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Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪Soup 🍲 Tex-Mex 🇺🇸🇲🇽Mexican Halal 🕌

Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup is a creamy, Tex-Mex–inspired bowl layered with tender chicken, sweet peppers, and a velvety cheese finish. Picante sauce and taco seasoning bring gentle heat and tang, while crushed tortilla chips thicken the broth for a comforting, restaurant-style texture. Serve it for a cozy weeknight dinner or a casual gathering with extra chips, cilantro, and jalapeño on top.

  • Prep25 mins
  • Cook35 mins
  • Serves6
  • DifficultyEasy
Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

48 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactFair
55 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
12 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityGood
91 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
2 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

26
Heart Health
73
Metabolic
46
Digestive
29
Inflammatory
42
Performance
49
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until shimmering. Add red onion, bell pepper, celery, and carrot. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and taco seasoning, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

  2. 2

    Add broth and picante sauce, scraping the bottom to dissolve any browned bits; bring to a boil over medium-high, then reduce to a simmer over medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, about 10 minutes.

  3. 3

    Reduce heat to low; stir in tortilla chips, cheese, cream, and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

  4. 4

    Stir in chicken and cilantro; cook, gently stirring occasionally, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

  5. 5

    Divide between serving bowls; garnish with jalapeño (if using), tortilla chips, and cilantro.

  6. 6

    Serve and enjoy. Recipe developed by Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman.

About This Recipe

Department Store Style Chicken Tortilla Soup is a Tex Mex dinner recipe made with 16 ingredients. It takes about 1 hr, serves 6, and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Carrot, Celery, Cheese Cubes, and Fresh Cilantro. Each serving provides about 620.53 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup?
It is a Tex-Mex soup recipe made with 16 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch or soup.
What is Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup made of?
The main ingredients are Carrot, Celery, Cheese Cubes, Fresh Cilantro, Heavy Cream. The full list of 16 is above.
What goes well with Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup?
Explore these Tex-Mex side-dish recipes.
How long does it take to make Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup?
About 1 hr in total: 25 mins to prepare and 35 mins to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 620.53 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup easy to make?
This recipe is rated easy, with 16 ingredients and 6 steps.
Is Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup healthy?
Department Store–Style Chicken Tortilla Soup has an easyChef Pro health score of 48/100. Per serving, it provides 620.53 calories and 25.51 g of protein, or 51% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber, calcium and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 1710.87 mg (74% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 12.15 g (61% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Wheat, Gluten, Celery, Corn, Garlic and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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