Best Chicken Tortilla Soup

My oh-so-tasty and best chicken tortilla soup combines common pantry staples for an amazingly flavorful soup that comes together in under an hour! It's one of my most requested soups, a family favorite, and an incredibly easy dinner to make when I haven't planned ahead!

This flavorful chicken soup is a comfort food must-have!!

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

Fast forward a few years since originally publishing this recipe and my daughter now makes this soup on her own! I'm always so proud of her, but I'm totally loving the fact that she REALLY enjoys being in the kitchen with me!

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
• 💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🥣 More Great Soups
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Back to the soup. No, it's not a 30-minute soup recipe but I think the extra bit of time is what totally makes this soup!

The foundation of a lot of great dishes is layering the flavors as you make the recipe. It's kind of like building a house. Start with a strong foundation!

🥘 Ingredients

It might seem like a lot of ingredients but this crave-worthy soup is completely worth it!

• 4 tablespoons Olive Oil (divided - 2 tablespoons & 2, 1 tablespoon portions - or vegetable oil)
• 4 Chicken Thighs (boneless, skinless - or 2 chicken breasts)
• 1 small White Onion (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons Garlic (minced)
• 4 medium Tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 Jalapeno (finely diced, seeds removed)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
• 3 tablespoons Green Chiles (finely diced, we use a portion of canned green chiles)
• 2 stalks Green Onion (chopped - reserve some for garnish, if desired)
• 1 10 ounce bag Sweet Corn (frozen - canned or fresh can also be used)
• 1 15 ounce can Black Beans (rinsed and drained)
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Cilantro (chopped, divided into 2 portions - ½ cup and 2-3 tablespoons depending on if you will use some as garnish)
• Seasoning - 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt & pepper (to taste)
• 6 cups Chicken Broth (1 ½ 32 ounce cartons)
• 1 Lime (fresh squeezed juice)
• 3 Corn Tortillas (cut in half, then sliced into strips)
• Shredded Cheese (optional, garnish)
• Avocado (optional, garnish)

🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Brown the chicken. Preheat a large stock pot and the first portion of olive oil (or vegetable oil) to medium high temperature. Sear both sides of the chicken thighs (or breasts) until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Saute onion & garlic. Add second portion of olive oil (or vegetable oil) and cook onion for about 1 minute before adding the minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until turning translucent.
3. Add some veggies. Add tomatoes, jalapeno, and green onion. Stir to combine and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Then, add corn, beans and seasoning. Add corn, black beans, and the first portion of cilantro. Stir to combine. Then add the seasoning (chili powder, cumin, oregano).
5. Next, add broth and chicken. Stir, then add the chicken broth. Return the chicken thighs to the stock pot, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove and shred the cooked chicken. Remove the chicken thighs from the soup, and shred the pieces using a couple of forks. *Taste the soup after cooking with the chicken and add salt & pepper as needed (to taste).
7. Add and pan fry tortilla strips. Add the second portion of cilantro, fresh squeezed lime, and return the shredded chicken to the soup. Stir to combine and turn the heat off of the soup of while you pan fry the tortilla strips (optional step, see below).
8. Serve the chicken tortilla soup with fried tortilla strips and optional garnish. We used cilantro and green onion reserved from cooking the soup, plus avocado and shredded cheese.

Cooking Your Tortilla Strips (optional step)

1. Heat. In a medium frying pan or skillet, heat the third 1 tablespoon portion of olive oil (or vegetable oil) to medium high heat.
2. Cook until lightly browned. Add the cut tortilla strips and brown slightly, turning frequently, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Set aside. Remove from the frying pan once browned and getting crispy. Place on a paper towel lined plate.

I like to top my chicken tortilla soup with tortilla strips, cilantro, green onions, avocado, and shredded cheese. My daughter loves a small spoonful of sour cream to make her soup more of a creamy version.

Garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes

• In this case, when you sear the chicken it leaves tiny bits of seared chicken on the bottom of your pan. This is called 'fond'. You want fond, in fact, I'm really fond of fond. 🙂
• Fond is what makes the base of really stellar soups and gravies. So grab your ingredients, sear some chicken and make this amazing soup. It's worth every minute of the wait!
• Store any leftover chicken tortilla soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Keep your tortilla strips separate and reserved for adding at serving.

🥣 More Great Soups

• Hamburger Soup
• 4 Ingredient Potato Soup
• Albondigas Soup
• Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
• Italian Chicken Pastina Soup
• Benihana Onion Soup

📋 Recipe