Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

You responded and I listened! Based on an Instagram story that I posted earlier this week asking for recipe requests, the resounding answer was “soup” among other fall things. If you gave me a different recipe idea, don’t worry--I won’t forget!

This week’s Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup has always been a favorite of mine, but then again, it is a well-known fact that I will eat soup any meal of the day, any number of days in a row, and most definitely every season of the year. This soup is one that I can get away with making year-round because it doesn’t feel particularly seasonal. However, with the temperatures dropping and my craving for soup rising (and obviously many of yours, too!), I am long overdue for posting another soup recipe. My previously posted soup recipe was my “grown-up” version of tomato soup and grilled cheese.

In a few of the comments from the Instagram question I posted, some of you specifically requested a soup that could be made in the crockpot, was relatively healthy, and didn’t need “a million ingredients or steps.” I did my best with this Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup! It can (and should) be made in a crockpot. Health-wise, it is relatively low in carbs when compared with soups that use pasta or potatoes as the base. This recipe is also an easy one to make gluten-free as long as you can find gluten-free flour and gluten-free cream of chicken soup. As for the cooking process, there is only one step of the recipe that must be prepared before going in the crockpot; otherwise, you can simply dump in the ingredients and walk away!

You’re ready for this, Average Chefs!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup*

Serves 5-6; Fills my “regular”-sized crockpot to the brim; the large oval size would also work

Estimated time, start to serve: Preparation: 30 minutes; Crockpot cooking time: 3-6 hours

*Recipe inspired by Trisha Yearwood’s Chicken Tortilla Soup but has been adapted by me to suit my own preferences.

Ingredients:

• 2-2 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken (about 2-3 breasts); I am obsessed with using rotisserie chicken lately because you just can’t beat how easy and tender it is (I used about ⅔ of a rotisserie chicken and froze the rest for another time in the Ziploc bag; click here to see how to strip a rotisserie chicken)

• One 10.75-oz. can of cream of chicken soup

• ⅔ cup of your favorite salsa; if you want to add spiciness, this is the ingredient with which to do so!

• One 15-oz. can of black beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• One 15-oz. can of corn, drained; I used about a cup of sweet corn from the cob that I had cooked, cut from the cob, and frozen this past summer

• 1 tsp. cumin

• One packet of fajita seasoning

• One 14-oz. can of chicken broth

• 2 cups (1 pint) of half and half; you can also use one cup of heavy whipping cream mixed with one cup of milk

• 1 Tbsp. butter

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 tsp. minced garlic; approximately 3 cloves

• 1 Tbsp. flour

• One 8-oz. block Monterey jack cheese (for topping)

• Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (for topping)

• Tortilla chips (for topping/dipping)

Instructions:

1. Spray your crockpot with nonstick spray. Dump in the cream of chicken soup, that same soup can filled with water, shredded chicken, salsa, beans, corn, cumin, fajita seasoning, half of the half and half, and half of the chicken broth. Stir well.

2. Heat a medium-sized skillet to medium heat. Melt the butter. Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add in the minced garlic, stir, and cook until both are translucent and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

3. Sprinkle in the tablespoon of flour and stir using a whisk until it is somewhat clumpy. Whisk in the other half of the half and half and the other half of the chicken broth. Bring up to a simmer and whisk for a few minutes until the mixture thickens a bit.

4. Pour the mixture into the crockpot and stir all of the ingredients together. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, stirring a few times along the way.

5. Before serving, grate the block of Monterey jack cheese into shreds. I strongly recommend grating it yourself off of the block, as it melts so much better than the pre-shredded kind. When ready to serve, place tortilla chips in the bottom of the bowl, top with soup, and then top the soup with cheese and sour cream or Greek yogurt. You can also put the chips on top, crush them on top, or use them for dipping.

6. Enjoy! This soup is pretty much a complete meal in itself!

Proud of your work? Take a photo of your “Average” creation and tag @the.brass.spoon on Instagram to show off your skills! If you allow me to follow you, I’ll post your story to my story!

If you’re new, remember to subscribe to future recipes by entering your email address below. Share the link to this recipe with friends and family who could use a few meal ideas! Please reach out to me with questions or special requests for future weeks via the Contact Me page or my Instagram DM’s.