Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup
I love this soup – it is rich, bold, and flavorful. Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup is a thick, chunky, and delicious soup you can eat year-round. It’s easy to make, and with big Southwestern flavors in every bite, this easy soup is good to the last spoonful!
I love soups, and this keto Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of my favorites. I love that it has all the flavor of a heavier soup, but it is super low in net carbs, so I can enjoy it guilt-free on lower-carb days.
Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup
Don’t be intimidated by the number of ingredients in this soup! It’s not hard to make, and sometimes I make a double batch of it and freeze some so I can eat it later. I like to freeze soups in 1 or 2 portions so I can thaw enough for lunch or a quick dinner.
One of the best parts about this soup is all the toppings! You can top it with cheese, avocado, cilantro, lime, or even crunchy almond flour tortilla soups. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll make a batch of this soup, keep it warm in a slow cooker, and put out all the toppings so that my family and friends can dress up their bowl of soup however they like.
With so much flavor, this amazing soup will become your favorite, too!
Why I love this recipe
- This is a dairy-free soup, so it is lighter than cream-based soups. Use a non-dairy cheese alternative as a topping if there are dietary restrictions.
- It makes enough to serve 8 hearty portions, but this soup is easy to double.
- I use spiralized zucchini in this soup because it cooks quickly, looks so pretty and is fun to make! You need a spiralizer
- There’s so much flavor in it!
Gather these ingredients
- Olive oil
- Celery – Chopped finely.
- Onion – Chopped finely.
- Red bell pepper – Diced
- Garlic – Fresh garlic; minced.
- Green chilies – 1 4-ounce can.
- Chicken broth – Low or no sodium added.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – 1 14.5-ounce can.
- Chicken breasts – Boneless and skinless.
- Salt and pepper
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Red pepper flakes – Optional, but adds a fiery kick.
- Zucchini – Spiralized.
Optional Toppings
- Almond flour tortilla chips
- Monterey Jack cheese – Shredded.
- Avocados – Sliced.
- Sour cream
- Cilantro – Chopped.
- Limes – Cut into wedges.
How to make Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot.
- Add the celery, onion, and bell peppers and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another minute, then add the green chilies.
- Add the chicken breasts to the pot, then pour in the chicken broth and turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 35 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the soup and set them aside to cool a bit until safe to handle.
- Shred the chicken with a fork, then return the chicken to the soup and add the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and optional red pepper flakes.
- Return the soup back to a simmer to heat it through.
- Just before serving, add the room-temperature zucchini noodles. Make the zucchini noodles (Zoodles) with this mandolin (my favorite kitchen tool).
- Serve and top with almond flour tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, and sour cream. Add a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and a wedge of lime.
- Enjoy!
Tips & substitutions
- In this recipe, you can use bone-in chicken breasts or chicken thighs, but they’ll take longer to cook, and you’ll need to discard the bones when shredding the chicken.
- Don’t cook the zucchini noodles! The spiralizer makes them very thin, and they’ll cook in the hot soup broth. There’s no need to boil them.
- Adjust the seasonings to suit your palate. A touch of chipotle powder or cayenne will add a spicy kick.
- Fresh spices are best. The flavor from cumin and paprika fades over time, so for the best flavor, use fresh spices.
Serving suggestions
I love this keto Chicken Tortilla Soup with a hearty sandwich, or if I’m having company, I’ll serve this soup along with a sandwich board. This soup also pairs well with heavier salads like Bacon Corn Salad, or if you’re keeping your carbs down, this salad with cilantro-lime vinaigrette is a delicious pick. You can also serve this soup as an appetizer to meals – it’s that versatile!
Storage
Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the leftover soup. Pack it into airtight containers and freeze it for up to a month.
Check out these awesome soup recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup celery chopped finely
- 1 cup onion chopped finely
- 1 cup red bell peppers, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ounces green chiles canned
- 8 cups chicken broth, or low sodium
- 1 14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, with liquid
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 4 zucchini spiralized, off to the side, do not add to soup until ready to eat
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
- Almond flour tortilla chips
- ½ cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 2 medium Avocado, sliced
- ½ cup Sour cream
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 whole lime, cut into 8-10 wedges
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions:
- In a pan, heat olive oil. Sauté celery, onion, and bell peppers for about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute another minute; add in green chiles.
- Add chicken breasts into the pot. Stir in spices and add in chicken stock.
- Turn to high heat and bring the soup to a boil; then simmer for 35 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and set aside to shred with a fork. Place shredded chicken back in the pot and add the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika and stir. Optional to add red pepper flakes.
- Right before serving, add raw, room temperature zucchini noodles.
- Serve and top with almond flour tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, and sour cream. Add chopped tiny sprinkle of chopped cilantro and a slice of lime.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
