratch!
- Olive Oil – Oil is used as the cooking fat in this recipe.
- Red Onion – Red onion has the perfect slow simmering, peppery onion flavor for this dish.
- Green Bell Pepper – Green pepper helps build the flavor in this slow simmering dish. You can swap it with any other bell pepper if desired.
- Carrot – Carrots add sweetness and crunch. Try using multi-colored carrots for a more vibrant dish!
- White Corn – White corn brings so much flavor and texture to the soup but you can swap it with any style of corn you have available.
- Jalapeno – A small jalapeno pepper brings some heat to the recipe. If you don’t like peppers you can omit this ingredient.
- Chicken Stock – Chicken stock serves as the base of this soup. If you’re watching your salt, try low-sodium stock instead.
- Modelo – A splash of beer adds a little hoppy flavor to the dish. You can swap this beer with any other light to medium-bodied Mexican beer.
- Cornflour – Cornflour is the thickener in this soup.
- Salt and Pepper – To taste.
- Corn Tortilla Strips – Grab a bag of crunchy tortilla strips of toast and slice some fresh tortillas for this recipe.
- Lime Wedges – To serve this soup you will need about 1 whole lime’s worth of wedges.
How to Cook White Chicken Tortilla Soup (Step by Step)
- Season the diced chicken with taco seasonings and set aside.
- Place the Dutch oven over medium heat; add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add onion, celery, carrots, corn, and jalapeno and cook until the onions are translucent, or about 8 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
- If the pot looks dry, add a dash more olive oil and then add the chicken to the pot in a flat even layer. Brown the chicken on all sides, stirring often to ensure even cooking, this takes about 5-8 minutes.
- When the chicken is fully browned, slowly add the chicken stock. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get any stuck bits of chicken.
- Mix the veggies back into the pot.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together ¼ cup of cold Modelo with the cornflour. Once fully combined, pour this mixture into the soup and stir well to incorporate.
- Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat and cover the pot.
- Allow the soup to simmer on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. At the end of the cooking time, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle each serving into a small bowl and top it with tortilla strips and a lime wedge.
How to Serve White Chicken Tortilla Soup
This sensational take on tortilla soup is perfect on its own or alongside a sandwich or salad. Try topping it with a little Mexican crema or cotija cheese for some additional tang and pair it with a cold drink like lemonade.
Here are a few tasty dishes to try with this white chicken tortilla soup:
- Easy Chicken Tacos – For fast and delicious chicken tacos, throw 2 pounds of raw chicken breast in the instant pot, sprinkle it with taco seasonings, and then top with 1 cup salsa and 1 cup stock. Pressure cook for 15 minutes, release the steam, and, voila, you have the perfect chicken taco meat!
- Elote – Go corn crazy by pairing this with fresh elote! Grill some corn on the cob then brush it with Mexican crema, chili flakes, and a squeeze of lime.
- Cilantro Lime Crema – Mix together Mexican crema, lime juice, and chopped cilantro to make a creamy topping for this light soup!
- The Authentic Mexican Chili Rellenos or Real Sopapillas Recipe
How to Store White Chicken Tortilla Soup
This delicious soup makes for great leftovers. To store your white chicken tortilla soup, allow the soup to cool and then transfer it to an airtight container. Keep this soup in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat the soup, ladle the desired amount into a pot and heat on the stovetop over low heat until warm throughout. Alternatively, zap one bowl of soup in the microwave for up to 2 minutes.
Tips and Praise for this Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
- This soup is so fun for get-togethers! Transfer the finished soup to a slow cooker on ‘keep warm’ and let guests help themselves!
- If you like a little more heat, swap the jalapeno in this recipe for a serrano pepper.
- This soup is a smash with exercise fiends and calorie counters! It’s lean, protein-packed, and full of vegetable goodness so it makes for a well-rounded meal!
Nutrition Facts on This Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Amount per serving:
- Total Calories: 196 g
- Cholesterol 9%
- Sodium 33%
- Fat: 12%
- Carbohydrate: 6%
White Chicken Tortilla Soup (Recipe)
Preparation Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 1 Hour | Total Time to Make: 1 hour and 20 Minutes | Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 3 Medium Chicken breasts, cut into 2 cm pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
- 3 to 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Large Red Onion, Diced
- 1 Green Pepper, Cleaned and Diced
- 1 Large Carrot, Peeled, and Diced
- 1 Cup White Corn
- 1 Small Jalapeno, Deseeded, and Diced
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock
- ¼ Cup Modelo
- 1 Tablespoon Cornflour
- Salt and Pepper, to Taste
- Corn Tortilla Strips
- 6 Lime Wedges
Directions
- Season the diced chicken with taco seasonings and set aside.
- Place the Dutch oven over medium heat; add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add onion, celery, carrots, corn, and jalapeno and cook until the onions are translucent, or about 8 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
- If the pot looks dry, add a dash more olive oil and then add the chicken to the pot in a flat even layer. Brown the chicken on all sides, stirring often to ensure even cooking, this takes about 5-8 minutes.
- When the chicken is fully browned, slowly add the chicken stock. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get any stuck bits of chicken.
- Mix the veggies back into the pot.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together ¼ cup of cold Modelo with the cornflour. Once fully combined, pour this mixture into the soup and stir well to incorporate.
- Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat and cover the pot.
- Allow the soup to simmer on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. At the end of the cooking time, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle each serving into a small bowl and top it with tortilla strips and a lime wedge.
If you’ve tried this delicious white chicken tortilla soup recipe, how did it turn out? Share your wisdom with the community by leaving a comment below! Happy cooking!