Chicken Tortilla Soup
This straightforward Chicken Tortilla Soup is creamy, full of spice and can be made on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. A great at-home of Max & Erma’s popular soup!
Wayyyyy back in 2012, we decided to set baking and cooking goals for myself, and among them was to make weekly batches of soup during the cold winter months. When we mentioned this, we got a deluge of requests from readers who asked for a at-home recipe of Max & Erma’s chicken tortilla soup.
If you’re not familiar, Max & Erma’s is a restaurant chain based out of Ohio, with many locations in the Pittsburgh area and elsewhere in the Midwest and a few in southern states. One of the hallmarks of their menu is the tortilla soup – it’s thick and cheesy with bits of chicken, it’s spicy, and pretty much tastes like a standby taco ever.
There are a ton of at-home recipes online, but just about all of them include multiple cans of “cream of” something, but we wanted something completely authentic and from-scratch. We were thrilled to be able to replicate the famous soup from scratch and found that it is every bit as memorable as the original. Actually, it’s even better!
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
This soup comes together easily, especially if you use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken purchased from the store. Here’s what’s involved:
- Saute white onion, Anaheim pepper, and garlic until nice and soft (no crisp soup here!).
- Whisk cornstarch into chicken broth (this helps to thicken the soup).
- Add the chicken broth along with the chopped chicken, minced corn tortillas (also helps to flavor and thicken!), tomatoes, cheese and spices. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve.
This definitely falls into the camp of a simple and speedy weeknight soup that does not require multiple steps or hours of cook time. Win!
Additional Recipe Notes
A few speedy notes on the recipe:
- This soup is spicy, so if you’re particularly sensitive to spices, you may want to reduce or omit the amount of cayenne pepper in the recipe. The Anaheim pepper is mild, no need to omit that.
- If you cannot find Anaheim peppers, a good alternative is poblano, although it is not quite as mild as the Anaheim.
- Be sure to use mild cheddar cheese, not sharp, as it can be too overpowering in this recipe. You can also use half mild cheddar and half Monterey Jack for variety, if you’d like.
- This soup is an excellent candidate for the slow cooker! Complete step 1, then transfer all of the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
- This recipe makes four servings, and three of us polished it off in one sitting, quickly. If you want leftovers or are serving more than two adults and using this soup as a main course, you’ll probably want to double the recipe.
If Mexican food is your jam and you love a nice hot bowl of soup for lunch or dinner, you’ve landed on the reliable recipe! Top it off with some strips of corn tortillas (or crushed tortilla chips) and more shredded cheese and you’re set.
- White Chicken Chili
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One year ago: Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Brownie Bars
Two years ago: Whole Grain Brownies
Three years ago: For the Love of Peanut Butter and Cinnamon
Five years ago: From-scratch Soft Pretzels
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Yield: 4 servings This straightforward Chicken Tortilla Soup is creamy, full of spice and can be made on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. A great at-home of Max & Erma's popular soup!- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (40 g) minced white onion
- ¼ cup (14 g) mined Anaheim pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 cups (940 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cooked skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-size pieces
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 6-inch corn tortillas, minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup (60 g) canned diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- Tortilla strips, optional, for garnish
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add the minced onion, pepper, and garlic and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the minced onion begins to turn translucent.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth, then add the broth mixture to the pot, along with the chicken, cheddar cheese, minced tortillas, lime juice, diced tomatoes, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, and salt.
- Increase the heat to medium and stir constantly to help the cheese melt. When the soup begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Serve the soup topped with tortilla strips and extra shredded cheese. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, in a covered container, for up to 4 days.
Notes
- To freeze this soup, allow it to cool completely, then place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat over low heat on the stove, or in the microwave.
- Poblano pepper can be substituted for Anaheim.
- If you cannot find Mexican oregano, you can substitute regular.
- You can use half cheddar cheese and half Monterey Jack for a varied flavor.
- This soup is an excellent candidate for the slow cooker! Complete step 1, then transfer all of the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in February 2012. It was updated in October 2018 with new photos and additional recipe notes.
[photos by The Almond Eater]
- Yield: 4 servings
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 45 minutes
- Total: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup ( 40 g ) minced white onion
- ¼ cup ( 14 g ) mined Anaheim pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 cups ( 940 ml ) chicken broth
- 1 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cooked skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-size pieces
- 8 ounces ( 226.8 g ) mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 6-inch corn tortillas, minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup ( 60 g ) canned diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ( 0.25 teaspoon ) Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ( 0.25 teaspoon ) salt
- Tortilla strips, optional, for garnish
Method
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add the minced onion, pepper, and garlic and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the minced onion begins to turn translucent.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth, then add the broth mixture to the pot, along with the chicken, cheddar cheese, minced tortillas, lime juice, diced tomatoes, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, and salt.
- Increase the heat to medium and stir constantly to help the cheese melt. When the soup begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Serve the soup topped with tortilla strips and extra shredded cheese. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, in a covered container, for up to 4 days.
Notes
To freeze this soup, allow it to cool completely, then place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat over low heat on the stove, or in the microwave.
Poblano pepper can be substituted for Anaheim.
If you cannot find Mexican oregano, you can substitute regular.
You can use half cheddar cheese and half Monterey Jack for a varied flavor.
This soup is an excellent candidate for the slow cooker! Complete step 1, then transfer all of the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in February 2012. It was updated in October 2018 with new photos and additional recipe notes.
[photos by The Almond Eater ]
