This delicious and easy-to-make Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup combines all the best flavors of a traditional southwestern meal into a comforting crockpot soup - perfect for dinner any night.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Imagine a warm, hearty bowl of Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup on a cold winter day. Perfectly balanced flavors chicken, tomatoes, green chilies, and cumin. The soup is topped with crispy tortilla strips and a dollop of sour cream, making it the perfect comfort food.
- Easy to make. Just add everything to the crockpot and let it do all the work.
- Delicious. Packed with flavor and is sure to warm you up on a cold day.
- Versatile. You can customize the recipe to your own taste by adding different vegetables or beans, or by adjusting the amount of spice.
- Crowd-pleaser. This southwestern soup with chicken is sure to be a hit with your family and friends. It's perfect for a potluck, or game day dinner.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Southwestern Tortilla Soup Ingredients
- How to Make Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup
- What To Serve With Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Related Recipes
- Substitutions and Variations
- Equipment
- Storage and Reheating
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- 📖 Recipe
- Food Safety
Southwestern Tortilla Soup Ingredients
This Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup is easy to make and can be customized to your liking. If you like it spicy, add more chili powder. If you want it more mild, add less.
You can also add other ingredients as toppings, such as avocado, shredded cheese, or chopped cilantro.
- Chicken - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
- Green Chilies - Canned green Hatch chilies.
- Jalapenos - Fresh or canned, seeded and diced.
- Tomatoes - Diced.
- Onion - Diced.
- Garlic - Minced.
- Chili powder
- Cumin - Ground.
- Chicken stock
- Salt - To taste.
- Black pepper - To taste.
- Sour cream
- Cilantro - Fresh, chopped for garnish, optional.
- Tortilla strips - For topping.
- Cheese - Shredded cheese, any kind.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup
Whether it's a busy weeknight or a lazy weekend afternoon, this one pot meal is sure to please everyone at the table.
Plus, with instructions that are simple enough even novice cooks can follow along easily, what more could you ask for? So let's get cooking!
Add Onion, Spices, and Stock to Slow Cooker
- Add the green diced chilies, diced jalapenos, diced onion, garlic, spices, and broth to the slow cooker.
Add The Chicken
- Place the chicken (defrosted or frozen) in the slow cooker on top of the previous ingredients.
- Cover slow cooker with lid and set to HIGH for 5 hours, or LOW for 7 hours.
Shred The Chicken
- Shred the chicken with two forks, or transfer to a plate and shred, returning to the slow cooker.
Mix In The Sour Cream
- Add the sour cream to the soup and mix it in well until blended, simmering for 30 minutes.
- Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro.
What To Serve With Chicken Tortilla Soup
Are you in the mood for something flavorful and filling? If so, look no further than Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup!
Filled with bold flavors, juicy chicken, and all of your favorite southwestern flavors - each spoonful will delight your taste buds. This easy-to-make soup is perfect for a weeknight meal because it comes together
And, if you're wondering what goes with tortilla soup, we've some great recipe ideas:
- Bread Machine Honey Wheat Bread
- Aroma Rice Cooker Instructions (for Perfect White Rice!)
- Mexican Pickled Red Onions
- Cuban Fried Plantains (Tostones)
- Blackstone Steak Quesadillas
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions and variations when making this Southwestern soup with chicken recipe:
- You can substitute ground chicken for the boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Beans are great added to this soup, such as black beans or pinto beans.
- You can also add other vegetables to the soup, such as frozen roasted corn, carrots, or bell peppers.
- If you don't have diced green chiles, you can substitute fresh green chiles like hatch, poblano, serrano, and jalapeno.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this southwest chicken tortilla soup recipe.
Storage and Reheating
- This southwestern chicken soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- It can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
- When you're ready to thaw the soup, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it over medium heat until warmed through.
Tips for Success
- You can add other spices to the soup, such as cayenne pepper or smoked paprika.
- Serve the soup with a side of crusty bread or tortilla chips.
- Top the soup with shredded cheese, avocado, or chopped cilantro.
- Make it a meal by serving the soup with a side of rice or salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use rotisserie chicken in this recipe. Simply shred the chicken and add it to the soup along with the other ingredients.
Serve this hearty soup with tortilla strips or chips, quesadillas, or even rice or a filling meal.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
📖 Recipe
Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 oz Green Chilies canned, undrained
- 2 Jalapenos cored, seeded, and chopped
- 15 oz Tomatoes canned diced tomatoes
- 1 small Onion diced
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon Salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper more to taste
- 6 cups Chicken broth
- 1 lb Chicken boneless, skinless breasts or thighs
- ½ cup Sour cream
- 1½ cup Tortilla strips for garnish
- Cilantro chopped for garnish, optional
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add the green diced chilies, diced jalapenos, diced tomatoes, diced onion, garlic, spices, and broth to the slow cooker.4 oz Green Chilies, 2 Jalapenos, 15 oz Tomatoes, 1 small Onion, 5 cloves Garlic, 1 teaspoon Chili powder, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black pepper, 6 cups Chicken broth
- Place the chicken (defrosted or frozen) in the slow cooker on top of the previous ingredients.1 lb Chicken
- Cover slow cooker with lid and set to HIGH for 5 hours, or LOW for 7 hours.
- Shred the chicken with two forks, or transfer to a plate and shred, returning to the slow cooker.
- Add the sour cream to the soup and mix it in well until blended, simmering for 30 minutes.½ cup Sour cream
- Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro.1½ cup Tortilla strips, Cilantro, ½ cup Cheddar cheese
Notes
- You can add other spices to the soup, such as cayenne pepper or smoked paprika.
- Serve the soup with a side of crusty bread or tortilla chips.
- Top the soup with shredded cheese, avocado, or chopped cilantro.
- Make it a meal by serving the soup with a side of rice or salad.
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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