Chicken Tortilla Soup (from scratch!)

Name: Chicken Tortilla Soup (from scratch!)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 3 pounds (1.35kg) bone-in skin-on chicken pieces; 3 carrots; 2 celery ribs; 1 onion; 3 cloves garlic; 3 twigs fresh herbs; 3 bay leaves; 20 black peppercorns; 10 cups cold water; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium onion; 1 red bell pepper; 2 celery ribs; 4 cloves garlic; 2 teaspoons cumin; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon oregano; 1 deseeded jalapeno or red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 2 tablespoons flour; 8 cups chicken broth; 2 cans (14 oz or 400ml each) crushed tomatoes; 1 can (14 oz or 400ml) corn; 1 can (14 oz or 400ml) black or kidney beans; 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (13 ounces/370g); 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) lime juice; 3/4 teaspoon sugar; salt and pepper; fried/baked tortilla strips

User Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
cooking homemade chicken broth
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 10 mins
Servings
8 servings
Calories
397 kcal
Course
Main Course, Soup
Cuisine
American, Tex-Mex

Chicken Tortilla Soup (from scratch!)

Yael Holden

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Crafted with ease and taste in mind, this recipe is a great choice.

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Ingredients

Servings

for the chicken broth (or use 8 cups store-bought chicken broth and 3 cups (13 oz/370g) rotisserie/cooked chicken)

3 pounds (1.35kg) bone-in skin-on chicken pieces leg quarters/thighs/drumsticks/wings, NOT breasts
3 carrots
2 celery ribs
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 twigs fresh herbs such as cilantro, thyme, parsley, optional
3 bay leaves
20 black peppercorns
10 cups cold water 2.4 L

for the chicken tortilla soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
1 red bell pepper
2 celery ribs
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder or more, to taste, this is a spice mix, not just ground chili peppers
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 deseeded jalapeno or red pepper flakes optional
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
8 cups chicken broth the whole amount from the recipe above or store-bought
2 cans (14 oz or 400ml each) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14 oz or 400ml) corn drained
1 can (14 oz or 400ml) black or kidney beans drained
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (13 ounces/370g) the whole amount from the recipe above or rotisserie chicken/leftover cooked chicken
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) lime juice or to taste
3/4 teaspoon sugar you can omit it if using store-bought broth
salt and pepper to taste

toppings:

fried/baked tortilla strips
Diced avocado
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
cilantro leaves
sour cream

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Instructions

make homemade chicken broth:

Peel carrots and cut into large chunks. Peel onion and cut in half. Cut celery ribs in large chunks. Peel garlic cloves.
Add the meat, all the vegetables, spices, and herbs to a very large pot. Pour in cold water.
Bring to a boil, remove the foam that will gather at the the top with a small sieve.
Simmer the broth at low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
Strain the broth. Discard all the vegetables, spices, and herbs (you can leave the carrots for the soup, if you wish).
Let the meat cool down a little bit then separate the meat from the bones and skin. Discard the bones and skin. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Now you can use your chicken broth and cooked meat for the soup.

make the soup:

Dice the onion and bell pepper, slice the celery, finely chop garlic (with a knife).
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add bell pepper, onion, and celery. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until softened.
Add garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, jalapeno/chili flakes, tomato paste, and flour. Cook, stirring, for about 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and drained corn.
Bring to a boil and simmer at low heat for 15 minutes.
Add shredded chicken and drained beans to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
Season the soup with lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper.
Ladle into bowls and serve with toppings of your choice.
Enjoy!

Notes

How to make crispy tortilla strips:

Fried: cut tortillas into strips then fry in a 350°F (180°C) oil until golden. Salt immediately. Baked: cut tortillas into strips, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss with vegetable oil and salt, spread flat on the baking sheet (strips should not overlap). Bake for about 7 minutes at 400°F (200°C). For detailed instructions, see this post: tortilla strips recipe.
Fried: cut tortillas into strips then fry in a 350°F (180°C) oil until golden. Salt immediately.
Baked: cut tortillas into strips, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss with vegetable oil and salt, spread flat on the baking sheet (strips should not overlap). Bake for about 7 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
For detailed instructions, see this post: tortilla strips recipe.
If you don't have cooked/rotisserie chicken you can use 1 pound (450g) = 2 large raw breasts that you can cook directly in the soup. Gently poach the meat in the soup until cooked through, take out to a plate, shred into smaller pieces using 2 forks, then add back to the soup.
Calories = 1 serving (1/8 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!