This copycat Panera Bread Chicken Tortilla Soup is comforting and filling. Tender chicken, black beans, roasted chiles, corn, diced tomatoes, in a flavorful broth topped with crispy tortilla strips. Using shortcut ingredients like canned fire roasted corn and fire roasted petite diced tomatoes, you can easily add flavor in no time. This soup is a delicious combo of flavors and textures.
Made in one-pot, clean up is a breeze and leftover soup reheats nicely making this great for leftovers! Serve with extra tortilla chips and guacamole, a simple salad, or Mexican cornbread for a filling, complete meal.
You might also like this White Chicken Chili, Creamy Buffalo Chicken Soup, or my Black Bean Soup. Find all of my soup recipes here for more weeknight inspiration!
Why You’ll Like The Soup
- Family favorite: kids and adults will love this soup, it can be made more or less spicy and it is loaded with protein from the shredded chicken to keep you full for hours. Serve family style and let everyone add their own toppings.
- One-pot recipe: this makes clean up a breeze since you only need to dirty the one pan! Cook the chicken directly in the pan and allow it to finish cooking in the broth. I even serve my soup directly out of the pot, family style at the table!
- Inspired by the restaurant version: this soup is inspired by Panera Breads chicken tortilla soup. It’s so easy to make at home and it can easily be customized to your liking. It is also nice to know exactly what is going into the soup.
- Great topping ideas: a major reason to love this soup is for all the topping options! Think crushed tortilla chips, avocado, chopped cilantro, diced jalapenos, shredded cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, or green onions! Or enjoy this soup as is!
What Is Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup is a flavorful and hearty soup with Mexican-inspired ingredients. Panera’s version is known for its creamy tomato base, mild heat, and crispy tortilla strips. This homemade version features shredded chicken cooked directly in the seasoned broth, beans, corn, diced tomatoes, onions, and garlic in a rich broth.
Making copycat restaurant meals at home can always be a bit challenging as we are not using commercial ingredients or equipment. With that in mind, this soup is pretty close to the real deal and it is too simple not to make at home. Toss everything together into a large Dutch oven and let the flavors simmer together for a hearty meal the whole family will love!
Key Ingredients
This soup is made of simple ingredients and can easily be customized, making this an easy copycat recipe to make at home! If an ingredient has a substitute, you’ll find it below:
- Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil can all be substitutes. Butter will also work.
- Onion: red onion, white onion, or yellow onions can work in the recipe, omit onion if you prefer. A shallot will work as well.
- Garlic: add as much fresh garlic as desired, minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Seasoning: kosher salt, chili powder, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, and paprika are used to flavor this soup. Garlic powder, onion powder, or cayenne will also work.
- Black beans: canned black beans add extra protein and fiber, pinto beans or kidney beans could be used in substitute.
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes: canned tomatoes are a easy short cut that add a lot of flavor, regular petite diced tomatoes will work as well but I like the extra flavor from the fire roasted ones.
- Canned corn: fire roasted canned corn adds a little extra flavor, regular canned corn or frozen corn will also work.
- Green chiles: canned diced green chiles are a quick short cut ingredients that add a bit of heat and flavor to this soup! Poblano peppers are traditionally used in the Panera soup.
- Chicken: use boneless skinless chicken thighs, boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken tenders, leftover roasted chicken or leftover shredded rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
- Chicken stock: any broth or stock of choice can used. Beef broth, vegetable broth, or use homemade stock or bone broth.
- Toppings: Cilantro, jalapenos, sour cream, green onion, lime wedges, and avocado slices for garnish. Tortilla strips are a must have, use store-bought or homemade tortillas.
How To Make This Copycat Recipe
Let’s talk a little about how to make this Panera Bread Chicken Tortilla Soup (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quick overview:
- Sauté onion and garlic with seasoning.
- Add in canned ingredients, stock, and chicken. Simmer.
- Shred chicken and return to the soup.
- Serve topped with tortilla strips and other toppings.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once warm, add in diced onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft, add in minced garlic. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Mix in dry seasonings.
2. Keeping the heat on medium-high, add in the black beans, corn, tomatoes, chilis, chicken breast, and chicken stock, Stir to combine and cover. Simmer for 35-40 minutes.
3. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove and shred with two forks. Return to the pot. Serve soup topped with tortilla strips. Garnish with avocados, lime, cilantro, or green onions.
4. This soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Soup Topping Ideas
- Homemade or store-bought tortilla strips or chips, corn chips are also great!
- Fresh sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, or sliced green onions.
- Shredded cheddar cheese or crumbled queso fresco.
- Fresh or pickled jalapenos.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
If you’re like me, you love a cozy soup during the chilly fall and winter months. These are some of my favorites that I go back to time and time again!
- Instant Pot Beer Cheese Soup with Cauliflower – a cheesy, veggie packed soup!
- Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup – similar to Olive Gardens chicken gnocchi soup.
- Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup – a simple, filling slow cooker soup.
- Simple One-Pot Black Bean Soup – the perfect, protein-packed vegetarian soup!
Tools I Recommend
- Le Creuset 5 1/2-Qt. Dutch Oven – enamel cast iron is great for even heat and this pot is large enough so nothing boils over. My go to pot for soups, stews, chilis, roasts, and more! I have had my collection of Le Creuset for years and it is still in great condition!
- Wooden Spoons – perfect for sautéing and mixing, and great for not scratching your pans. Remember to deep clean your wooden utensils once a month!
- Pairing knife: I love these boxwood kitchen knives by Pallares Solsona, the carbon steel stays sharp for a while and I just love the look and design.
What To Serve With Chicken Tortilla Soup
Try these ideas to turn your Panera Bread Copycat soup into a complete meal:
- Kale salad – a light, crunchy, and fresh salad to go along side your soup.
- BLT Salad – a fresh lettuce salad with a homemade garlic ranch.
- Crusty bread or bread bowls – can’t go wrong with a bread bowl!
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad – a delicious way to eat raw Brussel sprouts!
- Air Fryer Frozen Garlic Knots – an easy, shortcut side dish.
Recipe FAQs
If you want your chicken tortilla soup to be creamy you can mix in some half and half or heavy whipping cream, you could also melt in some cream cheese or shredded cheese.
If your tortilla soup gets too thick, thin with a little extra stock or heavy cream. Water can be used as a last resort.
If your tortilla soup gets too thin, thicken be covering and simmer on medium heat until the soup has reduced down to the desired consistency. If need, thin with a roux of cornstarch and water.
Leftover soup can be cooled completely and transferred to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1 month. Do not freeze soup with tortilla strips.
Panera Bread Chicken Tortilla Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 small Red onion, finely diced
- 3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Chili powder
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 15 oz. can Black beans, drained
- 1 14.5 oz. can Fire roasted corn, drained
- 1 14.5 oz. can Fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 4 oz. can Diced green chilis or sliced poblano peppers
- 6-8 oz. Boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders
- 32 oz. Chicken stock
- Homemade or store-bought tortilla strips
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once warm, add in diced onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft, add in minced garlic. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Mix in dry seasonings.2 tbsp Olive oil, 1 small Red onion, 3-4 cloves Garlic, 2 tsp Cumin, 1/2 tsp Chili powder, 2 tsp Kosher salt , 1 tsp Paprika , 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- Keeping the heat on medium-high, add in the black beans, corn, tomatoes, chilis, chicken breast, and chicken stock, Stir to combine and cover. Simmer for 35-40 minutes.1 15 oz. can Black beans, 1 14.5 oz. can Fire roasted corn, 1 14.5 oz. can Fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice , 1 4 oz. can Diced green chilis or sliced poblano peppers , 6-8 oz. Boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders, 32 oz. Chicken stock
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove and shred with two forks. Return to the pot. Serve soup topped with tortilla strips. Garnish with avocados, lime, cilantro, or green onions.Homemade or store-bought tortilla strips , Squeeze of fresh lime juice
- This soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this recipe, I would appreciate if you left a star rating on the recipe card above or a comment below sharing your experience! I value your feedback, it would also mean a lot if you could share this recipe or my website with friends or loved ones. Cheers!
My husband told me, we can have the Chicken Tortilla Soup anytime. We both loved it! I followed the directions exactly and it turned out great! Used green onions, avocado and tortilla strips as the toppings after it was spooned into a bowl. Thank you for this easy delicious recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it! Those are my go-to topping choices also!