Celebrity chef Bobby Flay has been a huge part of the American food scene for decades. He might be the most visible chef of his generation, having been inspired by culinary icons like Jonathan Waxman, Wolfgang Puck, and Jeremiah Tower.
His Mesa Grill restaurants brought him to prominence and his Grillin & Chillin show brought his take on American Southwestern cuisine into our homes. He made his dishes approachable for home cooks in his more than a dozen cookbooks. As his restaurant empire grew and he became a Food Network staple with “Beat Bobby Flay” and as an “Iron Chef,” his innovative takes on classic recipes became a highlight.
Chef Flay knows whats good and wont abandon dishes and techniques that he still believes in. For example, chicken tortilla soup was a mainstay at his first restaurant, Mesa Grill. Decades later, a version remains on that menu at his Las Vegas location. Since the soup is so common that Chick-fil-A serves it, he probably won’t change his mind about how much he loves this classic dish.
Chicken tortilla soup is the ultimate comfort food With its spicy, tomatoey broth, tender chicken, and crispy tortilla strips, it’s no wonder this Mexican stew is a crowd-pleaser. However, a common issue many home cooks face when making chicken tortilla soup is getting the right consistency If your soup turns out too thin and watery, don’t worry – there are plenty of easy ways to thicken it up!
This article will show you 12 easy ways to make chicken tortilla soup the right thickness. You can find a method that works for you here, whether you like to use thickeners, purees, or less broth. Let’s dive in!.
Use Cornstarch or Flour
The easiest way to make any soup or sauce thicker is to use a starch-based thickener, like flour or cornstarch. If you want to use cornstarch, mix a few drops of it with cold water to make a slurry. Slowly stir this into the hot soup, and then let it cook for 5 minutes to make it thicker. You can also whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour until the broth is smooth. Just be sure to cook the flour taste out.
Blend Some of the Soup
Add Dairy
Another simple way to improve and thicken chicken tortilla soup is to add a little cream, half-and-half, or milk. Heavy cream or full-fat dairy works best. Full-fat coconut milk is a non-dairy option that adds thickness and richness. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup near the end of cooking and heat through slowly.
Cook Down the Broth
Mash Some Beans
Pureeing a portion of beans into the broth is a great way to add body. Mash about 1/2 cup cooked beans with a fork or potato masher. Black or pinto beans work well. Stir the mashed beans into the hot soup until fully incorporated. The starch from the beans will act as a natural thickener.
Add Mexican Chorizo
Use Masa Harina
Puree Vegetables
Add Cooked Rice
Adding some already-cooked rice, like Spanish rice, cilantro lime rice, or Mexican red rice, makes the starch thicken and adds texture and flavor. Cook the rice fully in chicken broth for best flavor. Just before you serve, mix in 1 to 2 cups of cooked rice. Allow it to soak up liquid as it simmers briefly.
Grate in Raw Potato
Add Some Refried Beans
Finish with Cheese
Pureed chiles easily thicken tortilla soup
Bobby Flays Instagram recently posted a recipe for tortilla soup with avocado relish, which includes one crucial step that makes a huge difference. His technique for adding a chile paste does double duty as a vehicle for big flavor, while also serving as a thickening agent. A dried ancho chile gets re-hydrated in hot water for 15 minutes, and once its pliable, its pureed in a food processor, with some of the soaking liquid, until a paste forms. Adding this to the broth brings all of that great heat and flavor, but as this simmers, it also helps thicken the broth.
While Flay uses a mild ancho chile that even beginners can tolerate, any dried chile would work. For the heat-inclined and curious, Spices Inc explains the bevy of dried chiles you could use to customize your tortilla soup. They recommend removing the seeds prior to using dried chiles as this will reduce the heat potency, while also eliminating the bitter flavor that the seeds bring.
For an extra bit of thickening that wont bring more chile spice, you can puree some tortillas into the soup. The New York Times adds most of the tortillas to the broth, then blends it till smooth, before adding the chicken, and other garnishes. The result is “like a light bisque.”
30 MInute Chicken Tortilla Soup
FAQ
What can I use to thicken my tortilla soup?
Pureed chiles make tortilla soup thicker quickly. Adding them to the broth adds heat and flavor, and as they simmer, they help the broth get thicker. While Flay uses a mild ancho chile that even beginners can tolerate, any dried chile would work. Jan 12, 2023.
How do you thicken watery chicken soup?
Starches are the most common and useful thickeners in cooking. For example, corn starch, the flour in a roux, or the way that grains like oats, rice, and porridge thicken when they are cooked in water each make a roux.
How to thicken up chicken enchilada soup?
Add Flour Or Cornstarch – You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. Jan 15, 2025.
What makes chicken tortilla soup creamy?
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. Add a lot of white cheddar cheese and let it melt into the soup to finish.
Can you add cheese to chicken tortilla soup?
Cheese is one of my favorite toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup. You can add cheese to the actual soup or hold it and add to individual servings. Feel free to go crazy and mix it up with Pepper Jack or Monterrey Jack and of course Cheddar is always amazing. How do I thicken Chicken Tortilla Soup?
How do you cook chicken tortilla soup?
Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add all remaining Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients (except ADD LATER). Cover soup and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer over medium-low (or low if your stove runs hot).
Is chicken tortilla soup easy to make?
This Chicken Tortilla Soup is almost dump and run for the ideal easy weeknight dinner or fabulous for crowds. It’s warm and comforting, hearty, savory, filling, and healthy, requires minimal effort (seriously one of the easiest soups you will ever make) and is destined to become a new family favorite!
How do you thicken soup?
Simply take a cup or two of the soup, chunks and all, and puree it until it’s creamy and smooth. Return it to the pot and stir. This will thicken your soup and preserve the chunkiness at the same time. Although a blender or food processor works equally well in this circumstance, there are times when that isn’t true.
How do you make soup thicker & creamier?
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that if you add something thick and creamy directly to the soup, it will become thicker and creamier. There are almost unlimited options here, depending on your preferences and what you happen to have on hand. Possibilities include cream, coconut milk, yogurt, or even pureed avocado.