Max and Erma's Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Max and Erma's Chicken Tortilla Soup is a rich, creamy, and flavorful dish combining shredded chicken, vibrant spices, and melted cheese, topped with crispy tortilla strips for a comforting and indulgent dining experience. Make our Max and Erma's Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe at home. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Chicken Tortilla Soup will taste just like Max and Erma's.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 medium Onion finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic peeled and minced
- 1 medium Red Bell Pepper finely diced
- 1 medium Green Bell Pepper finely diced
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Half-and-Half
- One 14 1/2-ounce can diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies undrained
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked Chicken
- 1 1/2 cups frozen Corn Kernels
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
- Tortilla Strips or crushed Tortilla Chips to serve
- Fresh Cilantro chopped, to garnish
- Lime Wedges to serve
- Sour Cream to serve
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese and/or Monterey Jack Cheese to serv
Instructions
- Add butter to a large pot or Dutch oven. Place over medium heat.
- When butter has melted and is hot (do not burn), add onion, garlic, red bell pepper and green bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in half-and-half and diced tomatoes with green chilies. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in shredded chicken and frozen corn. Simmer for another 5 minutes until heated through.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Gradually stir in cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Continue to stir until cheese is completely melted and soup is creamy.
- Taste. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Ladle soup into bowls.
- Top with tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream and additional cheese, as desired.