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Easy Salsa Verde Tortilla Soup, our very best tortilla soup. You really must make this! Made with a variety of vegetables, seasonings, chunky red salsa, and smoky salsa verde. Add shredded chicken if desired. Then the toppings: melty Mexican cheese, avocado, lime, and more salty tortilla chips than you really need. It’s going to be so delicious. The toppings are key!
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I had the hardest time choosing the first recipe of the year. I’m sitting on eight recipes that are tested, loved, and ready for sharing. I’m excited about ALL of them and can’t wait to share them each day here very soon! So, how did I choose?
My mom, of course! I texted her a quick photo of all the completed recipes, and she didn’t have any hesitation. The tortilla soup, definitely the tortilla soup.
I took her answer, and I ran with it because this recipe is a special one! Funny enough, I wasn’t excited about or even sure I wanted to make this soup. But as soon as I had the recipe plotted out – and then especially once things started smelling delicious, I knew I had a good recipe to share.
I will be the very first to point out that I have a lot of tortilla soup recipes. All of these are great in their own unique way.
My sister-in-law, Lyndsie, made the argument to me that I didn’t have a brothy, chunky, vegetable-laden tortilla soup recipe. She said I absolutely needed one because it’s one of her favorite soups. She said she craves it.
I asked her to explain the soup in detail to me, and then I started cooking. Honestly, I wasn’t sure, but again, as soon as I really got into the recipe, I knew this was going to be DELICIOUS.
The secret is in the mix of vegetables, the salsas, and then, of course, the toppings.
Here are the specific details
Ingredients
- salted butter
- yellow onion
- carrots
- celery
- garlic
- taco seasoning
- salt and black pepper
- broth
- russet potatoes
- chunky red salsa
- salsa verde
- hot sauce
- cooked, shredded chicken – the chicken is optional
- cilantro
The toppings
- melty Mexican cheese
- avocado
- yogurt
- cilantro and scallions
- limes
- tortilla chips, lots of them
Special Tools
None! You need a Dutch oven or large soup pot and only one. There is nothing fancy to this soup!
Steps
Step 1: make the soup base
In a big Dutch oven, start cooking the butter, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Mix in your favorite taco seasoning. Then, add the broth and potato chunks. Bring this to a simmer, and allow the potatoes to cook until they’re tender.
Step 2: finish the soup
Now add in the chunky red salsa. I use the Whole Foods 365 brand, either the mild or spicy (we love the spicy best). Then add the salsa verde. My favorite is from Sabor Mexicano, but sadly, it can be tricky to find. Then add the hot sauce.
If desired, you can mix in a few handfuls of shredded chicken. But with or without the chicken, the tortilla soup is still the yummiest.
And the cilantro right at the end.
Step 3: the toppings
Ladle the soup into bowls. Then add your favorite blend of melty Mexican cheese (I use a spicy cheddar and pepper jack), chunks or slices of avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Sometimes, I’ll do a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, too!
And then tortilla chips. I bake my own, then add lime zest. So Yummy! Make sure you use a lot of tortilla chips!
Looking for other warming winter dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Better For You Chicken and Spinach Ramen
Creamy Butternut Squash Butter Chicken
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Coconut Milk Braised Black Pepper Chicken
Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice
Crockpot Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Lastly, if you make this Salsa Verde Tortilla Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Salsa Verde Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- salt and black pepper
- 2 russet potatoes, cubed
- 3-4 cups broth
- 2 cups chunky red salsa
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 1-2 cups shredded chicken , (optional)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- yogurt, shredded cheddar, avocado, plus lots of limes and green onions for serving
- tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a large soup pot, set over medium heat, cook together the butter, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add the taco seasoning and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the broth and add the potatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.2. Mix in the red salsa, salsa verde, and hot sauce. Stir in the shredded chicken (if using) and cilantro.3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips. Finish as desired with a dollop of yogurt, cheese, green onions, avocado, and cilantro. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it!! You had me at Salsa Verde. One of my favorite flavors. Do you think I can substitute sweet potatoes for the Russet potatoes?
Thanks so much, Karen! Sure, sweet potatoes will definitely work for you. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Loved this! Will def make it again!
Thanks so much, Leah! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Happy New Year! xxT
I’m picking up the ingredients this weekend!
Thanks Suzanne! I hope you love this recipe!!
Delicious!!!
I will definitely make this again
Thanks so much, Lisa! I am so glad this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xT
Really easy to make on a weeknight with delicious flavor & lots of veggies. Added leftover turkey instead of the chicken & that worked well. Added a blend of chili powder, cumin, and coriander instead of pre-made taco seasoning. Husband and teen daughter both loved it!
Hi Kelley,
Wonderful! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Happy New Year!🎆
Sounds unique! Will you be sharing some new recipes inspired by your time in Austria?
Great recipe ! Will be making it again …. My husband loved it . One for the recipe box for sure . Thanks to your Mother for picking and you for posting Tieghan!
Thanks so much, Corine! I’m so glad to hear your family enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you trying it! Happy New Year! xxT
I made this and it was delicious, I’m thinking I will make it again and leave the potatoes out for our family. Thank you for the recipe !
Hi Steph,
Perfect! So glad your family enjoyed this soup, thanks for making it and your comment! xT
I made this for dinner tonight, and we absolutely loved it! It’s so flavorful and was so easy to prepare! It’s definitely a new favorite for winter!
Hi Andrea,
Amazing!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Thanks for sharing, looks delicious. However, questioning the math on the caloric values. One (1) kcal is equivalent to a thousand (1000) calories. So, the would mean one serving of this soup is 210000 calories? Seems high. 🙂 Assuming that this is actually calories and not kcal? Thanks again. 🙂
NVM. 🙂 I did more digging and learned something. Thank you!
Just finished a large bowl and really enjoyed. I couldn’t find the salsa verde you used but followed recipe. I had a hard time thinking about 2 jars of salsa going into the soup but it did turn out yummy and easy. I added a can of black beans. The toppings are always a must for tortilla soup. Thank you! (And it even almost looked like your beautiful photography!)
Thanks so much, Karen:) I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and appreciate you making it! Thanks for your feedback! xx
This soup was delicious! The salsa and salsa verde combo was a game changer. I used my hommade salsa recipe and taco seasoning and left out the hot sauce because not everyone wanted the heat. So flavorful and the diced potatoes and chicken made it very hearty.
Hi Christine,
Wonderful! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Happy New Year!🎆
Four cups of salsa for 6 servings, basically eating 2/3 a cup of salsa per person. Half a bowl of this soup is literally just salsa…eww?!
Salsa is tomatoes, jalapeños, and spices so why not?
Did you try it? Because it’s amazing!!
Easy five star recipe except for ridiculous sodium content. Easy modifications for that. Don’t use four cups of jarred salsa. Make your own red and verde.
Hi Sharon,
Wonderful! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Happy New Year!🎆
Is salsa verde your favorite ingredient? You use it all the time. Salsa verde should have been left behind in 2024.
Hi Serena,
I do love salsa verde, I think it adds such a unique flavor to dishes! As always, feel free to skip any recipes that do not appeal to you:) Happy New Year! xxT
Serena, we are 2 days into 2025 so we should never cook with salsa verde again? Sounds stupid right….
I will say, potatoes in a tortilla soup sounds interesting, but I’ll wait to rate until I try it as so many of your recipes turn out so well! Happy new year Teighan!
Serena, maybe you could make a New Year’s resolution to be kinder 😘
This looks yummy! Do you think you could make it in the crockpot just adding everything in? What would you recommend?
Thanks for this recipe – I’m going to make it tonight! Perfect timing…I was thinking of making a chicken tortilla soup tonight. This sounds interesting with the veggies and potato in it. I’ll add some shredded chicken. Will let you know how we like it. Happy New Year, Tieghan!
Thanks so much, Melanie! I hope this recipe turns out nicely for you! Happy New Year! xxT
It turned out fabulous! Me and my husband loved it. Easy to make, lots of flavor, loved this variation of tortilla soup with potato, celery and carrots in it. I didn’t add the hot sauce because it was spicy enough for me as is. I also added shredded cooked chicken and some black beans.
Thanks so much for trying this soup, Melanie! Love to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Thanks so much, Sydney! Totally, I would do the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours and you could just cook your chicken in there the whole time. I hope you love this recipe! Happy New Year! xx