Chicken Tortilla Soup

I am very picky about soup, but this is, by far, my best chicken tortilla soup recipe ever! There are a few canned ingredients in this version, but the more fresh vegetables you use, the better the results.

No, it's not a super-quick soup recipe, with a 30-minute cook time, but I think the extra bit of time is what makes this soup so crave-worthy and satisfying. Slowly layering the flavors builds a great base to make your soup phenomenal.

🌎 Origin

If you're wondering if chicken tortilla soup, aka sopa Azteca (or Soup of the Aztecs), is an authentic dish you might be surprised to learn that it is indeed from Mexico. The exact beginnings of this dish are unknown, but believed to be from the state of Tlaxcala, which is near Mexico City.

Just like many other dishes, the ingredients that would be considered authentic will vary by region but this soup's base includes chicken broth, roasted tomatoes, onion, chiles, garlic, and fried tortilla strips.

🥘 Ingredients

• Cooking Oil - Choose a neutral-flavored cooking oil with a high smoke point to pan-sear the chicken breasts, then a bit more to sauté the onion and garlic with.
• Chicken - Start with a generous portion of 2 pounds of chicken (use bone-in chicken thighs, boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or opt for chicken breasts).
• Onion - White or yellow onion, chopped.
• Garlic - Fresh garlic cloves, minced or finely sliced, or use the jarred minced garlic (I use a bit extra of the packaged minced garlic since the flavor is not quite as strong).
• Tomatoes - Fresh chopped tomatoes or use canned tomatoes. If using canned tomatoes look for the San Marzano Italian tomatoes from Cento or Delallo brands. Fire-roasted tomatoes or RoTel diced tomatoes with chiles are also amazing flavor additions.
• Jalapeno - 1 finely diced jalapeno with the seeds removed (or add the jalapeno seeds if you like a spicier soup). I also save jalapeno slices for serving, or dice up pickled jalapenos for a tamer flavor.
• Red Bell Pepper - 1 chopped red bell pepper (or use yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, or mini sweet peppers).
• Green Chiles - 3 tablespoons of finely diced green chiles. You can use canned chiles.
• Green Onion - 2 green onion stalks that have been chopped. Save some for the garnish, too.
• Sweet Corn - 10-12 ounces of frozen sweet corn. You can also use fresh or canned corn.
• Black Beans - One 15-ounce can of black beans. Make sure to drain and rinse them.
• Cilantro - ½ cup (plus more for garnish when serving) of chopped cilantro. See all my cilantro substitutes here if you aren't a cilantro fan.
• Seasoning - Chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt & pepper are the spices you'll need. Ground coriander, cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper powder, and paprika (or smoked paprika) are all flavorful additions. You can also use my handy taco seasoning or chicken taco seasoning as your spice mix too.
• Chicken Broth - 6 cups of chicken broth, chicken bone broth, or low-sodium chicken broth if you need to keep your sodium intake low.
• Lime- The juice from 1 fresh lime. Use a bit more if using bottled lime juice.
• Adobo (optional) - The flavor of adding some chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce is what you need to make this soup next level deliciousness. I usually chop one piece of pepper from a can or jar and smash it into the sauce to make a paste.

Optional Toppings

• Corn Tortillas - 3 corn tortillas that have been cut in half and then sliced into strips. Crushed tortilla chips also work as a topping when serving.
• Shredded Cheese - Some shredded cheddar cheese as garnish, if desired. Or use the Mexican blend shredded cheese that includes Monterey Jack, whole-milk Mozzarella, Cheddar, and Asadero cheese or queso quesadilla cheese.
• Avocado - Some chopped avocado for garnish, if desired.
• Sour Cream, Greek Yogurt, or Crema - More great toppings to add when serving a big bowl of this delicious soup.

🔪 How To Make Stovetop Chicken Tortilla Soup

This stove top soup may have a long list of ingredients, but it is easy to prepare. Just make sure you have a large stock pot or Dutch oven, a cutting board and a knife for chopping veggies.

This soup will make 6 hearty servings, but is easy to double if you have a large stockpot on hand.

Sear & Saute

Step 1: Brown the chicken. Preheat a large stock pot and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil (extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), ghee, or tallow) to medium-high temperature. Sear both sides of the 4 chicken thighs (or chicken breasts - approximately 2 pounds or 907 grams) until lightly browned (photos 1, 2), about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Step 2: Saute onion & garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and cook the 1 chopped onion for about 1 minute before adding the minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until turning translucent (photo 3).

Add Ingredients

Step 3: Add some veggies. Add 4 tomatoes (492 grams), 1 red bell pepper, 1 jalapeno, 3 tablespoons green chiles, and 2 green onion stalks (photo 4). Add the optional adobo sauce too, then stir to combine and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.

Step 4: Add the corn, beans, and seasoning. Add 10 ounces (283.5 grams) of corn, 15 ounces (425.24 grams) of black beans, and ½ cup (8 grams) of cilantro (photo 5). Stir to combine. Then add the seasoning (2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano).

Step 5: Next, add broth and chicken. Stir, then add the freshly squeezed lime juice (photo 6) and 6 cups (1410 milliliters) of chicken broth (photo 7). Return the seared chicken thighs to the stock pot (photo 8), cover, bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Shred Chicken & Finish

Step 6: Remove and shred the cooked chicken. Remove the chicken thighs from the soup, and shred the pieces using a couple of forks (photo 9). *Taste the soup after cooking with the chicken and add salt & pepper as needed (to taste).

Step 7: Return the chicken to soup. Add 2 tablespoons of cilantro and return the shredded chicken to the soup (photo 10). Stir to combine and turn the heat off of the soup while you pan-fry the tortilla strips (optional step, see below).

Cooking Your Tortilla Strips (Optional Step)

Step 8: Heat. In a medium frying pan or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil (or ghee, or tallow) to medium-high heat.

Step 9: Cook until lightly browned. Add the cut tortilla strips (photo 11) and brown slightly, turning frequently, for about 2-3 minutes (photo 12).

Step 10: Set aside. Remove from the frying pan once browned and getting crispy. Place on a rack over a paper towel-lined plate.

⏳ Slow Cooker Crockpot Instructions

Combine ingredients with the exception of the lime juice, extra cilantro, and tortilla strips in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the chicken and shred it using a couple of forks to pull apart, then return to the soup with the lime and additional cilantro. Cook on high for 15 minutes then taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

🍲 Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions

Use your pressure cooker's saute function to sear the chicken (and set it aside) then the onion and garlic as instructed in the stove top directions. Once the onion is slightly translucent add the ingredients (minus the tortillas, lime juice, and salt and pepper) to your inner pot.

Return the seared chicken and seal the lid. Use the soup setting or manual cooking time to cook for 8 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to set for 10 minutes (npr) before carefully venting to release the last bit of pressure.

Remove and shred the chicken, then return it with the lime juice. Add salt and pepper, stir, then taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With

I like to top my chicken tortilla soup with tortilla strips, cilantro or parsley, green onions, avocado, and shredded cheese with a drizzle of crema. My daughter loves a small spoonful of sour cream to make her soup creamier (but Greek yogurt works too).

A fresh wedge salad is perfect with this soup, as-is my flavorful Tex-Mex salad and even your kids will eat up my Doritos taco salad. You can also bulk up the soup by adding Instant Pot cilantro lime rice to your bowl and serving the soup over it. Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• In this case, when you sear the chicken, it leaves tiny bits of cooked chicken on the bottom of your pan. This is called 'fond'. Fond is what makes the base of really stellar soups and gravies.
• If you are starting with frozen chicken, add 10 minutes to the cooking time (once the broth has been added).
• For using rotisserie chicken or canned chicken (anything that is already cooked), you can reduce the cooking time. Simmer the veggies until tender then add the chicken, lime, cilantro, and cook for just a few minutes more.
• To increase the protein in the soup (great for high-protein diets), use 1.5 to 2x the chicken and opt for boneless, skinless chicken breast. Wal-mart has a Sam's Choice organic chicken bone broth with 7 grams of protein per 1 cup serving that I love, but it is currently out of stock.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Before storing your soup in the refrigerator, allow it to cool. However, be sure to pop it in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking your soup.

Store any leftover chicken tortilla soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Keep your tortilla strips separate in an airtight bag, and reserved for adding at serving.

Freezing

This is one of my favorite soups to freeze for easy weeknight meals. Fill a zip top freezer storage bag and place the bags on a flat baking sheet to freeze for easy stacking.

Freeze for up to 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheating

Reheat single serving portions in a microwave-safe bowl covered with a paper towel for 1 minute on high heat. Stir and add 30-second increments until the soup is heated to your satisfaction.

For reheating a larger portion, return the leftover chicken tortilla soup to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until fully heated.

❓ Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe FAQs

🥣 More Great Soups To Make

• Hamburger Soup - This one-pot dinner features ground beef, potatoes, and veggies.
• 4 Ingredient Potato Soup - This warm and cozy comfort food is perfect for cool weather.
• Albondigas Soup - Mexican meatball soup is incredibly delicious and includes ground beef and rice meatballs.
• Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil - This classic soup is perfect for any time of the year.
• Italian Chicken Pastina - This twist on chicken noodle soup uses orzo pasta and is loaded with veggies.
• Benihana Onion Soup - A classic hibachi recipe, this yummy soup is incredibly delicious and easy to make.

📖 Recipe Card

🤣 Just A Funny Family Story

Fast forward a few years since originally publishing this recipe (it was from April 2017, so one of the early recipes on BIWL), and my daughter now makes this soup on her own. It's one of those soups that she could eat every day.

I'm always so proud of her, but I'm totally loving the fact that she REALLY enjoys being in the kitchen with me. And - she has been recommending recipes (including this soup recipe) in her home-ec-style living skills class.

🔗 Shared In These Collections

This recipe is included in the following round-ups:

• Fall Soup Recipes
• Mexican Recipes
• Leftover Chicken Recipes
• Shredded Chicken Recipes
• What To Serve With Quesadillas
• Chicken Breast Recipes
• What To Serve With Enchiladas
• Friday Night Dinner Ideas