Chicken tortilla soup is a classic Mexican dish that is full of flavor but can also pack a lot of calories. When dining out at a Mexican restaurant, it’s important to pay attention to the calorie content of menu items in order to make informed choices. In this article, we’ll take a look at the typical calorie count for chicken tortilla soup at popular Mexican restaurant chains and local eateries. We’ll also provide tips for lightening up this filling soup if you want to enjoy it without overdoing the calories.
Calories in Chicken Tortilla Soup at Mexican Restaurant Chains
Most large Mexican restaurant chains provide nutrition information for their menu items online or on request. This makes it easy to find out how many calories are in a standard bowl of chicken tortilla soup. Here are some calorie counts for popular chain restaurants:
- Chipotle – 440 calories in 1 order of chicken tortilla soup with standard toppings
- Qdoba – 420 calories in 1 bowl of chicken tortilla soup
- El Pollo Loco – 190 calories in 1 cup of chicken tortilla soup
- Baja Fresh – 300 calories in 1 bowl of chicken tortilla soup
- Chevy’s – 510 calories in 1 bowl of chicken tortilla soup
- On The Border – 360 calories in 1 bowl of chicken tortilla soup
As you can see, the calorie content can vary significantly depending on the restaurant. In general, a full bowl of chicken tortilla soup from a major chain falls in the 300-500 calorie range. Some lighter options like El Pollo Loco provide closer to 200 calories per serving.
Calories in Chicken Tortilla Soup at Local Mexican Restaurants
If dining at a locally owned Mexican restaurant, the nutrition information may not be as readily available. However, you can make some educated estimates based on the style of preparation and any ingredients you can identify visually:
- Chicken tortilla soup with lots of visible avocado, cheese, sour cream – 700+ calories per bowl
- Brothy chicken tortilla soup with just chicken, veggies, tortilla strips – 300-400 calories per bowl
- Creamy chicken tortilla soup with fried tortilla shells – 500-600 calories per bowl
Some additional factors that increase the calorie count include:
- Thick, creamy broth
- Abundant oil or other fats
- Many fried garnishes like tortilla chips
- Extra cheese
- Meat besides chicken such as chorizo or pork
On the lighter side, look for soups with:
- Thinner, tomato-based broth
- Mainly chicken for protein
- Lots of vegetable chunks
- Minimal cheese or sour cream
- Baked tortilla strips instead of fried chips
Tips for Lightening Up Chicken Tortilla Soup
If you want to enjoy chicken tortilla soup while limiting calories, here are some tips to make it a lighter meal:
- Request a smaller portion size. Many restaurants will accommodate this.
- Ask for broth-based soup instead of creamy, if available.
- Skip fried tortilla chips and ask for a side salad instead.
- Order any cheese, avocado, or sour cream on the side.
- Spoon off any visible excess oil from the top.
- Avoid soups with pork, chorizo, etc. and stick to chicken only.
- Fill up on vegetable slices and go light on the tortillas.
Making special requests allows you to trim calories while still enjoying the classic flavors of chicken tortilla soup when dining out. Ordering a broth-based version and loading up on vegetable fillings is one of the best strategies to lighten up this Mexican favorite.
Nutrition Information in Chicken Tortilla Soup
To understand where the calories come from in chicken tortilla soup, let’s take a look at the nutrition breakdown of a typical recipe:
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 485 | 24% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 165mg | 55% |
| Sodium | 1510mg | 63% |
| Carbohydrates | 36g | 12% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Protein | 49g | 98% |
The high calorie count comes mainly from the large amounts of fat, cholesterol, and sodium. The chicken, cheese, oil, and cream or sour cream are the major contributors. Carbohydrates make up a smaller portion, mostly from the tortillas and vegetables.
For a lower calorie option, you can make adjustments like using reduced fat dairy, decreasing oil, and limiting salty ingredients like cheese. Loading up on non-starchy vegetables and fiber-rich options like beans also helps cut down on calories.
High Calorie Ingredients to Limit
When trying to lighten up chicken tortilla soup, pay attention to ingredients that add the most calories. Here are some high calorie soup components to limit:
- Oils: Chicken tortilla soup recipes often call for frying the tortilla strips in oil. Just a tablespoon of oil adds 120 calories.
- Cheese: Grated cheese averages around 100 calories per 1/4 cup. Cheese contributes loads of calories along with saturated fat and sodium.
- Cream: Heavy cream has about 50 calories per tablespoon. Cream-based soups pack in the calories.
- Sour cream: Just 2 tablespoons of sour cream adds around 60 calories.
- Avocado: While nutritious, half an avocado has 160 calories. Opt for a sprinkle of avocado instead of big chunks.
- Tortilla chips: Fried tortilla chips can have 150+ calories per handful. Baked chips or strips have closer to 100 calories per serving.
When dining out, avoiding extras like piles of cheese, chips, avocado, and sour cream can make a significant dent in the calorie count of chicken tortilla soup.
Low Calorie Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
To make lower calorie chicken tortilla soup at home, try this flavorful but light recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 1 (15 oz) can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 6 baked whole wheat tortilla chips, crushed, for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook 1 minute more.
- Pour in chicken broth and tomatoes. Raise heat and bring soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken, black beans, corn, carrots and zucchini. Cook 5 minutes more.
- Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips.
This version uses minimal oil, sodium-free broth, lower fat chicken, and lots of vegetables to keep the calorie count around 300 per serving. Topping with just a few baked tortilla chips instead of piles of fried chips slashes calories as well.
Other Tips for Lower Calorie Soup
Some other ways to reduce calories in homemade chicken tortilla soup include:
- Use reduced sodium broth and minimize added salt
- Choose lower fat dairy such as 2% milk or Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream
- Skip oil and cook aromatics in broth
- Increase fiber with extra vegetables, beans, lentils
- Use just egg whites instead of whole eggs for a richer broth
- Top with cilantro, scallions, or chili peppers instead of cheese
- Spritz tortillas lightly with oil instead of frying in full oil
With some simple substitutions and boosting the veggie content, you can still achieve an ultra flavorful chicken tortilla soup for around 300-400 calories per serving.
Conclusion
Chicken tortilla soup is a beloved Mexican favorite but can contain high levels of calories, especially when dining out. At most restaurants, a bowl clocks in at 300-500 calories or more. By choosing broth-based preparations with lower fat ingredients, requesting lighter modifications, and skipping high calorie fried garnishes and extras, you can enjoy this tasty soup without going overboard on calories. When making chicken tortilla soup at home, load up on vegetables, beans, and fiber-rich ingredients while limiting oils, salt, cheese, creamy dairy, and fried tortilla chips. With some mindful adjustments, chicken tortilla soup can still be a lean and delicious meal option.