Chick-fil-A’s tortilla soup is a popular menu item that many customers enjoy. However, some people may wonder if the tortilla soup has any spice to it or if it is a mild, creamy soup. The answer depends on a few key factors.
Spiciness of Chick-fil-A Tortilla Soup
Overall, Chick-fil-A’s tortilla soup is considered a mildly spicy soup. It contains a blend of peppers and spices that provide a subtle heat without being too overwhelming for the average customer. Here is an overview of the spiciness:
Contains peppers
According to Chick-fil-A, their tortilla soup contains a blend of peppers, including poblano, Anaheim, and jalapeño peppers. So there is definitely some spicy pepper flavor in the soup. However, it’s important to note that these peppers are mixed with other ingredients, so the heat is diluted.
Spice blend
In addition to peppers, the soup contains a proprietary spice blend from Chick-fil-A. While the exact spices are not published, this blend likely contains paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and other spices to give the soup a southwestern flair. The combination of the peppers and spice blend provides a nice subtle heat.
Creams and chicken broth dilute heat
Even though the tortilla soup contains spicy peppers and spices, it is diluted by the other ingredients. The soup contains creamy ingredients like heavy cream, half and half, and butter. It also contains chicken broth. These ingredients temper the heat from the peppers.
Toppings
The tortilla strips and shredded cheese also serve to tame down the spicy kick. Customers can also add sour cream, which cools any spiciness.
So in summary, the blend of peppers and spices provides some heat, but the creamy and mild ingredients keep the overall spiciness relatively mild. Most customers do not find it excessively spicy or hot.
Spiciness Compared to Other Chick-fil-A Items
To better evaluate its spiciness, it helps to compare Chick-fil-A’s tortilla soup to some of their other menu items known for spiciness or heat:
Chick-fil-A Menu Item | Spiciness |
---|---|
Spicy Chicken Sandwich | Moderately spicy |
Spicy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich | Mildly spicy |
Spicy Chicken Biscuit | Mildly spicy |
Sriracha Sauce | Moderately spicy |
Zesty Buffalo Sauce | Mildly spicy |
Tortilla Soup | Mildly spicy |
As you can see, the tortilla soup ranks on the milder end of Chick-fil-A’s spicy options. The spicy chicken sandwiches and sriracha sauce pack more heat, while the tortilla soup provides just a hint of spiciness.
Tips for Increasing or Decreasing Spiciness
Since spice preference is subjective, customers wanting to adjust the heat level of the tortilla soup can try these tips:
To increase spiciness:
- Ask for extra jalapeño peppers on top
- Add hot sauce or salsa
- Use spicy Sriracha sauce instead of regular sauce
- Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
To decrease spiciness:
- Request no jalapeño peppers
- Add extra sour cream
- Ask for extra shredded cheese
- Add extra tortilla strips
- Stir in some creamy salad dressing like ranch
So for those wanting a spicier kick, you can customize with add-ons and hot sauces. For those sensitive to spice, you can tone it down by omitting or adding cooling ingredients. The great thing about the soup is you can adjust the heat to your personal tastes.
Factors that Influence Spiciness
It’s also important to note that the perceived spiciness of Chick-fil-A’s tortilla soup can vary depending on these factors:
Individual Tolerance
Everyone has varying levels of sensitivity and tolerance to spicy foods. What may be mildly spicy to some is eye-watering hot to others. A person’s spicy food tolerance plays a big role.
Ingredients
Since the soup is made fresh in each restaurant, the spiciness can vary slightly batch to batch. This depends on the amount of jalapeño and spices added, which may differ between cooks.
Toppings
The toppings and condiments added, like extra jalapeño or sour cream, impact the heat level as mentioned earlier.
Location
The general regional and cultural preferences for spicy food can influence how spicy restaurants make their tortilla soup. For example, restaurants in the Southwest may amp up spices more than other regions.
So in summary, there are many variables that can influence the spiciness experience when eating Chick-fil-A’s tortilla soup. But for most people, it lands on the milder end of the spicy spectrum without being too hot for the average customer to handle.
Nutrition Info and Ingredients
Since we’ve covered spiciness, let’s also look at the nutrition facts and ingredients list for Chick-fil-A’s tortilla soup:
Nutrition Facts
Calories | 280 |
---|---|
Total Fat | 16g |
Sodium | 790mg |
Total Carbs | 24g |
Protein | 8g |
Ingredients:
Chicken Stock, Heavy Cream, Half & Half, Chicken, Canola Oil, Tortilla Strips (Enriched Bleached Flour [Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Water, Vegetable Shortening [Interesterified Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil], Contains 2% or less of: Sugar, Salt, Dextrose, Leavening [Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate], Yeast, Dough Conditioner [Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Mono & Diglycerides, Calcium Sulfate, Guar Gum, L-Cysteine], Cellulose Gum, Fumaric Acid, Calcium Propionate & Potassium Sorbate As Preservatives), Onion, Corn, Cream Cheese (Pasteurized Milk and Cream, Cheese Culture, Salt, Stabilizers [Carob Bean and/or Xanthan and/or Guar Gums]), Jalapeño Peppers, Spice Blend (spices, sugar, citric acid, garlic powder), Poblano Peppers, Butter (Cream, Salt), Modified Food Starch, Chicken Base (Chicken Stock, Salt, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavors, Corn Oil, Disodium Inosinate & Disodium Guanylate, Chicken Fat, Whey Protein Concentrate, Turmeric and Turmeric Extractive), Anaheim Peppers, Cilantro, Chicken Fat, Lime Juice Concentrate, Monosodium Glutamate. Contains: Milk, Wheat
Conclusion
In closing, Chick-fil-A’s popular tortilla soup contains a blend of peppers and southwestern spices that provide a mildly spicy kick. When compared to some of their other spicy menu items, it lands on the milder end of the spectrum. However, the heat level can vary slightly depending on the individual’s spice tolerance, batch ingredients, toppings added, restaurant location, and other factors. Customers can adjust the soup’s spiciness by adding hot sauce or sour cream. While moderately spicy for some, most people find this soup easy to enjoy with just a hint of heat from the pepper and spice blend.