Chicken Tortilla Soup is a flavorful and filling soup recipe that you are going to love. Made with tender chicken, colorful vegetables in a perfectly spiced broth. YUM. Serve with crispy tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, creamy avocado + zesty lime for an amazing meal you'll make over and over again.
Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup
Listen, this soup is super easy to throw together. Plus, you can adapt it to fit your preferences and what's in your pantry.
Since it doesn't take very long to make, you can cook it right on the stovetop in less than a hour.
Ingredients Needed to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup:
- Oil
- Onion
- Jalapeno - If you don't like jalapenos, you can use a small can of mild green chiles instead.
- Garlic
- Chicken broth - I used a low-sodium broth to control the saltiness.
- Crushed tomatoes
- Water - Optional.
- Kernel corn
- Black beans
- Fresh cilantro!!
- Spices - Chili powder, cumin, salt + black pepper
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Avocados
- Lime
- Tortilla strips
You don't want to skip the fresh cilantro. We use it during cooking the Chicken Tortilla Soup AND as a garnish.
TIP: You can also use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken in this soup.
My favorite part is that the chicken cooks right in the soup mixture. No fuss. Once it is done, simply pull it out and shred it using two forks. Then pop it right back into the soup.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup:
- In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and jalapeno for 5 - 7 minutes until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook + stir another 1 - 2 minutes until you can smell the garlic.
- Next, carefully stir in the chicken broth, water, and crushed tomatoes. Add the corn, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and half of the cilantro. Combine well.
- Then place the whole chicken breasts into the soup mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the pot. Use two forks to shred the chicken, then add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Stir and simmer 15 minutes.
- To serve, ladle a serving of the chicken tortilla soup into a bowl. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Add fresh chopped cilantro, avocado, and tortilla strips. Enjoy!
Don't you love how easy this Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is.
TIP: You can use store bought tortilla strips or make your own. Check out our post over on SoFabFood get the How-To.
I like to serve lime wedges along with the Chicken Tortilla Soup so everyone can decide how much citrus flavor they want in their bowl. Me? I like it zesty!
More Recipes You Might Like:
Hearty Stuffed Pepper Soup
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Cheesy Southwestern Grilled Chicken
More Tips + Ideas:
- Use leftover cooked chicken in this recipe. You'll need about 2 to 3 cups.
- Not a fan of jalapenos? Use a small can of mild green chiles instead.
- Replace the crushed tomatoes with an equal amount of your favorite jarred salsa.
- You can use kidney beans, pinto beans, or your favorite canned bean in place of black beans.
- Adjust the consistency of the chicken tortilla soup by adding or reducing water.
- Want it spicier? Leave in some of the jalapeno seeds.
- Make this soup recipe heartier by adding a handful of uncooked rice or quinoa at the same time you add the chicken breasts. Be sure to stir more frequently.
- This recipe is easily doubled for a potluck supper or a crowd.
- Serve with your family's favorite toppings: cheese, hot sauce, avocados, fresh cilantro, tortilla strips, black olives...and more!
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Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion small, peeled + diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded + finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 4 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water based on preferred thickness
- 14 ounces kernel corn undrained
- 14 ounces black beans drained + rinsed
- ½ cup cilantro fresh, chopped, divided
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 avocados cut into cubes
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- 2 cups tortilla strips or corn chips
Instructions
- In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and jalapeno for 5 - 7 minutes until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook + stir another 1 - 2 minutes until you can smell the garlic.
- Next, carefully stir in the chicken broth, water, and crushed tomatoes. Add the corn, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and half of the cilantro. Combine well.
- Then place the whole chicken breasts into the soup mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the pot. Use two forks to shred the chicken, then add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Stir and simmer 15 minutes.
- To serve, ladle a serving of the chicken tortilla soup into a bowl. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Add fresh chopped cilantro, avocado, and tortilla strips. Enjoy!
can you send me a killer recipe for cowboy beans, charros frijoles? I recently had some from a caterer that tasted of bacon, but you couldn't see any meat. It had smaller red beans and a nice sauce. Of course he wouldn't give me his secret.
Sure, here is a recipe that we did recently: https://buythiscookthat.com/beefy-cowboy-beans/ I can't promise they will be the same as the caterer, but hope you like them.