Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup is loaded with hidden veggies, tender chicken, quinoa, and beans. Grab a bowl, add toppings, and enjoy!
author’s note
This Soup = Instant Comfort in a Bowl!
Chicken tortilla soup has always been a go-to dinner in my house. It’s cozy, hearty, and the toppings make it so fun. My kids pile on cheese and chips and I can’t resist a squeeze of lime and a big handful of cilantro.
Since I make tortilla soup so often, I wanted a version that felt a little lighter but still really filling. That’s how this Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup was born!
I packed in extra veggies, swapped in quinoa for added protein and texture, and leaned on the slow cooker to make it as easy as possible. The result? A soup that’s just as flavorful and satisfying, but with a wholesome spin that keeps me coming back for seconds.
Why Sauté First?
This slow cooker meal is easy, but sautéing first makes it more flavorful. If your slow cooker has a sauté function, you can do it all in one pot!
Sautéing the aromatics, spices, tomato paste, and tomatoes deepens the flavor and ensures the onion cooks fully, so it’s not crunchy.
Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps or Tips |
|---|---|
| Chicken thighs | Use chicken breasts if preferred, but they can dry out faster. |
| Quinoa | Rinse before adding to remove bitterness. Rice works in a pinch, but cook separately and stir in at the end. |
| Red enchilada sauce | If too spicy, cut the amount in half and replace with chicken stock. |
| Chicken stock | Use low-sodium to control salt and season to taste at the end. |
| Black beans | Pinto beans or kidney beans also work. |
Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup Toppings
- Tortilla strips: Use store-bought strips for ease or make your own baked or air-fried strips.
- Cheese: Add a Mexican blend, sharp Cheddar, or Monterey-Colby Jack.
- Avocado or guac: Add only to what you’ll be enjoying immediately.
- Lime juice: A drizzle of lime adds brightness and freshness.
- Cilantro: If you don’t like you can skip!
- Sour cream: Light or fat-free sour cream works great.
Storage
Leftovers?
Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup gets thicker as the quinoa expands. It’s still tasty, but it thickens more over time. Best eaten in 2-3 days.
Reheat on the stovetop with a little chicken stock. It doesn’t freeze well since the quinoa soaks up the liquid.
More Delicious Soup Recipes:
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Curry Lentil Soup
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Mushroom Carrot Soup
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Easy Zuppa Toscana
Dinner
Crockpot Chili
Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup is loaded with veggies, quinoa, beans, and tender chicken. Add your favorite toppings and get ready to fall in love with every cozy bite!
Equipment
- 6-quart Crock-Pot 6-quart
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1-1/2 teaspoons finely minced jalapeño optional, if you like heat
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder see note 1
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies like Ro*Tel, see note 3
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, see note 2
- 1/2 cup quinoa white or tri-colored, thoroughly rinsed
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (10-ounce) can mild red enchilada sauce see note 4
- 1-1/2 cups frozen corn or 1 can drained
- 1 (32-ounce) carton chicken stock or broth, 4 cups, see note 5
- 3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro optional finishing touch
- 1 lime optional finishing touch
- Toppings as desired see note 6
Instructions
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Trim the chicken of fat and cut each piece into 2-inch chunks. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.
- If you have the option to sauté in your slow cooker base, use that; otherwise, use a pot. Add olive oil and heat to medium-high. Add onion and sauté until turning golden, about 5–7 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and the seasonings: chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, but add to preference). Sauté for 1–2 minutes or until very fragrant. Pour the entire can (don’t drain) diced tomatoes and mix, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Use a spatula to scrape every bit of this mixture into the base of the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except for the finishing touches and toppings) into the slow cooker. Stir well, submerge chicken below the liquid, and cook on high for 2-1/2 up to 3-1/2 hours or until chicken easily shreds (see note 7). Remove chicken and transfer to a bowl. Shred the chicken with two forks and return to the slow cooker.
- Add cilantro and 2 tablespoons lime juice, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt/pepper if desired. Serve into bowls. Add desired toppings and enjoy immediately!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Chili Powder is not to be confused with chilli powder, which is very hot. (I use McCormick, which is much milder.)
Note 2: While chicken breasts work, I highly recommend chicken thighs. Thigh meat becomes exceptionally tender in the slow cooker and shreds quickly and easily. It’s also more forgiving if it is cooked longer, since chicken breasts tend to dry out if they’re cooked too long.
Note 3: If you’re concerned about heat, use regular diced tomatoes or regular fire-roasted tomatoes instead of tomatoes with green chiles added.
Note 4: Enchilada sauce varies greatly in heat from brand to brand. I love and recommend Old El Paso® mild red enchilada sauce (not sponsored). If you aren’t able to find this brand, I’d recommend tasting the enchilada sauce first and making sure it isn’t too spicy.
Note 5: A high-quality, flavorful stock adds loads of flavor and allows us to cut down on spices or other additions. I highly recommend Swanson® chicken stock—it’s my favorite in this soup.
Note 6: Optional toppings: freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, diced ripe avocado, extra squeeze of lime, fried or baked tortilla strips or chips, sour cream, additional cilantro, etc. While this soup is tasty right out of the slow cooker, the toppings truly seal the deal!
Note 7: Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t cook well on low. The quinoa needs higher heat to “pop” and cook through. Each slow cooker is a little different, so the cooking time varies. Look for chicken that shreds easily, quinoa that is fully cooked through, and tender veggies. The longer this soup cooks, the more liquid the quinoa absorbs. For a heartier soup, that’s great, but if you want it to remain more broth-y, stop cooking as soon as the quinoa has “popped.”
Storage: This soup will continue to thicken as the quinoa expands. I think it tastes great, but it does get thicker as it stands. This soup is best eaten within 2–3 days. Reheat over low on the stovetop and add a splash of chicken stock as needed. It does not freeze well; the soup continues to absorb liquid and quinoa gets overly bloated.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 819mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup Notes
- Rinse the quinoa: Rinse in a fine strainer before using it.
- Cooking time: Quinoa takes in liquid as it cooks. Stop when quinoa “pops” for more broth.
- Slow cooker size: Use a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Cook on high heat: Cook on high heat for quinoa to cook right.
- Cut the chicken: Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces for even cooking.
Variations
- More heat: Add extra jalapeños, fire-roasted chilies, medium/hot enchilada sauce, or a pinch of cayenne.
- Homemade sauce: Swap the can for your own enchilada sauce.
- Vegetarian: Use sweet potatoes or butternut squash instead of chicken like this these vegetarian enchiladas.
- Toppings: Try cheese or sour cream for a creamier soup.
We don’t care for quinoa, anything we can use to substitute?
Not that I have tested, so sorry Diane!
Just wondering if it would work with ground turkey in place of the chicken? Thoughts?
I haven’t tried it so I’m really not sure; if you did use ground turkey you’d need to cook it first before adding to the crockpot 🙂
Do you drain & rinse the beans & corn before adding to the crock pot?
Yes! 🙂