Gluten Free Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is one I can enjoy no matter the temperature outside or what season it is. MyGluten Free Chicken Tortilla Soup has all the things I love about soup in a bowl: a deeply spiced, bright broth, impossibly tender shredded chicken, customizable add-ins, and those crispy tortilla strips on top are the chef’s kiss for me. It comes together in about 15 minutes once your chicken is prepped, which makes it a weeknight favorite.

The real secret here is the broth. When I make my Tomatillo Chicken in the slow cooker, the leftover cooking liquid is pure liquid gold. It’s loaded with a bright tomatillo flavor, subtle heat, plus all those aromatics. Do NOT ever throw it away. That broth becomes the base of this soup, and it is honestly what sets this version apart from anything you have had from a can or a restaurant. If you do not have Tomatillo Chicken broth on hand, good quality chicken bone broth works beautifully too. Either way, this is your new favorite fall soup.

Why This Chicken Tortilla Soup Works So Well

The broth is seasoned with a combination of cumin, Mexican oregano, garlic, onion, chipotle powder, fire roasted green chiles, and fresh lime juice. All of these notes give it a layered, beautiful flavor without any heavy lifting. The chicken is already flavorful from the tomatillo slow cooker process, so it is not just plain shredded chicken floating in broth. And the toppings situation is genuinely next level.

The Crispy Tortilla Strips are non-negotiable for me in this gluten free chicken tortilla soup. Texture, texture, texture! They add crunch, they soak up just enough broth to become this amazing chewy-crispy thing. My Pickled Taqueria Carrots can be added as a “topper” if you’d like, but are also lovely to add in as you warm up the soup. They’re a bright, tangy punch that cuts through the richness of the broth on so many levels. This is the kind of soup where you invite your pals over for a “Soup n’ Taco” bar! Set out all the toppings and let everyone build their own bowl. Who doesn’t enjoy an interactive evening with friends and tasty food?!

Ingredients You Will Need

Here is a quick look at what goes into the pot. Full amounts are in the recipe card below.

For the Soup Base

Start with either the leftover broth from my Tomatillo Chicken or 3 to 4 cups of good quality chicken bone broth. From there you are building flavor with ground cumin, salt, dried Mexican oregano (regular oregano works in a pinch but Mexican oregano has a citrusy, slightly anise note that is worth seeking out), garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and optional chipotle powder for smokiness and heat. Fire roasted green chiles, fresh lime juice, and cilantro round out the base and make it sing.

The Add-Ins

This is where the customizable magic happens for this gluten free chicken tortilla soup. I build mine with my Tomatillo Shredded Chicken, canned corn, black beans, and diced Pickled Taqueria Carrots and Onions. But this soup is genuinely forgiving and flexible. Use what you have and what you love. If you want to keep it Whole30, skip the corn and beans and load up on extra chicken and avocado, or even some fresh thin slices of jalapeño!

The Toppings that shine in Chicken Tortilla Soup

A must for me honestly, they make this soup. Crispy Tortilla Strips, cubed avocado, finely shredded white cheddar, thinly sliced red cabbage for color and crunch, fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese, and a big squeeze of fresh lime over everything, always, always serve with lime wedges. Set them all out in little bowls and let people go to town. This is the kind of meal where the table is set with so many colors and textures, you’ll have your family or guests eating with their eyes first, no doubt!

How to Make Gluten Free Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is genuinely one of the fastest soups I make. Once your chicken is prepped and your broth is ready, you are about 15 minutes from dinner on the table. Full instructions are in the recipe card below, but here is the quick version.

Add your broth to a medium saucepan along with all the spices, green chiles, lime juice, and cilantro. Whisk everything together, taste, and adjust the salt and lime until the broth is exactly where you want it. Taste as you go and allow broth to simmer a bit before adding more salt or lime juice. Those flavors take a few minutes to mingle and present themselves. The broth is pretty key to this recipe, so take a few minutes to baby step your taste buds here.

Once the broth is seasoned, add the shredded chicken, corn, black beans, and pickled carrots. Stir gently just to combine and warm everything through over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and pile on every topping.

Tips for the Best Bowl Every Time

Do not throw away that Tomatillo Chicken broth. I know I already said this but it is worth repeating. That liquid is the difference between a good tortilla soup and a truly great one. Freeze it if you make it ahead of the soup.

Season the broth before adding the chicken. Taste and adjust while the broth is on its own so you can dial in the salt, heat, and lime exactly right without the add-ins getting in the way. Tossing in a few slices of jalapeño will also lend some mild heat and can easily be picked out if you don’t want to eat them.

Stir gently once the chicken goes in. Aggressive stirring breaks up the chicken into stringy bits, a hard pass for me. A couple of gentle passes keeps it in beautiful chunks that hold their shape in the bowl and there’s something so enjoyable about chewing your soup…right?

Make the tortilla strips fresh. You can make them ahead, but they are absolutely best the day of. They take about 10 minutes and the crunch they add is the signature of this soup. Check out my Crispy Tortilla Strips recipe for the full how-to and if you happen to have a Latin market near you, I’ve seen a few that actually carry them now. Be sure to read the label however, they can often be fried in oils that might not agree with you.

Serve immediately once assembled. The tortilla strips soften quickly in the hot broth, so ladle into bowls, pile on the toppings, and get to the table right away. This is not a soup that waits well once it is built which makes it ideal for a party since guests curate their own bowls just the way they like and can dig right in.

Make It Whole30

This soup is incredibly easy to adapt for a round of Whole30 if needed. Skip the corn, black beans, and any cheese toppings. Load up instead with extra shredded chicken, a generous amount of avocado, red cabbage, fresh cilantro, sliced olives, grilled zucchini slices and a big squeeze of lime. The broth and the chicken are already compliant, so you are just adjusting the add-ins and unfortunately skipping the strips, since even a cassava flour tortilla isn’t Whole30 as of this post.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use rotisserie chicken instead?

Absolutely. Rotisserie chicken can be a great shortcut here, just be sure to read the label for hidden sugar or oil. Shred it and add it in with the other add-ins. You will miss the tomatillo flavor that the Tomatillo Chicken brings, so lean into the spice blend a little more and make sure your broth is deeply seasoned to compensate.

How do I store leftovers?

Store the soup base and add-ins separately from the toppings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop and make fresh crispy tortilla strips when you are ready to serve again. The soup itself actually gets even better on day two as the flavors meld together.

Can I freeze this soup?

Yes! Freeze the broth and chicken mixture but not with add ins as they will be a bit mushy after freezing then thawing as you warm up the soup. Not a great mouthfeel and can make the soup cloudy since they may also break apart more easily. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat on the stovetop, and add fresh add-ins and toppings when serving.

How do I make this spicier or milder?

The chipotle powder is your heat dial. Start with 1/8 teaspoon for very mild warmth and work your way up. You can also add a thinly sliced jalapeño or serrano to the broth if you want a fresher, brighter heat. For milder, simply leave the chipotle out entirely. The soup is delicious either way.

The Companion Recipes Worth Bookmarking

This soup is part of a little suite of recipes that all work together beautifully. If you want the full experience, here is where to start:

• Tomatillo Chicken, Shredded – the base chicken and the liquid gold broth
• Crispy Tortilla Strips – do not skip these, they make the soup
• Pickled Taqueria Carrots and Onions – the secret add-in that makes people ask what is in this

More Cozy Fall Soups and Entrees

• Browse all Back Porch Paleo soups and stews
• All Mexican-inspired recipes
• Spicy Chicken Avocado Soup
• Creamy Tuscan Tomato Soup

Gluten Free Chicken Tortilla Soup

Recipe by MichelleCourse: DinnerCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• soup base

• 1 tsp Cumin, Ground

• 1 tsp Real Salt – Redmond

• 1/2 tsp Mexican Oregano, Dried

• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder – The Spice Lab

• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder – The Spice Lab

• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper – Primal Palate

• 1/8 – .5 tsp Chipotle Powder, optional

• 4 oz Green Chiles, Fire Roasted, canned

• 2 – 3 whole Lime, juice of 2-3 limes, depending on preference

• 1/4 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped

• add ins

• 1 1/2 – 2 cups Tomatillo Chicken, Shredded (click for recipe)

• 1/2 cup Canned Corn, can use frozen

• 1/2 cup Black Beans, canned, rinsed

• 1/2 cup Pickled Taqueria Carrots & Onions (click for recipe)

• toppings

• 1/2 cup Avocado, cubed

• 1/2 cup White Cheddar Cheese, finely shredded

• 1/4 cup Red Cabbage, thinly sliced

• 1/8 – .25 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped

• 1/8 – .25 cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled

• 1 whole Lime, cut into wedges for serving

Directions

• Add broth, cumin, salt, oregano, garlic, onion, pepper and chipotle powder to a medium sized saucepan, whisk to combine. Add green chiles, lime juice and cilantro, stirring to fully incorporate. Taste and adjust salt and lime juice as desired.
• Once broth is seasoned to your liking, add chicken, corn, beans and carrots, stirring gently to combine. I like to keep the stirring to a minimum now since the chicken will fall apart very easily, a personal preference.
• Simmer over a low heat to allow the add ins to warm up, then ladle into bowls to serve.
• Add toppings as desired and enjoy!

If you make this Gluten Free Chicken Tortilla Soup, I would love to hear about it! Drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram. There is nothing I love more than seeing your versions of my recipes, and this one especially is a showstopper when those toppings get piled on. Happy soup season! 🍂