Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup {GF, Low Calorie}

Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup also known as Sopa Azteca is made low calorie and gluten free with simple ingredients, richly seasoned with a tomato and chile broth that is loaded with your favorite toppings. Gluten Free + Low Calorie with Paleo option

Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of my favorite recipes I've created from my years working in Mexico. Tortilla soup is traditionally served as an appetizer, but this meal version is hearty, tasty and fresh just like the real deal.

I know you will love this healthy chicken tortilla version that's packed with protein and fiber. It's low calorie, naturally gluten free and easy to customize to your diet and tastebuds too!

Here's a few more reasons why I love this easy, healthy soup recipe.

Why This Sopa Azteca (Tortilla Soup) Is Better For You

To make this a nutritionally balanced meal instead of an appetizer, I added chicken for protein and beans for fiber. Technically, this soup is called Sopa Azteca Frijol because I added the beans to the recipe. But the beans are optional. You will see this below in the substitutions section.

• Higher Protein - Each serving has 38 grams of protein. The chicken accounts for the majority of the protein in this recipe and the beans add a little more. Remember, beans are a carbohydrate that has some protein.
• High Fiber - Each serving has 13 grams of fiber primarily from adding the beans and a some from the veggies. That's almost half the daily recommended amount of fiber!
• Low Calorie - This recipe has 406 calories per serving. One serving is 1/4 of the recipe and 1/4 is actually a large serving. You could easily make this a 5 serving or 6 serving meal. The calories are 406, but the macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) are well balanced which is very important.
• Lower Fat - The total fat is 8 grams per serving which is considered low fat.
• Gluten Free - All ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten free.

Gluten Free Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

Here's what you need to make homemade chicken tortilla soup. I made this recipe in the Instant Pot, but you can also make it on the stovetop too!

• Dried Chiles
• Olive Oil
• Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Onion
• Carrots
• Chicken Broth, low sodium
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Black Beans, canned
• Salt & Pepper

How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup Healthy

The detailed instructions of how to make the full recipe are below in the recipe card, but here's a brief overview of the instructions. These steps show you the Instant Pot version. The full instructions at the end of the post show you how to do it on the stovetop.

Step One - Toast the pasilla chiles and carrots on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 F. You can alternatively heat them in a skillet over-medium high heat until tender and blistered. If you have a gas stove, you can toast them by holding them with a tongs over the flame.

Step Two - Remove the vegetables from the oven and cool a few minutes on the pan then remove the top and seeds from the inside of the chiles. Roughly chop the chiles and carrots then place them in a blender or food processor with one can of the tomatoes. Blend on high until smooth. 

Step Three - Place the extra virgin olive oil, onions and minced garlic in the Instant Pot on sauté.  Sauté 5 minutes then add the chicken, broth, tomatoes, blended chile and carrot mixture, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.

Step Four - Cover the pot and set to pressure cook 30 minutes set the valve to sealing. 

Step Five - After 30 minutes, release the pressure in the Instant Pot and carefully, remove the lid. Stir the beans into the pot, shred the chicken with a fork and serve immediately with limes, avocado cilantro or other toppings as desired.

Can You Make Tortilla Soup On The Stovetop

You can definitely make this chicken tortilla soup recipe on the stovetop. I prefer using my Instant Pot for making soup recipes as they're quick and easy, but if you prefer using the stovetop or you don't have an Instant Pot, you can certainly make this recipe on the stovetop.

Can You Make Tortilla Soup In A Crockpot

You may be wondering if you can make tortilla soup in a slow cooker. You absolutely can make this soup in a crockpot or slow cooker. The only differences will be you will sauté the veggies in step 3 in a skillet over medium heat. Then you will follow the instructions and cook 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.

Tortilla Soup Recipe Variations

Here are substitutions you can make to customize your tortilla soup recipe. Remember when you make substitutions, it does change the nutritional values from what you see in the recipe card at the end of this blog post.

• Chicken - You can omit the chicken if you prefer although it adds the majority of protein in this recipe. Shrimp, tofu or beef could be added instead too.
• Dried Chiles - Different regions of Mexico use different varieties of chiles to make tortilla soup. Pasilla chiles are the most common. They are moderately spicy and they vary in levels of spiciness. If you are averse to spicy foods, dried ancho chiles would be the substitute I'd recommend!
• Beans - This recipe adds beans to the recipe making this a Sopa Azteca Frijol recipe. The beans are optional. They add a nice boost of fiber! I used canned black beans, but canned pinto beans or another bean you like can be substituted. You can also omit the beans for Paleo and Whole30.
• Chicken Broth - You can substitute chicken stock or vegetable broth or stock.
• Fire Roasted Tomatoes - You can use regular canned, diced tomatoes, whole canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes for this recipe.
• Make It Vegan - You can omit the chicken and swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth to make this recipe vegan and vegetarian. You could also add tofu to boost the protein.
• Make It Paleo and Whole30 - Just omit the beans.

About Megan

Megan is a certified nutrition practitioner, author, freelance food photographer and fitness instructor living in Phoenix, Arizona. On her blog, Skinny Fitalicious she shares EASY, gluten free recipes for weight loss. Follow Megan on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates.