Chicken Tortilla Soup
User Reviews
5
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Description
Chicken Tortilla Soup starts with baking thin strips of corn tortillas tossed with oil and salt until crisp and golden, providing a crunchy garnish. The soup simmers a sautéed base of onion, garlic, and jalapeño pepper combined with black beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, and chicken broth. Raw chicken thighs cook in the broth until tender, then are shredded and returned to the soup with cilantro and lime juice to add brightness.
The finished soup offers a mildly spicy and smoky flavor with soft chicken and beans, sweet corn, and warming spices, contrasted by the crisp tortilla strips. It’s served with toppings like avocado, shredded cheese, jalapeño slices, and Greek yogurt or sour cream to balance the heat and add creaminess.
For less spice, omitting jalapeño peppers makes this soup suitable for children. If shredded chicken is available, it can be added directly without cooking raw chicken in the broth, saving time. The baked tortilla strips can be prepared ahead for convenience.
Ingredients
Tortillas
- 12 small corn tortillas cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste, sea salt
Soup
- ½ Tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper de-seeded and chopped
- 1 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ cup corn or one 15 oz can, drained, frozen, sweet
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 oz can crushed tomatoes fire roasted
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, low-sodium
- 1 ½ pound chicken thigh or chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- ¼ cup cilantro plus more for topping
- lime juice of 1
- avocado for topping
- cheese for topping, shredded
- jalapeño for topping, slices
- Greek yogurt for topping, or sour cream
- lime for serving, wedges
Instructions
Stove Top
- Preheat oven to 400 F and spray two baking pans with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- If you haven’t already, cut tortillas into ¼” strips. Spread strips onto baking trays in a single layer. Drizzle tortilla strips with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until tortillas crisp up and start to turn golden brown. Set aside.
- While tortillas are baking, start making soup. In a Dutch oven or deep pot, heat oil over medium high. Sauté onion, garlic and jalapeno pepper, until fragrant and the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add black beans, corn, spices, crushed tomatoes, broth and chicken. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pot, allow to cool slightly and then use two forks to shred. Add shredded chicken, cilantro and lime juice and simmer for a few minutes until chicken is heated through. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve in bowls and top with shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado, jalapeno slices, greek yogurt/sour cream and tortilla strips or desired toppings.
Slow Cooker
- Add all of the ingredients except for the lime juice, cilantro and toppings into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours until chicken is cooked through and easily falls apart.
- When soup is almost done cooking preheat oven to 400F and spray two baking pans with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Cut tortillas into ¼” strips and spread onto baking trays in a single layer. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until tortillas crisp up and start to turn golden brown.
- Once chicken is tender, remove from slow cooker, allow to cool slightly and then use two forks to shred.
- Return chicken to slow cooker. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve in bowls and top with shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado, jalapeno slices, greek yogurt/sour cream and tortilla strips or desired toppings.
Notes
- If preferred, use pre-shredded cooked chicken to reduce cooking time; add when adding lime and cilantro.
- Omit jalapeño peppers for a milder soup suitable for children.
- Bake tortilla strips until golden and crisp for best texture; prepare ahead if desired.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 555 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1/6 recipe, no additional toppings | |
| Calories | 555kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 64g | 21% |
| Protein | 36g | 72% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Cholesterol | 126mg | 42% |
| Sodium | 1055mg | 44% |
| Potassium | 701mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 11g | 44% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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