When Chick-fil-a came out with their Chicken Tortilla Soup last year, it was love at first bite for me. I have no idea why it took them so long to bring it to us, but, as many of my Facebook friends know, I’m a big fan of it. And I’m notorious for shamelessly posting pics and status updates to let everyone know about it every time I eat it. As a result, I’ve turned several of you into big fans of this soup as well.

And I don’t know if it’s a marketing ploy or if they have special beans that are only in season in the winter, but they only offer this for a limited time, which really puts soup-lovers like me into a panic. I’m just dreading that day when I drive up to the drive-thru and they tell me they no longer have it.

So, I decided to take action. Somebody had to, so I gave it a try.

As I was eating a bowl of it one day for lunch, I jotted down a few ingredients I tasted (and I took a look at their ingredient list on the Chick-fil-a website), and I came up with a very close version of the original.

So here it is, for those of you who love this soup like I do:

“Tastes Like Chick-Fil-a’s” Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4-oz can diced green chilies

1 taco seasoning packet (use hot or mild depending on your preference)

(4) 14 oz cans chicken broth

(1) 15 oz can black beans

(3) 15 oz cans navy beans

(1) 15 oz can corn

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1 cup heavy cream

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the onions, and cook until translucent. Next, add the green chilies, the taco seasoning packet, all the canned items, and the chicken. Bring to a boil, then allow to simmer for several minutes until heated through. Lastly, add the cream and heat for 5-10 more minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and top with shredded cheese, if desired.

Here are a few notes:

I’ve noticed Chick-fil-a varies a little on the spiciness of this soup. Sometimes I get it and it’s much spicier than others, so use a hot or mild taco seasoning packet, depending on your preference. My little kids won’t eat things that are too spicy, so I made ours with the mild seasoning.

Also, I noticed my soup was a little thinner than the original, so to thicken it a little, I ladled into a measuring cup about a cup of the broth from the soup pot. (This step is before the final step of adding the cream.)

Then, I just added a few tablespoons of flour and whisked well to thicken. You can use cornstarch to thicken instead if you prefer. After it’s mixed well, return to the pot and stir.

This makes a fairly large amount, so if it’s too much for your family, you can freeze half of it for a second meal.

So, for all you fellow Chick-fil-a soup lovers out there (and those of you not fortunate to live near a Chick-fil-a), enjoy! I hope you love it!

I’m sharing this recipe with a few of these friends.