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Mar 26, 2017 By Jessica Beacom

Chicken Tortilla-less Soup

Dairy-Free
Egg-Free
Gluten-free
Grain-Free
Paleo
Whole30
Jump to Recipe

Grab a spoon and some avocados… This hearty Chicken Tortilla-less Soup will have you coming back for seconds!

Chicken Tortilla-less Soup

Soup is life

End of post. Kidding. 

You know I can’t stop there. Give me something food-related to talk about and I can go on for hours (ask Stacie – she’s witnessed this more times than she can probably count). But, seeing as it’s Sunday and I need to get in the kitchen for a weekly meal prep sesh, I’m just gonna hit the highlights and say that I freaking love soup.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links that won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Chicken Tortilla-less Soup

Soup is my go-to breakfast most days of the week and right now I’m totally crushing on this Chicken Tortilla-less Soup. But it’s also great for lunch and dinner. I just happen to like my soup before noon because it’s a great way to get in a bunch of veggies and healing bone broth with very little sugar (just what’s naturally occurring in the veggies). Because the last thing I want is mid-morning cravings and a sugar crash. Ain’t nobody got time for sugar crashing. 

Do you know what else I love?

Cast iron. I’m totally obsessed with cast iron (again). I learned to cook in cast iron from my dad and did so for many years until I was seduced by a set of fancy stainless steel pots and pans the hubby got me for an anniversary gift. I gave them a try for a couple of years then admitted that I hated them. The heat seemed uneven, the lids weren’t tight-fitting, everything seemed to stick and it was impossible to get a good sear on anything. So I pulled out the old cast iron and seasoned it back up and thus my love affair with cast iron was rekindled and those pans went up on Craigslist.

So when our friends at Lodge Manufacturing, makers of all things cast iron here in the U.S., reached out and asked if I’d be interested in sharing a recipe using one of their enameled Dutch ovens I was stoked. As much as I love me some good ol’ fashioned cast iron, I really love enameled cast iron for its easy care and gorgeousness. This 4.6-qt. enameled Dutch oven with a lid just begged for a saucy and slightly spicy soup and thus this Chicken Tortilla-less Soup came to be.

Looking for an even faster way to get dinner on the table? Try our Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup. Same soup only faster than ever!

Chicken Tortilla-less Soup

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Let's Get Cookin'

Chicken Tortilla-less Soup

A hearty soup with the flavors of your favorite Mexican dishes. We’ve kept it Whole30-compliant by leaving out the traditional tortilla strips but if you’re missing that little crunch on top, we suggest adding thinly sliced radishes or jicama

  • Author: The Real Food Dietitians
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Total Time: 50 mins
  • Yield: Serves 6 1x
  • Cuisine: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free
Print Recipe
★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 Tbsp. ghee or cooking fat of choice
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 small red bell pepper, diced
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
  • 1 small jalapeno, minced (and membranes removed for less heat)
  • 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (such as our Homemade Whole30 Taco Seasoning)
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or homemade broth)
  • 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (may substitute diced tomatoes)
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Diced avocado and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Stovetop Directions:

  1. Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ghee or cooking fat of choice.
  2. When ghee is melted, nestle chicken breasts into the bottom of the Dutch oven in a single layer. Cook 5-7 minutes then flip and cook an additional 5-7 minutes.
  3. Push chicken breasts to the side (stacking them is okay), add onions, red peppers, jalapenos, taco seasoning, cumin, and salt. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes or until onion and peppers start to soften. Add garlic and diced green chiles and cook an additional 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.
  4. Add 3 cups broth and crushed tomatoes. Bring soup just to a boil then cover and reduce heat to simmer.
  5. Cook 20 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken breasts are cooked through.
  6. Remove chicken to a cutting board and allow it to cool before shredding with two forks. Add additional broth, if needed, to reach desired consistency.
  7. Return shredded chicken to pot and stir. Add cilantro and lime juice.
  8. Serve with diced avocado and lime wedges.

Instant Pot Directions:

  1. Select ‘Saute’ on Instant Pot. When the pot is hot, add ghee. Saute the onions and bell pepper 3-4 minutes or until they start to soften. Press ‘Cancel’ and stir in garlic, green chiles, and jalapeno (if using).
  2. Add chicken, taco seasoning, cumin, salt, broth, and diced tomatoes. Set cook time for 15 minutes (high pressure) and flip vent valve to the ‘Sealing’ position.
  3. After cooking time is up, allow for 5 minutes of natural pressure release before manually releasing any remaining pressure then remove lid when safe to do so. Stir in lime juice.
  4. Serve with fresh cilantro, avocado, and lime wedges.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 cups (without toppings)
  • Calories: 223
  • Sugar: 8g
  • Sodium: 582mg
  • Fat: 6g
  • Carbohydrates: 19g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 25g

What’s your favorite soup to make? Are you a cast iron cooking newbie or an old pro? Share in the comments below and let’s get the convo started!

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All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

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About Jessica Beacom

Jessica is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Boulder, CO with her hubby and two daughters. She's been described as a 'real food evangelist' and loves sharing her knowledge with others to help them break free of the diet mentality and find their own food freedom. In her spare time she enjoys CrossFit, telemark skiing, mountain biking, teaching herself how to play the banjo and camping out under the stars.

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Bethany @ athletic avocado says

    March 27, 2017 at 3:18 pm

    Chicken tortilla soup is so so good, but I’m starting Whole30 in 2 weeks, so this recipe is a life saver!

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      March 28, 2017 at 6:24 am

      Hooray for life-saving, Whole30-compliant, hearty soup recipes! Have a great Whole30 – we’ve got lots of recipes to keep you sane and satisfied!

      Reply
  2. Christina says

    March 27, 2017 at 4:41 pm

    Looks DELISH! Are you guys going to post Instant Pot directions by chance?? :o))))

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      March 28, 2017 at 6:21 am

      Thanks, Christina!

      I haven’t tested it in the Instant Pot (yet) but my guess is you could proceed with the recipe as written through Step 3 (using the ‘Saute’ function) then add the broth and chicken before locking the lid in place and selecting ‘Poultry’ setting for 15 minutes.

      That’s how I’d approach this recipe in the Instant Pot. I’ll officially update the recipe once I’ve tested it in the Instant Pot. Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Christina says

        March 30, 2017 at 10:27 am

        Awesome! You rock, thank you!

        Reply
      • Julie says

        February 20, 2018 at 8:23 am

        Hi! Wondering if you have tried your own suggestions in the instant pot yet. I was hoping to make this soon and would love to just use my instant pot to make it vs stove. Also, in the IP, would you use thawed chicken or frozen? Thanks so much! Excited to try it!

        Reply
        • Jessica Beacom says

          February 21, 2018 at 9:54 pm

          Hi Julie,

          I have not tried this in the IP yet. You could use either frozen or thawed chicken – the IP will just take longer to come up to temperature before the cook time starts to count down.

          Reply
          • Cathryn says

            September 30, 2018 at 6:46 am

            I tried it in my instapot. I sautéed the chicken breast and jalapeños for about ten minutes to get that carmelized flavor. Then added all the ingredients and set it on low for 5 hours. Came out perfect!!

            ★★★★★

          • Jessica Beacom says

            October 1, 2018 at 1:48 pm

            Thanks for sharing, Cathryn. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  3. Mary Prine says

    March 29, 2017 at 9:27 am

    I finished my first Whole30 last month. Soup was my saving grace!!! I would make a huge pot on Sundays and would eat half of it throughout the week and freeze half. The freezer jars are wonderful for times I’m in a time crunch. I thaw them in a warm water bath and then heat and eat. I’m excited to try this recipe! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      March 30, 2017 at 10:15 am

      Hi Mary,

      Congrats on finishing your first Whole30! Soup is always my saving grace on a fall/winter Whole30 (and pretty much all the time in between those, too). Great tip to thaw your containers in warm water – I do that too when I’ve used glass containers or jars (allowing them to sit a room temp for a bit before plunging them into warm water to avoid cracking the glass).

      I hope you enjoy the recipe! Adding the avocado is key (it’s pretty low-fat without it) and if you want some crunch adding sliced radishes or jicama will keep it Whole30-compliant.

      Reply
  4. Judy says

    April 2, 2017 at 4:29 pm

    It looks tasty! What is ghee?

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      April 2, 2017 at 4:57 pm

      Thanks, Judy!

      It’s really good. Just enough spice but not overly ‘spicy’. Ghee is clarified butter – the butter is heated slowly then the milk solids are skimmed from the butter fat leaving a very pure and rich-tasting fat (ghee) that has a high-smoke point (so it’s good for sauteeing and roasting) and it’s generally very well tolerated by those who don’t tolerate dairy.

      You can read more about ghee (and which one’s we love) in this post.

      Reply
  5. Jessica says

    July 12, 2017 at 5:17 pm

    When do you put the garlic in? With the veggies? 🙂

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      July 18, 2017 at 10:34 am

      Oops! Sorry about that. You add the garlic after the onions are softened. It only needs about 30-60 seconds of cooking. I’ve updated the directions accordingly.

      Reply
  6. Mallory says

    September 8, 2017 at 7:01 am

    Hello! Do we have to use Ghee? I have had serious dairy issues and am avoiding butter products. Anything else I can use as a substitution?

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      September 18, 2017 at 10:13 am

      Hi Mallory,

      You don’t have to use ghee. Feel free to use coconut, avocado or olive oil.

      Reply
  7. Sarah Mayer says

    September 13, 2017 at 6:33 pm

    If I don’t have a dutch oven, what do you suggest?

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      September 17, 2017 at 8:39 am

      Hi Sarah,

      Any large pot with a lid will work.

      Reply
  8. Jill says

    October 30, 2017 at 2:46 pm

    I rarely review recipes, but for this one I had to! What a delicious and easy soup! The first time I made it with left over rotisserie chicken, the second time I made it as the recipe suggested. Both times it was superb and so good for leftovers. Thanks for a great recipe

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      November 4, 2017 at 7:42 am

      Awwww…thanks for the positive review Jill!

      Reply
  9. Belinda says

    November 26, 2017 at 2:59 pm

    SO good and SO easy! I had leftover chicken from the night before so I used that. Perfect fall/winter soup!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      November 27, 2017 at 2:46 pm

      So glad you loved it – it’s a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.

      Reply
  10. Diane Smith says

    November 29, 2017 at 11:15 am

    Do you have any idea how big the servings are? I see it’s 1/8th of the recipe but I’m curious about if those are bowl or cup size servings? I want to make sure I have enough for everyone as a main dish.

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      December 8, 2017 at 7:42 pm

      Hi Diane,

      I don’t know the exact serving size though this recipe makes about 4 quarts of soup so that would work out to be about 2 cups per person. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  11. Bettina says

    January 8, 2018 at 7:48 pm

    Hi! I made this last week and it was sooo delicious! I used a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, added a diced zucchini and squash.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      January 9, 2018 at 8:56 am

      Hi Bettina,

      That sounds amazing! We love the addition of zucchini and squash.

      Reply
  12. Patrcia says

    January 17, 2018 at 6:59 pm

    Delicious!

    Reply
  13. Kim says

    February 4, 2018 at 2:18 pm

    This soup was amazing! Soooo flavourful. Love that it was all made in one pot!

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      February 5, 2018 at 5:54 am

      Thanks for the feedback! Great to hear you enjoyed this soup!

      Reply
  14. Jacki says

    February 19, 2018 at 8:12 am

    How do you feel about making this soup and freezing it? We already have our meals for this week planned but I have time to make this today. I’m on the whole 30. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      February 19, 2018 at 11:09 am

      This soup freezes beautifully!

      Reply
      • Jacki says

        February 19, 2018 at 3:50 pm

        Okay great. My soup is kind of runny, maybe I should have drained my tomatoes. Any recommendations to thicken it up?

        Reply
        • Jessica Beacom says

          February 19, 2018 at 9:19 pm

          Hi Jacki,

          I don’t usually drain my tomatoes but they could differ from brand to brand (I use Muir Glen, if you’re wondering). To thicken it up you could either simmer it uncovered a bit longer or add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste if you have some on hand.

          Reply
  15. Elisabeth says

    February 20, 2018 at 5:46 pm

    This looks so yummy! Any suggestions for preparing this in a crockpot? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      March 3, 2018 at 2:29 pm

      Hi there! While we haven’t tried this recipe in the slow cooker, I’d imagine it will work. My recommendation would be to follow the recipe as written and slow cook it for 4-6 hours on low or until chicken is cooked through. Let us know if turns out!

      Reply
  16. Kristen says

    April 9, 2018 at 7:03 pm

    This soup was fantastic, huge hit with my whole family!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      April 10, 2018 at 11:13 am

      Yay! We love to hear this. Glad you all enjoyed it.

      Reply
  17. Ruth says

    October 5, 2018 at 10:27 am

    Is there’s pepper a bell pepper?

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      October 12, 2018 at 8:01 am

      I’m not sure what you’re asking. Can you clarify?

      Reply
      • Lucia says

        October 14, 2018 at 4:02 pm

        I wondered the same. What kind of pepper is the red pepper in the recipe? Is it red bell pepper?

        Reply
        • Jessica Beacom says

          October 14, 2018 at 9:36 pm

          Hi Lucia,

          Yes, it’s a red bell pepper. However, if you like things spicier, feel free to add other peppers as well.

          Reply
  18. MICHELLE T says

    November 4, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    Im making this tomorrow and cant wait however as far as Portions go what exactly is an eighth of a recipe? I am trying to do portion control and calorie awareness. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      November 14, 2018 at 10:16 am

      Hi Michelle. It would be about 1 1/4-1/2 cups. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  19. Caroline Peterson says

    February 10, 2019 at 7:19 pm

    I made this in the instant pot with thawed chicken breast and it turned out great — I sautéed the veggies and spices using the built in sauté function on the IP. Then I added all other ingredients and gave it a stir. Cooked on manual for 9 minutes with a 9 min natural release followed by quick release. Probably could’ve cooked a little shorter to have more moist chicken.

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      February 12, 2019 at 9:57 am

      This is great! Thanks, Caroline, for sharing how you made this in the Instant Pot!

      Reply
  20. Amy says

    April 25, 2019 at 3:45 pm

    Could I do this with steak?

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      April 25, 2019 at 5:06 pm

      Hi Amy,

      You could do this with steak though I’m not sure the cooking time is long enough for the steak to become tender so I would recommend making the soup without the chicken then adding thin slices of a cooked steak to the pot at the end of the cooking time just to heat the steak through.

      Reply
  21. Erica says

    September 17, 2019 at 1:20 pm

    Is there a way to cook this in the instant pot or slow cooker? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      September 18, 2019 at 8:20 am

      Hi Erica,

      Yes, you can. I’ve updated the recipe with Instant Pot directions.

      Reply
  22. Jennifer Novoselich says

    November 2, 2019 at 3:32 pm

    Hey! I saw there are diced green chiles in the recipe. When do we add them?

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      November 3, 2019 at 7:33 pm

      Hi Jennifer,

      You add the green chiles when you add the garlic and jalapenos.

      Reply
  23. Cara says

    January 18, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    I made this in a slow cooker and it was SUPER easy and delicious. I sautéed the red pepper & jalapeño for about 5 minutes on med-high heat, then sautéed the onions and garlic for about minutes. I nestled all the chicken into the bottom of the crockpot and added all the ingredients on top and kind of stirred them together without moving the chicken. I let that cook on high for about 4 hours, took the chicken out and shredded it, and could eat it at any point now! I think you could also cook it on low for 6-8 and it would be just as delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      January 19, 2020 at 9:54 pm

      Thanks for sharing your slow cooker directions, Cara. We’re so glad you loved it!

      Reply
  24. Donna Stevens says

    September 27, 2020 at 1:24 pm

    Hi Jessica. I would love to have some recipes made WITHOUT TOMATOES. Acid is one thing I cannot eat and tomatoes are full of it. Could I have some good soup recipes and comfort foods that are tasty but with out acid/tomatoes?

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      September 30, 2020 at 9:38 am

      We do have several soups that do not contain tomatoes that you may like: Creamy Ham and Potato Soup, Slow Cooker Chicken Corn Chowder, Loaded Cheesy Cauliflower Soup, Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Italian Harvest Soup, and Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Bacon

      Reply

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