Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crockpot)

This healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup is a great easy crockpot recipe! It's healthy and made from scratch with beans and corn in the slow cooker.

One of my preferred meals to make in the slow cooker (and in general) is soup. I've been on a HUGE soup kick lately and my current fave has got to be this Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Winter has arrived in Minnesota which means that it is officially the season of shoveling snow, icy roads, and bundling up every time we leave the house. It is also officially the start of slow cooker season.

There are lots of undesirable things about winter but lots and lots of meals simmering for hours in the crockpot isn't one of them. There's something so homey and comforting about the smell of dinner slowly cooking away in one of these things as the winds whip around outside.

This Chicken Tortilla Soup is just the thing during weather like this.

It's healthy and made with chicken breasts, black beans, corn, broth, and Mexican spices. This is one of those recipes that allows you to throw everything together, set the timer, and let the slow cooker do its job.

Jump to:

• What Is Chicken Tortilla Soup?
• Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
• How To Make Healthy Tortilla Soup
• How To Thicken Tortilla Soup
• What To Serve With Chicken Tortilla Soup
• How To Make Tortilla Strips
• Can Tortilla Soup Be Frozen?
• Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crockpot)

What Is Chicken Tortilla Soup?

Tortilla Soup is a classic Mexican dish that's made with a base of chicken broth and tomatoes. It is full of savory ingredients like garlic, onions, beans, and corn.

Corn tortillas are cut into strips, fried, and used to top the soup.

It is healthy rustic comfort food and absolutely perfect for the winter months. I find the taste to be somewhere between a taco soup and chili.

One of the best things about Tortilla Soup is that it's hearty but not heavy. It won't weigh you down but leaves you totally satisfied.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

This soup is great because you've probably got a lot of these ingredients on hand. If you're like me and make a lot of tacos you'll likely have a lot of these spices in your cupboard already!

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 6 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Onion (Any Color)
• 1 Bell Pepper (Any Color)
• 2 cups Frozen Corn
• 2 15 oz. cans Black Beans (or pinto beans)
• 1 ½ lbs. Chicken Breasts (boneless or bone-in)
• 3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 cups Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Adobo Seasoning
• ½ tsp. each Kosher Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• 5 Corn Tortillas
• Cooking Spray
• Avocado, Cheese, Cilantro for garnish (optional)

How To Make Healthy Tortilla Soup

1. The first step is to mince 6 cloves of garlic and 1 onion (any color). Dice 1 bell pepper (any color).
2. Drain 2 15 oz. cans of black beans (you can also use pinto beans if you like or a combination of the two).
3. Place 1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Alternately, you can use bone-in chicken breasts. If using bone-in (also known as split chicken breasts), be sure to remove the skin before adding to the slow cooker.
4. Add 1 tsp. each of Smoked Paprika, Chili Powder, Cumin, and Adobo Seasoning along with ½ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper over the chicken.
5. Add the minced garlic, onions, and bell pepper to the slow cooker.
6. Add the beans, 2 cups of frozen corn, 3 cups of low sodium chicken broth, and 2 cups of crushed tomatoes to the crockpot.
7. Stir all of these ingredients together. Set the timer on the slow cooker: 4-5 Hours on High or 6-7 Hours on Low.

As the soup cooks all of the ingredients will soften and the flavors will come together. The slow cooker does most of the work on this one.

How To Thicken Tortilla Soup

After the soup has cooked on High for 4-5 hours or Low for 6-7 hours it's time to shred the chicken and add a few ingredients to thicken the soup.

The chicken should be shredded 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time. The corn starch is also added at this time and helps the soup to thicken.

1. Remove the chicken breasts and shred them using two forks. If using bone-in chicken breasts, make sure to remove all of the bones and discard before adding the shredded chicken back into the soup.
2. Scoop 1 cup of the broth from the slow cooker and place it in a separate bowl. Add 2 Tbsp. of corn starch to the bowl of broth and whisk until completely combined (this creates a slurry which helps to thicken the soup).
3. Return the slurry to the soup and stir until combined.
4. Return the shredded chicken back to the soup and stir until combined.
5. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook for another 30 minutes (whether on High or Low).

What To Serve With Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of the distinguishing factors of this soup are the strips of corn tortillas that are served on top of it.

The tortilla strips add crunch, texture, and a great flavor. They're super easy to make and can be prepared while the soup is cooking in the crockpot.

How To Make Tortilla Strips

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut 5-6 corn tortillas into strips.
3. Lay the tortilla strips out on a baking sheet and spray them generously with cooking spray.
4. Bake them in the oven for 8 minutes or so. Cooking times may vary slightly. They should be crunchy and slightly browned when finished.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow to cool.

If you don't have time to prepare the tortilla strips you can serve this soup with regular corn tortillas or tortilla chips.

Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup is full of classic Mexican flavors so it's delicious served with shredded cheese (Queso fresco or Cotija cheese would work great as well), sliced avocados, cilantro, lime, sour cream, or diced onions.

Much like tacos you can customize it as you like.

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Don't miss these!

• Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
• Slow Cooker Barbacoa Tacos
• Slow Cooker Chicken Potato Soup
• Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
• Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
• Slow Cooker Chicken Corn Soup
• Crockpot Chicken Sweet Potato Soup

Can Tortilla Soup Be Frozen?

One of the great things about soups like this one is that they make excellent freezer meals.

This soup can also be stored 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Be sure to allow it to come down to room temperature before placing in the fridge.

How To Freeze

1. Allow the soup to come to room temperature before freezing.
2. Place the cooled soup in a heavy-duty freezer bag labeled with the date.
3. Store the soup in the freezer up to 3 months.

How To Thaw

1. Place the frozen soup in the fridge 24 hours before serving to thaw.
2. The soup can be reheated in a soup pot on the stove top (still frozen or thawed). Feel free to add more chicken broth or water if needed.
3. Heat until warmed through.

The cheese, tortilla strips, and garnishes may be added at this time. It's best not to freeze dairy or things like avocados.

Love healthy soups? Check out these recipes!

• Hearty Lentil Soup
• Healthy Ham and Potato Soup
• Tuscan Vegetable Soup
• Leftover Turkey Rice Soup
• Cannellini Bean Kale Soup
• Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup
• Turkey Wild Rice Soup
• Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Looking For More Crockpot Soups? Don't Miss These!

Crockpot Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup)

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage

Cabbage Soup with Ground Beef