Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Print View)

Rich soup with salsa verde base, tender chicken, peppers, and creamy toppings.

# Components:

→ Chicken

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

→ Vegetables & 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

# Directions:

01 - In a large pot, heat olive oil 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. Mix well to combine seasonings.
04 - Add chicken breasts to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 to 18 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked through.
05 - Remove chicken breasts from the pot and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to the soup.
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 to taste.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, yet tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The cream cheese melts into the broth so smoothly it feels like a secret ingredient nobody expects.
  • Those crispy tortilla chips on top turn soggy and wonderful about halfway through eating, which is exactly the texture magic you want.
02 -
  • Don't skip softening the cream cheese before adding it, or you'll end up with little lumps that never quite dissolve into the soup.
  • Add the avocado just before serving, because it turns brown and unappetizing if it sits in the warm soup too long.
  • If your soup seems too thick, thin it with a splash more broth or cream rather than adding water, which would dilute all your carefully built flavors.
03 -
  • Seed your peppers but keep some of that white membrane inside, because that's where extra flavor lives and people don't realize they're eating something this flavorful.
  • Toast your tortilla chips in a dry skillet for a minute or two before crushing them if you want them extra crispy and less likely to turn to mush immediately.
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