Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Print Version)

Rich and flavorful Tex-Mex comfort soup with tender chicken, salsa verde base, and creamy toppings

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 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, seeded and finely diced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Soup Base

08 - 1½ cups salsa verde
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
12 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Creamy Elements

13 - 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed and softened
14 - ½ 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 pepper, and jalapeño. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables soften.
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 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 reaches internal temperature of 165°F.
05 - Remove chicken breasts from the pot and shred using two forks. Return shredded chicken to the pot.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese cubes and stir continuously until melted and fully incorporated into the broth.
07 - Stir in heavy cream and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
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 -
  • The soup comes together in under an hour, which means you can feed people something that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.
  • Cream cheese does something almost magical here, creating a silky richness without needing to stand over the stove.
  • It's the kind of dish where everyone adds their own toppings, so everyone feels like they had a hand in making it.
02 -
  • If you add the cream cheese too quickly or at too high a temperature, it can get lumpy instead of melting into a silky base; take your time and keep the heat low.
  • The avocado will brown quickly once it's cut, so dice it while the soup is finishing and add it to the bowl right before eating, not before.
03 -
  • Buy poblano and jalapeño peppers that feel heavy for their size; they'll have thicker walls and more flavor than thin, light ones.
  • If your salsa verde tastes too acidic on its own, the cream cheese will soften that edge, so trust the process even if it seems sharp at first.
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