This 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! In fact, it's a comfort food must-have!
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.
4 tablespoon olive oil, 4 chicken thighs
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. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeno, chiles, and green onion. Stir to combine and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
1 small white onion, 2 tablespoon garlic, 4 medium tomatoes, 1 jalapeno, 1 red bell pepper, 2 stalks green onion, 3 tablespoon green chiles
Add corn, black beans, and the first portion of cilantro. Stir to combine. Then add the seasoning (chili powder, cumin, oregano). Stir, then add the chicken broth. Return the chicken thighs to the stock pot, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
1 10 oz bag sweet corn, 1 15 oz can black beans, ½ cup + 2 tablespoon cilantro, 2 teaspoon chili powder, 2 teaspoon cumin, 6 cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon oregano
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).
salt & pepper
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.
1 lime
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.
3 corn tortillas, avocado, shredded cheese
Cooking Your Tortilla Strips
In a medium frying pan or skillet, heat the third 1 tablespoon portion of olive oil (or vegetable oil) to medium high heat. Add the cut tortilla strips and brown slightly, turning frequently, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the frying pan once browned and getting crispy. Place on a paper towel lined plate.
Video
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.