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This simple one-pot soup is the perfect bowl to warm up to on a chilly night. Made with salsa verde, poblano peppers, jalapeños (for just the right amount of heat), and shredded chicken. Add taco seasoning and ground cumin for amazing flavor. Then cream cheese for creaminess. This soup is spicy, creamy, and so delicious. Top each bowl of creamy soup with avocado, plenty of fresh cilantro, sour cream, and lots of salty tortilla chips. I even added a little bit of lime zest too!
It’s soup season! We’ve had some seriously cold temperatures, single digit, temps this week. It’s COLD. I made this over the weekend, and it was so perfect. It really hit the spot.
All of my brothers were in town. And even though they claim not to enjoy soup, they said the taste was awesome. They loved that it was a bit spicy yet creamy and cheesy too. With the broth being a bit thicker, it makes the soup a little heartier. It’s a great comfort food recipe for this time of year!
Originally, I wanted to make a more traditional variation on tortilla soup using diced tomatoes and red enchilada sauce. I’m sure it would have been delicious, but when I didn’t have any red enchilada sauce on hand, I reached for what I did have: salsa verde.
I used two full jars of my favorite salsa verde from Whole Foods, two cans of diced green chilies, a poblano pepper, and some jalapeños.
Onto details
Step 1: cook the onion and peppers
Use a little olive oil or butter and start cooking the onion. Then add the poblanos, jalapeños, cumin, and a few teaspoons of taco seasoning for a truly yummy mix. Let this cook for a few minutes to bring out the flavor in the dry spices.
Step 2: cook the chicken
Next, add the chicken. I like to toss it up with all those spices.
Then pour over the salsa verde, add the diced-up green chilies, and then the broth. Let the chicken simmer away in the broth until it’s cooked through. This will take 15 or 20 minutes.
Step 3: shred the chicken
I like to pull the chicken out of the soup and shred it. Then mix in the cream cheese. If you want to make the soup even creamier, add a 1/2 cup or so of heavy cream.
To finish this off, mix in a big handful of white cheddar cheese and let it melt into the soup.
You can make this in the Dutch oven or crockpot if it’s easier for you. I added directions for both.
Step 4: serve, top, and enjoy
I layer a thick dollop of Greek yogurt with sliced avocado on top. Then a big handful of crushed tortilla chips and lots of fresh cilantro and green onions, some jalapeño pepper would be good to. It’s so delicious!
A wonderful chicken tortilla soup recipe to warm up with!
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
- Make-ahead: soup improves by day 2; keep toppings separate.
- Fridge: store in airtight containers 3–4 days.
- Freeze: up to 2–3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge (dairy may look slightly separated—whisk as it reheats).
- Reheat: warm gently on the stove over low, stirring often; splash in broth/water to loosen as needed.
- Tortilla chips: keep in a bag/container at room temp and add just before serving for crunch.
Looking for other warming winter dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Crockpot Chili Meatballs and Spaghetti
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Green Chili Tortilla Soup
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 331 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 poblano, chopped
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2-3 teaspoons taco seasoning
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 cups salsa verde
- 2 cans (4 ounce) diced green chiles
- 3-4 cups chicken broth
- 6 ounces cream cheese, melted
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- lime zest and juice
- lots of salted tortilla chips
- yogurt, avocado, and green onion, for serving
Instructions
Stove
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the poblano, jalapeños, cumin, taco seasoning, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until very fragrant. Add the chicken, salsa verde, canned chiles, and 4 cups of broth. Season with salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.2. Melt the cream cheese in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.3. Pull the chicken out and shred using two forks. Stir in the cream cheese until smooth, then stir in the shredded chicken and cheddar cheese. Cook for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice.4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips. Then finish as desired with a dollop of yogurt, avocado, green onions, and cilantro. Enjoy!
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, layer the onion, poblano, and jalapeños. Add the chicken, cumin, taco seasoning, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour over the salsa verde, canned chiles, and 3 cups of broth. 2. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Shred the chicken using two forks. Stir in the cream cheese, whisking until mixed. Then add the cheddar cheese, cilantro, and lime juice. 3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips. Then finish as desired with a dollop of yogurt, avocado, green onions, and cilantro. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on November 29, 2023
This was absolutely amazing! Left out seeds and ribs of jalapeños for company, but used a mix of hot green Chiles and mild and then medium salsa. It was a good balance for those who love heat and those who cannot tolerate too much
Hey Kayla,
Happy Monday! I’m grateful you made this recipe and for your comment, so glad it was enjoyed!
This is one recipe that each of my 3 kids request repeatedly! So good and tastes very ‘luxurious,’ as my son put it! This soup tastes like it’s so much harder to make, but it’s really pretty easy. Thank you for that! I’m no a huge spice fan, but I do love the slight bit of heat in here. I don’t use the jalapeño. Thank you, Tieghan, for your recipes!
Hey Jill,
Love to hear this! Thanks for making this recipe so often, so glad it is always enjoyed!
Have a great weekend!☃️
Can you freeze this?
Hey Abbey,
Totally, that would be perfectly okay for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
I made this for my family’s Christmas gathering this year, and it was just right. Cozy and flavorful. My foodie Father-in-law gave it a big thumbs up. I added pinto beans for more filler since I was feeding close to 20 people, and I think it worked well.
Hey Lauren,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your notes, so glad it was a winner!
So yummy! A little too spicy, would maybe use less jalapeño or poblano pepper next time. But overall yummy and filling soup!
Hey Aimee,
Fantastic! Thanks for making this recipe, I’m so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday!
This was delicious! Especially on the second day with tortilla chips. I used chopped rotisserie chicken. Thinking about using less broth to concentrate it more and turn it into a hearty tortilla chip dip! Thank you for another recipe added to our family favorites.
Hey there,
Happy Sunday! Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe, I’m happy to hear it was a win!
Delicious
Thanks so much, Anna:) So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
My FAVORITE soup recipe of all time. To anyone with an HEB nearby, the Mi Tienda Fire Roasted Salsa verde is the perfect green sauce for this recipe!!
Hey Samantha,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, I am so glad to hear this recipe always turns out nicely for you!
Awesome! Tweaked it a bit and used rotisserie chicken. Toppings included avocado, cilantro, and green onion with Julio’s sea salt tortilla chips. Will def keep on the menu rotation!
Hi Christine,
Fantastic! So kind of you to try this recipe and leave feedback, I’m glad it was a hit!