Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken tortilla soup is a classic Mexican dish that is hearty, flavorful, and perfect for a cold winter day. It’s a comforting soup that is easy to make, and the best part is that it can be customized to suit your taste.

Tortilla chicken soup is a Mexican soup made with chicken, tomatoes, broth, and spices, served with crispy tortilla strips, cheese, and avocado on top. This easy chicken tortilla soup recipe is simple and delicious!

Try my hearty Albondigas Soup next!

Why We Love This Recipe

1. Rich and flavorful: Packed with flavorful ingredients like tender chicken, tomatoes, garlic, and spices, this tortilla chicken soup has a rich, savory flavor that is both satisfying and comforting.
2. Versatile: The soup recipe can be adapted to suit different tastes and dietary requirements. You can make it spicy or mild, add more vegetables, or use different types of protein such as shrimp or beef.
3. Nutritious: It’s a healthy meal that is rich in protein, fiber, and essential nutrients. Adding vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and corn provides important vitamins and minerals, while the chicken adds protein without adding excess fat.
4. Easy to make: This simple and easy-to-make recipe can be whipped up in under an hour. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal or feeding a crowd.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

• Onion and Garlic – Chopped, minced, and sauteed in olive oil to soften and impart flavor.
• Chicken – Cooked, shredded chicken breast. The easiest is to use the meat from a rotisserie chicken, but you could also do Poached Chicken or Baked Chicken Breasts.
• Canned Corn – drained. Frozen or fresh could also be used.
• Black Beans – drained and rinsed. If you don’t like black beans, use pinto beans or cannellini beans.
• Diced Tomatoes – I use petite diced tomatoes but also love fire-roasted. If you don’t want chunks of tomato in your soup, add a tablespoon or tomato paste or an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce.
• Green Chiles – One small can, undrained.
• Taco Seasoning – Hands down I prefer a homemade blend, but you can also use a packet of seasoning, or 2 tablespoons of another prepared seasoning mix.
• Chicken Broth – Opt for a low-sodium variety or make your own.
• Garnishes and Toppings – Cilantro, tortilla chips or strips, avocado, sliced green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, lime wedges.

How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions

Step 1: Heat oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven and saute onions and garlic.

Step 2: Stir in shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and taco seasoning and saute just long enough to season.

Step 3: Add canned tomatoes, green chiles, and chicken broth, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

Step 4: Ladle into bowls, garnish with desired toppings and serve!

FAQs

How To Serve

Tortilla soup can be served in a variety of ways, depending on your personal preference. Here are a few options:

1. Topped with garnishes – One of the most common ways to serve this soup is to top it with garnishes such as crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. This adds texture, flavor, and freshness to the soup.
2. With a side of tortillas – Another option is to serve the soup with a side of warm tortillas. You can either use store-bought tortillas or make your own by heating up some corn or flour tortillas on a griddle or in the oven.
3. Over rice – If you want to make the soup a more substantial meal, you can serve it over a bed of cooked rice. This will make the dish more filling and add another layer of texture and flavor.
4. In a bread bowl – For a fun and creative way to serve this soup, you can hollow out a bread bowl and ladle the soup inside. This makes for a fun presentation and adds a nice crunch to the soup.

Storage

If you have leftover soup or you want to make a big batch in advance, you can store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Here’s how:

1. Refrigerator storage: Let the soup cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to reheat the soup, simply place it in a pot on the stove over medium heat and stir occasionally until it’s heated through.
2. Freezer storage: Let the soup cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag. Label the container with the date and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to reheat the soup, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat it in a pot on the stove over medium heat.

It’s important to note that the texture of the soup may change slightly after freezing and reheating. The tortilla chips may become softer and the vegetables may be slightly mushy, but the flavor should still be delicious.

To preserve the texture as much as possible, you may want to add fresh tortilla chips or other toppings when reheating the soup.

More Soup Recipes

• Turkey Taco Soup
• Easy Beef & Macaroni Soup (Goulash Soup)
• Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Homemade Chicken Soup
• White Bean, Kale & Sausage Soup
• Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup

Recipe

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Kristin Maxwell

Chicken tortilla soup has a rich and flavorful broth packed with tender chicken, vegetables and spices with crunchy tortilla strips on top.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

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Ingredients

  

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Soup:

• 1 small onion diced (about ¾ cup)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 3 cups shredded chicken like from a rotisserie
• 15 ounce can of corn kernels drained
• 15 ounce can of black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 15 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
• 4 ounce can mild green chiles
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt more or less, according to taste
• Optional garnishes: cilantro, tortilla strips, avacado, green onions, shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges.

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Instructions

 

• Heat a large pot with a tablespoon of oil. Add diced onions and cook, stirring often, until translucent and soft; about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Add chicken, black beans and corn to the pot. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and stir to coat.
• Pour in canned tomatoes, green chiles, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and add salt as desired.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and top with desired garnishes, like cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado, and of course lots of tortilla chips!

Notes

*Nutritional count does not include optional garnishes.

I use my homemade Taco Seasoning, but you can use a pre-mixed from the store (I like this one). The main seasonings you want to include if you’re not using a taco seasoning blend are chili powder and cumin.

The easiest way to shred chicken is to use the meat from a rotisserie chicken, but you could also do Poached Chicken or Baked Chicken Breasts.

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 36gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1652mgPotassium: 978mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 311IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

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