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This slow cooker chicken tortilla soup couldn’t be easier to make! Loaded with chicken, black beans, corn, green chiles and more! It’s an easy, delicious, healthy and hearty soup for a cold night!
If you love this slow cooker soup, try out my popular Slow Cooker Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup.
This post and recipe have been updated since it was originally published on 12/3/2018
Why You’ll Love Chicken Tortilla Soup
Easy to make – This chicken tortilla soup couldn’t be easier to make, which is welcomed on busy weeknights or when you just want to come home from work to a prepared meal.
Healthy soup – Chicken tortilla soup is a broth based soup without any cream, which is nice if you’re looking for a lower fat soup. It also has a good amount of protein thanks to the chicken and beans. For extra carbs I suggest serving it with tortillas or adding cooked rice into each individual serving of soup.
Customizable – This soup is somewhat spicy, but can easily be modified if you’re sensitive to heat. Use a mild red enchilada sauce and make sure the chili powder you are using is a standard mild “American” version that is most commonly found in grocery stores.
Ingredients
- Onion, garlic – The aromatics for the soup.
- Chicken breasts – Chicken thighs can also be used.
- Chili powder, cumin, coriander – The blend of spices that give the soup great southwest/Mexican flavor.
- Green chiles, black beans, and corn – They all add heartiness and lots of southwest flavor
- Red enchilada sauce – Secret ingredient that gives the soup way more flavor than a can of diced tomatoes!
- Low sodium chicken broth – Stick with low sodium so the soup isn’t too salty.
- Cilantro – The fresh herb livens of the flavor of the soup.
- Lime, avocado, tortilla chips, cheese – Optional toppings for the soup.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is an overview of the recipe with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Cook the onions and garlic. You can either do this in a skillet on the stove or put them in a microwave safe dish with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute.
Add all of the ingredients into a 6 quart slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6 hours and high for 3-4 hours. Times may vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. Add it back into the soup and stir everything together. Taste for seasoning and serve with your favorite toppings.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it vegetarian. Use vegetable broth and in place of the chicken, double the amount of beans, corn, and green chiles that the recipe calls for.
- Make the soup creamy and whisk in 4 ounces of room temperature cream cheese.
- Add in a can of fire roasted tomatoes if you like chunks of tomatoes in your soup.
- Swap the red enchilada sauce with green enchilada sauce.
Topping Ideas
- Crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese. You could also do shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese.
- Slices or chunks of avocado for healthy fats.
- Crushed tortilla chips or crispy baked tortilla strips like I made for this southwest chicken salad.
- Lime wedges. A squeeze of fresh lime juice really livens up the flavor of the soup!
Storage, Freezing, Reheating
Storage – The soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing – Once the soup has cooled completely, store it in a freezer bag or other freezer safe container. The soup will keep for up to 3 months when properly stored in the freezer.
Reheating – Remove the soup from the freezer and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat the soup on the stovetop in a pot or saucepan over medium heat until hot. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
More Soup Recipes
Did you make this slow cooker chicken tortilla soup? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic grated or minced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 15 ounces red enchilada sauce
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- Avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, tortilla chips, cheese for toppings
Instructions
- Saute the onion and garlic with a little olive oil in a skillet on the stove for 3-4 minutes. You can also put them in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 3-4 minutes stirring every minute.
- Add the onions and garlic into the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients and cover with the lid.
- Cook for approximately 3-4 hours on high and 5-6 hours on low. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. Return it to the slow cooker and stir everything together. Serve the soup topped tortilla chips, cilantro, avocado slices, queso fresco or cheese of choice and lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
