Pumpkin Chicken Tortilla Soup (Whole30)

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This Pumpkin Chicken Tortilla Soup is so flavorful and full of warmth from the tomatoes and spices. Shredded chicken and vegetables add plenty of texture, while pumpkin balances everything out with just the right amount of sweetness and earthiness. It mellows the heat and bitterness from the spices without making the soup taste like pumpkin.

My favorite way to eat this soup is with a generous amount of homemade tortilla chips, fresh avocado, raw cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. It’s cozy, hearty, and the perfect soup for a cool fall day.

How To Make whole30 Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot

One of my favorite kitchen tools to use is the Instant Pot. I was intimidated by it at first, but it truly is an amazing kitchen appliance to have. It makes the most delicious soups, the flavors seem to infuse throughout the entire soup, and the meat always comes out fork-tender.

One important step when making soup in the Instant Pot is allowing the pressure to release naturally for a few minutes after cooking. This is called a natural pressure release. Instead of immediately releasing all of the pressure, you simply leave the Instant Pot alone after the cooking time is finished.

For this recipe, I like to let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually. When the cooking time is complete, the Instant Pot will switch to the “Keep Warm” setting and the display will show L0:00. The “L” stands for lapsed time. Once the display reaches L0:10, carefully turn the pressure-release valve to Venting to release the remaining steam.

1. Dice onion, pepper and carrots and place into instant pot. Add pumpkin, green chilis, tomatoes, chicken stock, and seasonings and give it a stir. 

2. Gently place chicken breast into liquid and submerge.

3. Secure instant pot lid in place and turn valve to sealing (see instant pot manual for how to).

4. Press the “Soup/Broth” button and then timer should automatically set to 18 minutes. Note: It takes about 10-15 minutes for the instant pot to get up to temperature before it starts its countdown from the 18 minutes. 

5. While soup is cooking you can make your paleo tortilla chips (instructions below) 

6. Instant pot will beep when done, Lo:oo will appear, allow for 10 minute slow release, when Lo:10 appears, you can switch to fast release to let out the remaining steam. Once steam is released, open lid and take out chicken to shred. Then put chicken back into instant pot, give it a stir and serve with desired toppings for soup. 

   
   

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How To Make Homemade Tortilla Chips

These homemade tortilla chips are the perfect topping for soups. Not only are they healthier than store bought chips, but they have a nice crunch, are perfectly salted and they’re tastier than anything you’ll find on the grocery store shelves. You can also save all old or stale tortillas and they crisp up perfectly for this dish without anything going to waste. Here’s how you make them:

1. Take 4 Almond flour (or other paleo, corn or flour tortillas) and stack them on top of one another.   

2. Cut them into strips, and then cut those strips into halves so you have about 3 inch long strips that are about 1/2 inch wide. 

3. Place them on a sheet pan and spray with avocado oil and then sprinkle salt over top.

4. Place in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10-15 minutes. Start watching closely around 10 minutes as these can burn quickly.

Optional Toppings That Pair Well With Healthy Pumpkin Soup

More Soup and Slow Cooker Recipes