Chick-fil-A’s chicken tortilla soup is a fan favorite that people look forward to every year when it returns to the menu With tender chicken, beans, corn, zesty spices, and crispy tortilla strips, this soup really hits the spot on a chilly day Luckily, you don’t have to wait for it to be in season to enjoy this comforting soup because it’s easy to recreate at home. Here’s everything you need to know about making copycat Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup.
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 flavorful base of sautéed aromatics like onion and garlic. Then canned beans, corn, spices, chicken broth and shredded chicken 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
- Fresh cilantro, chopped avocado, shredded cheddar, and lime wedges, for serving (optional)
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Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Step 1 In a blender or food processor, blend 1 can white beans plus their liquid until smooth. Alternatively, in a medium bowl, mash white beans with a potato masher or large spoon until smooth.
- Step 2 In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and chili powder and cook, stirring and adding more chili powder if needed, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pureed beans, black beans, broth, and remaining 1 can white beans and their liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and flavors have melded, about 20 minutes.
- Step 3 In a small bowl, mix masa harina and 2 tablespoons water until combined; stir into soup. Add chicken and corn; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper, if needed.
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Tortilla Strips & Assembly
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, toss tortilla strips with oil, adding a little more oil if needed, until well coated. Spread on a baking sheet.
- Step 2 Bake strips, checking at the 7-minute mark, until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.
- 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. You could keep them all whole, but I found that blending or mashing some of them added a pleasant thickness to the soup base. 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 the convenience of using fire-roasted canned, diced tomatoes with green chiles because they bring a lot of added flavor without any added effort. 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. Mixing a little masa harina with water creates a paste, which is added towards the end of cooking to thicken the soup. 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 the convenience of frozen corn (and it’s certainly what they’re using at Chick-fil-A), but feel free to use fresh if you’ve got 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. • Lime Juice: A squeeze of fresh lime is my favorite way to add brightness to an otherwise heavy soup, so I add some in at the end of cooking AND pair it with lime wedges for serving. 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.