Chick-fil-A’s chicken tortilla soup boasts a (very!) dedicated fan base—as soon as sweater weather hits, people line up for this seasonal menu item. Yes, I can see why. It has rotisserie chicken, beans, corn, and a mix of warm spices that make it the perfect food to warm you up. But what if, like me, you live far from a Chick-fil-A? Whipping up a homemade version is the next best thing. After tasting how good this is, I’d say it gives the original a run for its money. Best part? When you make it yourself, you can easily customize it to your and your family’s tastes, no talking to a cashier required. Advertisement – Continue Reading Below.
People love Chick-fil-A’s chicken tortilla soup and can’t wait for it to come back on the menu every year. This hearty soup is perfect for cold days and comes with tender chicken, beans, corn, zesty spices, and crispy tortilla strips. Luckily, you don’t have to wait for it to be in season to enjoy it; it’s easy to make at home. Learn how to make chicken tortilla soup that tastes just like Chick-fil-A’s here.
Overview
Chick-fil-A’s chicken tortilla soup features shredded chicken, white beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, spices like cumin and chili powder, and lime. Toppings like tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and cilantro add texture and flavor.
The copycat version follows a similar formula. It starts with a tasty base of onions, garlic, and other aromatics that have been sautéed. Then corn, spices, chicken broth, and shredded chicken from a can are added to the pot. Lime juice and sour cream provide tanginess. Crispy homemade tortilla strips are the perfect topping.
Ingredients
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Onion: Diced yellow onion provides aromatics for the base.
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Garlic: Minced garlic adds flavor.
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Olive oil: For sautéing the onion and garlic. A neutral oil like canola could also be used.
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Spices: Cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, oregano, and taco seasoning provide the signature Tex-Mex flavor.
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Canned white beans Cannellini or great northern beans Puree some for a creamy texture
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Black beans: Drain and rinse to reduce sodium.
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Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: Tomatoes with green chiles add smokiness.
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Chicken broth: Low-sodium recommended.
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Corn: Use frozen or canned.
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Shredded cooked chicken: Rotisserie chicken works well.
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Masa harina (optional): Adds thickness. Cornstarch could also be used.
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Lime juice: Essential for brightness.
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Sour cream: Provides tangy creaminess.
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Tortilla strips: Top with crispy homemade strips.
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Garnishes: Cilantro, avocado, shredded cheese, lime wedges.
Instructions
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Sauté aromatics: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and spices and cook 1 minute more.
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Add broth, beans, corn: Add fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, drained beans, and corn. Bring to a boil.
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Simmer: Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
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Puree some beans: Puree about 1/3 of the beans to make the soup creamy.
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Add chicken: Stir in cooked shredded chicken and heat through.
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Thicken: Mix masa harina with water to form a paste. Stir into soup to thicken, if desired.
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Finish with lime and sour cream: Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and sour cream. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Make tortilla strips: Slice tortillas into strips. Toss with oil. Bake at 400oF until crispy, about 10 minutes.
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Serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with tortilla strips, cilantro, avocado, cheese, and lime wedges.
Tips
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Make it spicy by adding extra chipotle chili powder or a can of diced green chilies.
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Garnish with fun toppings like sliced radishes, pickled jalapeños, or black olives.
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For convenience, use rotisserie chicken. Shred or chop into bite-size pieces.
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Not a fan of cilantro? Swap for scallions or leave it out.
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To reduce calories, use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
FAQs
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes! The soup tastes even better the next day. Prepare the recipe up until adding the lime juice and sour cream. Cool completely and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat before finishing with the lime juice and sour cream.
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
Absolutely. Substitute 2-3 chopped fresh tomatoes for the can of fire-roasted tomatoes. Add a small can of green chilies if you want some heat.
What can I serve with the soup?
Try quesadillas, cornbread, chips and guacamole, or a side salad. Chicken tortilla soup also makes a great meal on its own.
What if I don’t have masa harina?
No problem – you can leave it out. The soup will still taste delicious without it. For a thicker soup, puree a few extra beans or stir in a slurry of cornstarch and water at the end.
Recreate the flavors of Chick-fil-A’s popular seasonal soup at home with this easy copycat recipe. With zesty spices, tender chicken, and crispy tortilla strips, this chicken tortilla soup really satisfies. Adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes and garnish with fun toppings for a delicious, comforting meal any time of year.
Tortilla Strips & Assembly
- 4 (5″) corn tortillas, sliced into 1/2″ strips
- 1 Tbsp. (or more) neutral oil
- Kosher salt
- For serving, you can add lime wedges, chopped avocado, fresh cilantro, and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Step 1: Blend or process one can of white beans and their liquid in a blender or food processor until the soup is smooth. You can also use a potato masher or a large spoon to mash the white beans in a medium bowl until they are smooth. Step 2: Heat the oil in a big Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and stir it around for about 7 minutes, until it gets soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and garlic. Cook, stirring, and adding more chili powder if needed for about two minutes, or until the food smells good. Add the tomatoes and stir them in every so often. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce gets a little thicker. Season with salt and pepper. Add the black beans, broth, and the last can of white beans and their liquid, along with the pureed beans you saved. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring every now and then, for about 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened and flavors have blended. Step 3: Mix masa harina and 2 tablespoons of water together in a small bowl. Then, add the mixture to the soup and mix it in. Add the chicken and corn and cook, stirring every now and then, for about 10 minutes, until everything is hot. To make it taste better, add salt and pepper to taste and mix in the sour cream and lime juice.
- Tortilla Strips & AssemblyStep 1 Preheat oven to 400°. Toss the tortilla strips with oil in a small bowl. If necessary, add a little more oil and rub the strips all over. Spread on a baking sheet. Step 2: Check on the strips after 7 minutes and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are crispy. Step 3 Ladle soup into bowls. Top with tortilla strips, cilantro, avocado, and cheddar (if using). Serve with lime wedges alongside (if using).
How To Make Copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup
• White Beans: Any beans labeled cannellini, great Northern beans, navy beans, or white kidney beans should work here. Some of them blended or mashed gave the soup base a nice thickness. You could leave them all whole, though. In fact, though Chick-fil-A guards its recipe closely, I suspect that blending white beans may be one of their secrets. • Neutral oil: To give this that fast food flavor, a neutral oil like vegetable or sunflower is best, but if olive oil is what you’ve got, it’ll work great too. • Canned Tomatoes: I love how easy it is to use diced fire-roasted tomatoes in a can with green chiles because they add a lot of flavor without any extra work. That said, if you only have regular canned tomatoes, those will work too. You can add a small can of green chiles or use black beans with added chiles if you can find them, or skip the chiles altogether. • Black Beans: Though I usually would recommend rinsing your beans before using them in a recipe, here you get to skip that step! Keeping some of the bean juice from the can helps add flavor and thickness to this soup. • Chicken Broth: I recommend using low-sodium broth so you can better control the level of salt and flavor in your soup. If you’ve only got regular sodium, take care to taste before you season with salt, as you might need less than you think. • Masa Harina: Masa harina is a corn flour commonly used in Mexican cuisine for making various doughs and thickening soups and sauces. You can typically find several brands in grocery stores such as Goya, Masienda, and Bob’s Red Mill. A paste is made by mixing a little masa harina with water. This paste is added near the end of cooking to make the soup thicker. However, If you don’t have any masa harina, don’t worry—the soup will still be a winner. You can always adjust the consistency by adding more sour cream or mashed beans. • Shredded Cooked Chicken: Utilizing store-bought rotisserie chicken is a smart shortcut, but it still takes a little time to shred. To save even more time, I like to buy and shred the chicken on a Sunday (or a couple of days before making the soup) and store it in the fridge for the week. “Frozen Corn”: I like how easy it is to use frozen corn, which is what Chick-fil-A does, but you can use fresh corn if you have it. • Sour Cream: In developing this recipe, I loved the idea of creating a creamy base without relying on heavy cream, and thought the added tang from sour cream was quite nice. Feel free to substitute, potentially adding a little more lime juice to compensate. The best way for me to lighten up a heavy soup is to squeeze in some fresh lime juice. I add this at the end of the cooking process and serve the soup with lime wedges. You’ll need ~2 limes for the soup, and however many you’d like for serving, so plan accordingly. Corn Tortillas: While you can totally crush corn tortilla chips for the crunchy topping here, making your own strips with my no-fry method is both effortless and delicious.
If you’re not a great multitasker in the kitchen, it’s a good idea to blend the beans for the soup base before you start your soup. If you can handle a pot on the stove and a blender going, feel free to do the first two steps simultaneously. Similarly, you can bake the tortilla strips ahead of time, or do them once your soup is ready.
They’re pretty quick once you get your oven preheated. Simply slice your tortillas into strips, coat them in a little oil, and bake them. Depending on how hot your oven runs, check them early—they will continue to crisp up as they cool.
Like many soups, this one starts by sautéeing your aromatics (i.e., your onion, garlic, and spices). Let the onions go for a few minutes on their own, then add the garlic and spices, making sure to stir so nothing burns.
Once those have cooked all together for about 10 minutes total and your kitchen is smelling good, you’ll add the tomatoes, cooking just until the liquid has evaporated a bit. Season with salt and pepper (start slow; you can always season more once the rest of your ingredients have been added).
Next add the pureed or mashed white beans, the cans of black beans and whole white beans (including their liquid!), and some broth. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Now is a great time to taste for salt, adding more if you went light earlier.
While your soup is simmering, mix the masa harina and a few tablespoons of water until combined.
Once the soup has thickened and the flavors have melded, stir the masa harina in, along with the chicken and corn. Cook it until everything is heated through, then stir in the sour cream and lime juice and taste for seasoning.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe above.