Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my healthy chicken tortilla soup recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Chicken – I used chicken breasts, but boneless chicken thighs work, too. You can also toss in leftover shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken to shorten the simmer time, but I don’t love doing this because the other flavors get less time to develop that way.
• Aromatics – Including onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Feel free to use any color onions or bell peppers you’ve got (I use multiple colors for variety), and if you need a shortcut, jarred garlic works fine.
• Jalapeno – Adds a kick, but it’s subtle. If you don’t want your healthy chicken tortilla soup spicy at all, you can leave it out or swap in canned green chilies (which are milder). For more intense heat instead, you can add more chili powder or jalapenos.
• Chicken Broth – Reduced-sodium broth is my go-to so I can control the salt. For a rich flavor, use my homemade chicken broth or bone broth. Vegetable or even beef broth works in a pinch, but chicken matches the flavors here best.
• Canned Tomatoes – Fire roasted tomatoes are my favorite here for smoky depth, but regular canned diced tomatoes still taste great.
• Spices – The basics here are cumin, chili powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Sometimes I throw in smoked paprika for a little extra depth or cayenne pepper for more heat.
• Olive Oil – My go-to for sautéing, but avocado oil works, too.

And don’t forget about the add-ins after you cook the soup — see my topping ideas below!

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How To Make Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Sauté the aromatics. Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven and toss in the garlic, onion, and bell peppers. Cook until the onion looks translucent and the peppers start to soften — this builds the flavor base for the whole soup.
2. Cook the chicken. Stir in the jalapeño, broth, fire roasted tomatoes, chicken, and spices. Bring to a gentle boil first, then let it simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

3. Shred the chicken. Take the chicken out and pull it apart with two forks. Add it back to the pot and let it simmer a little longer to soak up all that flavor.
4. Serve it up. Your healthy chicken tortilla soup is ready to go! Ladle into bowls and pile on your favorite toppings. I never skip avocado, cheese, and a squeeze of lime!

Alternate Cooking Methods

• Crock Pot – Feel free to take a shortcut by just dumping all the ingredients (not including toppings, of course) into your Crock Pot and cook for 5-6 hours on Low or 2.5-3 hours on High, until the chicken shreds easily. However, I find it tastes better when I saute the veggies before adding to the slow cooker.
• Instant Pot – On busy nights, I use the Sauté setting for the veggies, then pressure cook everything for 10 minutes. Release, shred, and it’s dinner in no time.

Topping Ideas

When I serve this low carb chicken tortilla soup, I love setting out a toppings bar so everyone can build their own bowl. Here’s what I usually include:

• Tortilla Chips – Make my keto tortilla chips (pictured above) if you’re low carb. Otherwise you can grab your favorite store-bought ones, or make my baked corn tortilla chips (my favorite lately because I can cut them into thin tortilla strips before baking, which is perfect for soup!).
• Shredded Cheese – Monterey jack, Cheddar cheese, or Mexican blend are my family’s go-tos
• Avocado – You can slice it (like I did above), or dice instead. Guacamole is great too, if you’ve got a few extra minutes.
• Sour Cream – Or swap in Greek yogurt for a lighter option.
• Fresh Cilantro – If you’re not a fan, green onions are a good alternative.
• Lime Wedges – Because nothing beats a fresh squeeze of lime juice.

If you’re going for a full Mexican spread, pair the soup and chips with some fun sides, like queso dip, taco dip, or fresh tomato salsa. And of course, no spread is complete without my skinny margaritas!