Chicken Tortilla Soup

Our Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe makes it a breeze to get this classic Mexican soup on the table in under an hour. Get your avocados, crisp tortilla strips, jack cheese, cilantro, and lime ready, because it’s all about the garnish for this memorably delicious soup!

As the scent of onions, garlic, tomatoes, chicken and Mexican herbs and spices starts filling the house, you’ll know you’re heading in the right direction. This Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup, while it can be an all day simmer-er, is more than merely delicious in under an hour.

Let’s break down what makes this particular soup so satisfying. In it’s essence, it is a bowl full of everything I have ever loved about Mexican food.

Bold flavors, savoury beans, smoky chiles? Yes, and in abundance.

Moist chicken, corn tortillas, fresh jalapenos, creamy avocados? Check, check and check.

If you’ve never eaten tortilla soup before, it is easiest to compare it to the flavors of chicken enchiladas. The chicken and tomato based broth is the perfect vehicle to deliver the ultimate in Mexican comfort food.

My recipe makes quite a quantity of soup. I didn’t down-size it for two solid reasons.

1. You’re going to eat more than you think you are. Trust me. You won’t be sorry to have more of this than you think you need but you may regret it if you make just enough for one meal. This brings me to…
2. Leftovers freeze like a dream. You can portion out family or individual sized servings and stash them in the freezer for fast meals. You’ll be so grateful to have a stash of this frozen to deal with last minute Tortilla Soup cravings because they. will. happen. When you’re ready for it, simply reheat and garnish.

Tortilla Soup

Adapted from my friend Melissa Ortiz

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 quart jar crushed tomatoes (or 4 cups canned crushed tomatoes)
• 3 cups cooked black beans (You can use drained, rinsed, canned beans if you don’t have home cooked ones.)
• 4-5 cups cooked, leftover chicken shredded or cubed (This is the equivalent of 5 chicken breast halves on the bone roasted and picked.)
• 10 cups chicken stock (I used homemade garlic chile chicken stock but you can use purchased chicken stock and increase the garlic by 3 cloves.)
• 6 ounces tomato paste (Optional. Add if you like a thicker soup.)
• 1-2 fresh jalapenos, minced (or 1-4 tablespoons candied jalapenos or jarred jalapenos, minced), to taste
• 4-8 corn tortillas minced (These are going to thicken the soup, so add the smaller amount first. Add more if you want to thicken up the soup more.)
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons oregano
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus some for garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

Garnish, all optional:

• hot cooked rice
• avocado slices
• sour cream
• grated cheese
• corn tortillas cut into strips (thick or thin or both), fried and salted**
• corn chips
• more fresh cilantro
• chopped green onions
• lime wedges to squeeze in soup
• candied jalapenos (Please tell me you’ve made yourself some of these. No? Get on it!)

In big heavy pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and sweat until semi-translucent. Add tomatoes, stock, chili powder and oregano and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add beans, chicken, jalapeno, and minced tortillas and return to a boil. Drop heat to mid-low and simmer another 10 minutes. Test the thickness and seasoning of the soup. If you want it thicker, add more minced corn tortillas. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. You may find you need to add quite a bit of salt, but add it in small increments. It’s always easier to add salt than it is to take it out! Continue simmering for about 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve with desired garnishes.

*Ungarnished leftovers can be portioned into serving size containers and frozen for future meals.

**To make fried tortilla strips: Add about 1-inch of canola or peanut oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Heat it over medium-high heat. Slice desired amount of corn tortillas into strips, thick or thin according to preference. Drop one strip of tortilla in to the oil. If bubbles form immediately around the edges and it appears to be boiling, the oil is ready. Drop a handful of tortilla strips into the oil and stir to separate. Fry about 1-2 minutes then use tongs to transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt and seasonings if desired.

Preparation Notes:

I used a stock that was based on my basic chicken stock, but simmered with an additional head of garlic and a couple dried arbol chile peppers. It added a wonderful depth of flavor to the final soup. If you have time or the inclination to make your own stock for this soup, I highly recommend it. Will this still be good with purchased stock? You betcha, but you may find you need to up the spices and garlic a bit. Just taste it before serving and adjust.

Likewise, I used home-cooked black beans simmered according to this method with a smoked pork neck bone. The hint of smoky pork in the beans was not assertive, but added another layer of flavor that really upped the deep flavor quotient in this soup. You can use drained, rinsed, canned beans if dried beans are not available.

I like my soups with a lot of body and thickness, so I used both the optional tomato paste and the additional minced corn tortillas. If you prefer a brothier soup, use the smaller amount of minced tortillas and omit the tomato paste.

Tortilla Soup

Rate Recipe

Rebecca Lindamood

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

In one bowl of this Best Tortilla Soup is everything I have ever loved about Mexican food.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 5 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 1 quart jar crushed tomatoes or 4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups cooked black beans I simmered mine with a smoked pork neck bone but you can use drained, rinsed, canned beans.
• 4-5 cups cooked This is the equivalent of 5 chicken breast halves on the bone roasted and picked., leftover chicken shredded or cubed
• 10 cups chicken stock I used homemade garlic chile chicken stock but you can use purchased chicken stock and increase the garlic by 3 cloves.
• 6 ounces tomato paste Optional. Add if you like a thicker soup.
• 1-2 fresh jalapenos or 1-4 tablespoons candied jalapenos or jarred jalapenos, minced, minced , to taste
• 4-8 corn tortillas minced These are going to thicken the soup, so add the smaller amount first. Add more if you want to thicken up the soup more.
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons oregano
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus some for garnish
• salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish all optional:
• hot cooked rice
• avocado slices
• sour cream
• grated cheese
• corn tortillas cut into strips thick or thin or both, fried and salted**
• corn chips
• more fresh cilantro
• chopped green onions
• lime wedges to squeeze in soup

Instructions

 

• In big heavy pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and sweat until semi-translucent. Add tomatoes, stock, chili powder and oregano and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add beans, chicken, jalapeno, and minced tortillas and return to a boil. Drop heat to mid-low and simmer another 10 minutes. Test the thickness and seasoning of the soup. If you want it thicker, add more minced corn tortillas. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. You may find you need to add quite a bit of salt, but add it in small increments. It's always easier to add salt than it is to take it out! Continue simmering for about 25 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve with desired garnishes.
• *Ungarnished leftovers can be portioned into serving size containers and frozen for future meals.
• **To make fried tortilla strips: Add about 1-inch of canola or peanut oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Heat it over medium-high heat. Slice desired amount of corn tortillas into strips, thick or thin according to preference. Drop one strip of tortilla in to the oil. If bubbles form immediately around the edges and it appears to be boiling, the oil is ready. Drop a handful of tortilla strips into the oil and stir to separate. Fry about 1-2 minutes then use tongs to transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt and seasonings if desired.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

did you make this recipe?

Make sure to tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and #hashtag it #foodiewithfamily so I can check it out!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share on Facebook