Chick Fil A Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup is creamy, comforting, and packed full of flavor. This fan favorite is easy to make and perfect to eat all year long.
Add some of your favorite toppings and enjoy a delicious warm bowl of copycat tortilla soup.
Chick Fil A Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
While Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of their seasonal menu items, this recipe will let you enjoy it on winter months, rainy days and on Sundays. Once you see how easy it is to make, you’ll want to make this fan favorite all the time.
It only takes about an hour to make, or you can toss it in your slow cooker, so it’s ready as soon as you get home!
With its perfect blend of spices, this copycat soup recipe make your kitchen so fragrant, you’ll be looking forward to dinner all day long.
If you enjoyed this copycat Chick-Fil-A seasonal soup recipe, you’ll want to give this Creamy Bacon Corn Chowder or this Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup a try next.
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
Yellow onion: I like to use a yellow onion because while it has a more robust flavor, it’s still mild, somewhat sweet, and cooks well.
Celery: you will only need about three stalks for this recipe. If you have any leftover celery, you can use it in this delicious Chicken Gnocchi Soup or serve it with Buffalo Chicken Meatballs or this Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Garlic: I like to use freshly minced garlic for this recipe. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not too good to use lazy girl garlic aka pre-minced garlic!
Spices: you will need cumin, paprika, garlic powder and kosher salt. The cumin adds a great earthly and warm flavor to your soup. Be sure to use ground cumin and not whole cumin seeds. You can use spicy or smokey paprika if you like, but I prefer regular paprika for this recipe.
Tomato paste: I use tubed tomato paste for this recipe, and I have used canned paste before, they both taste good.
Chicken broth: the base of this delicious soup is chicken broth. You can use either chicken broth, chicken bone broth or chicken stock.
Rotel diced tomatoes: I use the can with green chiles. If you want to cut back on the spice, you can get the Rotel diced tomatoes without chilies.
Corn: I like to use frozen whole kernel corn for this recipe; you can use any brand you want.
Roasted red peppers: I use my Roasted Red Peppers recipe, but you’re welcome to use store-bought as well. If you prefer, you can use a red bell pepper instead. Sometimes I like to use both!
Shredded chicken: I like to use a rotisserie chicken because it’s easy, but you can also poach or slow cook your chicken breasts if you prefer!
Sour cream: I like to use full fat sour cream for this recipe, you’re welcome to use light if you’d like. Sour cream helps create the perfect creamy texture for this soup.
Half and half: this will give you a creamy soup with a smooth texture.. You could also use heavy cream.
Lime: you will need the juice from a fresh lime; if you cannot pick up a lime, you can use lime juice too.
Chili powder: gives your soup its delicious flavor. Feel free to use more or less depending on the level of spice you like your soup.
Cilantro: I love adding fresh cilantro to my soup, but you’re welcome to omit it if you aren’t a fan. Or use parsley instead! Some fresh basil would also taste nice.
Tortilla strips: you can pick up a bag of crispy tortilla strips at your local grocery store. If you’re unable to find strips, you can make homemade tortilla strips by baking tortillas until they’re crispy or break regular tortilla chips into smaller pieces.
Optional: navy or black beans – you’re welcome to add beans to your soup, I didn’t add them to mine because I don’t like beans!
Optional toppings: diced avocado, sliced jalapeño, grated cheese, crumbled bacon, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
1. Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a 6-quart, heavy bottomed large pot over medium-high heat until it is shimmering, then saute the onion and celery with a pinch of kosher salt until soft, roughly 5 minutes.
2. Add the spices. Add the minced garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, and garlic powder and stir constantly. Then add the tomato paste, mix it with the spices and aromatics, and cook until its color is less vibrant for roughly 2 minutes.
3. Prepare the soup. Pour in ¼ cup to ½ cup of chicken broth to deglaze the pot, scraping any brown bits off the bottom. Then pour in the rest of the chicken broth, green chilies (beans, if using), corn, roasted red peppers, and shredded chicken. Mix well.
4. Thicken the soup. Make a slurry with 1 tbsp cornstarch and two tbsp of warm water. Whisk to combine, then pour into the soup and stir well. (If you’re cooking chicken breasts in the soup, submerge them in the broth after stirring.)
5. Cook the soup. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
If you’re using two whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts, remove them after 20 minutes or the internal temperature has reached 165° F.
Allow the chicken to cool for about 10 minutes, then shred with two forks or a stand mixer and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, after about 20 minutes.
6. Temper the sour cream. Combine sour cream and a few spoonfuls (I usually do one ladle) of hot soup broth; whisk until smooth. Tempering the sour cream is important so that it doesn’t curdle.
Add the sour cream mixture to the soup and stir to mix. Then add in the half and half and lime juice, and stir to combine. Then stir in the fresh cilantro.
7. Serve. Divide the soup between bowls and garnish with tortilla strips in the center of each bowl.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
You can make this tortilla soup in the slow cooker in a few simple steps!
- Add the onion, celery, minced garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, and garlic powder, and tomato paste to the slow cooker. Then add the chicken broth, green chilies (beans, if using), corn, and roasted red peppers. Stir, then add the chicken (I prefer to use uncooked chicken breasts when making this recipe in the slow cooker).
- Make a slurry with 1 tbsp cornstarch and two tbsp of warm water. Whisk to combine, then pour into the soup and stir well.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- When the cooking time is up, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks or a stand mixer. Return the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker.
- Combine sour cream, half and half, and a few spoonfuls (I usually do one ladle) of hot soup broth; whisk until smooth. Tempering the sour cream is important so that it doesn’t curdle. Add the sour cream mixture to the soup and stir to mix.
- Then add in the lime juice and stir to combine. Then stir in the fresh cilantro.
Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup Toppings
There are many different toppings you can add to your bowl of soup! I like to add:
- avocado
- green onion
- red onion
- cilantro
- tortilla chips
- grated cheese
- diced bacon
If you’d like to add a kick of heat to your tortilla soup, you can toss on some sliced jalapeños or hot sauce.
What makes Chick-fil-A Tortilla Soup spicy?
There are a few different ingredients in this recipe that can add a bit of spice. Because this soup is homemade, you can change the ingredients a bit to make it more or less spicy.
The two main ingredients that will add a kick to your soup are the diced tomatoes with chilies and the chili powder.
If you’re not the biggest fan of spice or this soup is a little too spicy for your kids, you can use the Rotel diced tomatoes without chilies. You can also lower the amount of chili powder that you use. Instead of one teaspoon, I would try half a teaspoon.
If you’re a spicy food lover, there are a few things you can do to spice this recipe up. You can get the Hot Rotel with habanero peppers or add in more chili powder. You can also add fresh jalapeños or hot sauce on top of your bowl of soup.
Storing and reheating leftovers
You can store your leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing since there is dairy in the soup.
More Chick Fil A Recipes
I really enjoy making copycat recipes, but I love making a Chick-Fil-A copycat recipe. I mean, who doesn’t want to eat Chick-Fil-A on a Sunday?
Have a copycat Chick-Fil-A dinner on a Sunday and enjoy crispy air fryer chicken strips with homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce on the side. If you prefer baked chicken, you can try oven baked chicken tenders, with a side of air fryer french fries.
More soup recipes
- Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Shrimp Pho Noodle Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
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Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced (about 3 stalks)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- 6 cups chicken broth, or 4 cups + 2 cups water
- 1 can rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 2 roasted red peppers, diced
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 lime, juice
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- tortilla strips
- 1/2 cup navy beans or black beans, optional
- optional toppings: diced avocado, sliced jalapeño, grated cheese, crumbled bacon, and tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 6-quart, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat until it is shimmering, then saute the onion and celery with a pinch of kosher salt until soft, roughly 5 minutes
- Add the minced garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, and garlic powder and stir constantly.
- Add the tomato paste, mixing it in with the spices and aromatics, and cook until its color is less vibrant, roughly 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in ¼ cup to ½ cup of chicken broth to deglaze the pot, scraping any brown bits off the bottom. Then pour in the rest of the chicken broth, green chilies, (beans, if using), corn, roasted red peppers, and shredded chicken. Mix well.
- Make a slurry with 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbps of warm water. Whisk to combine, then pour into the soup and stir well. (If you’re cooking chicken breasts in the soup, submerge them in the broth after stirring.)
- Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary after about 20 minutes. (If using two whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts, remove after 20 minutes or the internal temperature has reached 165° F. Allow it to cool enough to handle, 10 minutes, then shred with two forks or a stand mixer and return to the pot.)
- To a small bowl, add sour cream, half and half, and a few spoonfuls of hot soup broth; whisk until smooth. (This tempers the sour cream so that it doesn’t curdle.) Add mixture to the soup and stir to combine.
- Add in the lime juice and stir to combine. Then mix in the fresh cilantro.
- Divide the soup between bowls and garnish with tortilla strips in the center of each bowl.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Crock Pot: Follow steps 1 to 4, then transfer the veggies into a slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients (except the dairy and lemon juice).
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Turn the heat off, then and add the tempered sour cream, cream and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
Video
Notes
- You can use fresh red peppers instead of or in addition to the roasted red peppers.
Best recipe using leftover rotisserie chicken!
This delicious and healthy soup has all the best Mexican flavors! Yum!
This is one of my favorite things to get at the drive-thru. Especially this time of year. It is so comforting! I love that I can make it myself at home and control the spice level.
There’s nothing more delicious than a bowl of tortilla soup for winter! I love anything chick-fil-a so making this was a no brainer. Loved it!
Hearty, comforting and delicious, I need a big bowl of this right now!