This Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is easy to make on the stove top or the Crock Pot. Make it with fresh, leftover, or rotisserie chicken. Cheddar and Cream Cheese add a hint of creamy indulgence!.
Chicken tortilla soup is a beloved Tex-Mex classic that offers a flavorful medley of tender chicken, tomatoes, corn, beans, and Mexican spices. This hearty soup makes for a satisfying meal on its own, but can also be paired with a variety of sides to complement and round out the dining experience. In this article, we’ll explore over 20 delicious options for what to serve alongside chicken tortilla soup.
Crunchy Toppings Add Texture
A bowl of chicken tortilla soup tastes even better with some crispy crunchy toppings sprinkled on top. Tortilla strips made from either corn or flour tortillas cut into strips and fried until crispy, provide a nice contrast to the soup’s smooth texture. Crushed tortilla chips work well too. Other popular toppings include shredded cheddar or Mexican cheeses like queso fresco or cotija, diced avocado, sour cream, cilantro, sliced black olives, lime wedges, and pico de gallo or salsa.
Warm Tortillas for Serving
What would tortilla soup be without fresh warm tortillas on the side? Either corn or flour tortillas lightly toasted or warmed, pair perfectly for dipping into the flavorful broth. For an extra crunchy kick, try cutting the tortillas into strips and frying them for tasty homemade tortilla strips.
Rice Dishes Add Heartiness
For a hearty, filling complement, rice dishes like Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice, or cheesy rice casseroles make great additions. The rice soaks up the delicious flavors of the soup, while providing bulk and satisfaction. Jazz up plain white rice with tomato paste, garlic, onions, cumin, and cilantro for a vibrant Mexican rice.
Beans Provide Protein
Beans are another great plant-based source of protein and fiber. They also have a creamy, satisfying texture that goes well with soup. Serve black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans with soup to boost the protein and flavor. Ready when the soup is when you are. Make the sides ahead of time in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Quesadillas Bring Cheesy Goodness
Mexican-style soup goes great with a freshly made quesadilla stuffed with melted cheese or any other fillings you like. The melted cheese pulls the whole meal together. You can cook quesadillas on the stove or use an air fryer or quesadilla maker to make them quickly crispy and melty.
Salads Provide Freshness
For lighter, healthier sides full of fresh vegetables and crunch, salads make ideal pairings. Great options include simple green salads, Mexican-style salads with corn, black beans, avocado and peppers, zesty cabbage slaws, and cucumber-tomato salads. Bright, crisp textures combined with acidity from citrus vinaigrettes balance the soup’s heartiness.
Elote-Inspired Sides
Try sides that are based on elote, or Mexican grilled corn, for a new twist. Add cotija cheese, cilantro, and crema to charred corn to make a salad that looks like elote. For a sweet and smoky version, roast carrots in the oven with cumin, lime juice, chili powder, queso fresco, and cilantro. These sides evoke the soup’s Mexican essence.
Guacamole Adds Creaminess
Rich, velvety guacamole makes for a satisfying accompaniment, both taste and texture-wise. The cool, creamy avocado dip helps balance the soup’s spice. Make it fresh or use a store-bought tub. Either way, guacamole is sure to be a crowd-pleaser alongside the soup. Try some pico de gallo or salsa on the side too for an extra punch.
Tacos Bring It Full Circle
If chicken tortilla soup makes you want more Mexican food, tacos, enchiladas, or tostadas on the side are a natural choice. Tostadas can be filled with anything you want: meat, beans, rice, peppers, onions, cheese, The soup provides built-in taco toppings too. To make sides that are easy, look for baked tostadas that you can quickly top with cheese and broil.
Meatballs Deliver Heartiness
If you’re looking for a heartier side to accompany your chicken tortilla soup, meatballs are just the ticket. Try Spanish-style meatballs simmered in enchilada or tomato sauce for a comforting, flavorful bite. The meatiness perfectly complements the soup. For fun, skewer them with toothpicks for mess-free dipping.
Peppers Add a Twist
For low-carb sides sans tortillas, stuffed peppers allow you to still enjoy Mexican flavors. Stuff poblano or bell peppers with cheese, ground beef, rice, beans, corn, etc. and bake until hot and melty. The pepper walls soak up the delicious soup broth beautifully. Roast jalapenos, sauté shishitos, or blister Padron peppers too for extra kick.
Nachos Please
Loaded nachos always make a welcome appearance at any Mexican meal. Top corn chips with melted cheese, beans, salsa, guac and all your favorite taco toppings. The savory chips sop up the soup perfectly. Make them loaded for a full meal or simplified as a side. Either way, nachos = happiness.
Tamales Bring Authentic Tastes
For an authentic, homemade touch, making tamales to enjoy alongside the soup adds Mexican tradition. Filled with meats, cheeses, chilies and more wrapped in masa dough, tamales take time but provide incredible rich flavor. Or, pick up prepared tamales from the store to simply heat and serve when you want an iconic food pairing.
Street Corn Revamps the Cob
Mexican street corn offers another fun way to enjoy corn on the cob doused in crema, lime juice, chili powder and queso fresco. Grill the corn or quickly broil it with the saucy toppings for an easy, festive side. The charred sweet corn kernels play perfectly with the spicy, creamy soup.
Satisfy with Sopes
Sopes—small, thick corn tortillas topped with beans, meat, lettuce, cheese and more—offer another traditional Mexican street food well-suited for serving with the soup. Sopes provide a hearty, hand-held option for spooning up mouthfuls of the delicious broth.
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
There is SO much fresh flavor going on in this soup, it’s definitely hard to stop eating it. Because it freezes so well, I usually have to put some in bags to freeze so I don’t eat the whole batch at once.
Make this as spicy or as mild as you want! And the topping options are endless: Crispy tortilla strips, jalapenos, cheese, avocados, cilantro, (clearly my stance is ‘all of the above’). .
This is so easy to make on the Stove Top or Crock Pot. You can even use leftover chicken!.
Check out my PRO tips, storage info, and more below!
How to Make It
Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Soften onions, jalapeno peppers, and garlic in butter. Add tomato paste, corn, undrained diced tomatoes, black beans, taco seasoning, cayenne pepper, cumin, and hot sauce.
Add chicken broth and chicken breasts. Bubble gently for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Remove and use 2 forks to shred.
Add the chicken back to the soup and reduce heat to low. Add cheddar and softened cream cheese and stir until smooth and combined. Garnish, and serve!.
- Soften onions, peppers, and garlic in butter on the stovetop. Put in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients, minus the shredded cheese, cream cheese, and toppings.
- Cook on low for 6 hours. (Low heat will keep the chicken juicy and tender.) Cooking it over higher heat makes it tougher. You can cook it on high for 4 hours if you need to. ).
- Remove chicken and use 2 forks to shred. Return it to the Crock Pot.
- Turn off heat. Add the cheddar and cream cheeses slowly and stir to combine.
- You can add diced avocado, sour cream, jalapenos, shredded cheese, and cilantro as toppings if you want to.
- 4 chicken breasts or 2 cups of rotisserie chicken that has been cooked and saved.
- Add the cheeses when they are almost room temperature. They will melt much more smoothly and creamy.
- Heat up 2 cups of water in the microwave to quickly soften the cream cheese. Close the door of the microwave and put the cream cheese cubes inside. Let it soften for 5 minutes.
- When adding the cheese, make sure the base is not too hot. If it is, the dairy will separate, making the texture grainy.
- For this recipe, I like Frank’s Hot Sauce because it’s not too spicy, but you can use any hot sauce you like!
- Instead of canned corn, you can use 1 and a half cups of frozen or fresh corn.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 55!
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
30 MInute Chicken Tortilla Soup
FAQ
What is a good side dish for chicken tortilla soup?
Refried Beans: Refried beans, a creamy and hearty blend of mashed beans cooked with onions, garlic, and spices, serve as a deliciously comforting and versatile side dish in Mexican cooking. Cilantro Lime Rice: This recipe for cilantro lime rice is a simple side dish that goes well with chicken tortilla soup as a base or alone.
What is a good side dish for Mexican soup?
What are the best sides and toppings to go with a warm bowl of taco soup? Homemade tortilla chips, Mexican rice, crisp salads, and cool, sweet fruit. Plus guac and salsas, too. Even dessert!.
What to add to chicken tortilla soup?
Stir in black beans, cooked chicken, corn, hominy, chile peppers, and cilantro. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, Monterey Jack cheese, and green onions.
What are good sides to go with soup?
- Garlic Bread, Rolls, and Biscuits.
- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
- Roasted Potatoes.
- Simple Salads.
What to serve with chicken tortilla soup?
Serve chicken tortilla soup in bowls with a pile of fried tortilla strips on the side. You can also offer yogurt and hot sauce as optional toppings. This comforting soup is great for serving on game day, fighting a winter cold, or as a quick dinner.
Can you eat chips with chicken tortilla soup?
You can certainly serve chips with chicken tortilla soup. What would make it even better is if you served the soup with chips and maybe some guacamole as well. This will provide a nice crunch to your soup.
Which beer goes with chicken tortilla soup?
For a refreshing and complementary beer option with chicken tortilla soup, consider Mexican-style lagers like Modelo and Tecate, which have a clean, sweet taste with a slight bitterness. Enjoy your meal!