Southwestern Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
The secret to this irresistibly Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup is hiding in two unexpected pantry staples: creamed corn and sour cream. Together they create a rich, velvety broth that lets the smoky Hatch chiles and warm Southwestern spices shine.
Servings 8
Calories 959kcal
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Neutral oil Such as canola, vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- 1 ¼ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 large sweet onion chopped, about two cups
- 4 cloves garlic diced
- 30 ounces chicken stock homemade or canned broth. Use either two cans of chicken stock, or a 32 ounce box container.
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano or marjoram
- ½ teaspoon Chimayo Chile powder A single belnd red chile powder
- 1 teaspoon Chili seasoning A blend of spices used to season chili soup
- 15 ounce can chopped tomatoes undrained
- ½ can Rotel tomatoes undrained.
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt or more if needed
- 14.74 ounce can creamed style corn undrained
- 4 whole Hatch chile peppers roasted, peeled and chopped. Or 1 -4 ounce can chopped green chiles.
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add chopped onions and cook until starting to turn tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the pieces of chicken. Don't crowd the meat and don't stir for 2 minutes, allowing the chicken to obtain a sear on one side. Stir the chicken and let cook 3 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 30 seconds.
- Turn down heat a bit, pour in chicken broth and add spices. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes to blend flavors. Add kosher salt to taste.
- Add canned tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, creamed corn and chopped chile peppers. Give it a good stir and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if need, it's ready to serve.
- Ladle soup into soup bowls. Quickly spoon in a generous dollop of sour cream. Top with hand crushed corn chips or multi-colored tortilla strips, diced or sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapeno peppers. A squeeze of lime to brighten flavor.
Notes
Tips For Success:
- The first few times I tested this recipe, I stirred the sour cream into boiling soup at the end. It separated slightly and looked grainy. Now I always add a dollop to the hot soup once it's served. The texture stays perfectly silky.
- Raw Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be ornery to cut up. Place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes for easier work.
- Use leftover chicken: I use raw chicken breast and cook it right in the soup. But if you have leftover roast chicken just cut it into pieces and add to soup during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Adjust the spice: The beauty of cooking with chile peppers and chile powders is that you can choose your level of spice tolerance. Choose mild, medium or hot.
- If using avocado as a topper, wait until the last minute to cut it. Avocados are notorious for browning quickly.
Nutrition
Calories: 959kcal | Carbohydrates: 200g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 3955mg | Potassium: 3132mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 1781IU | Vitamin C: 114mg | Calcium: 299mg | Iron: 12mg
