Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
User Reviews
5
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Description
This Chicken Tortilla Soup starts with cooking diced bacon until crisp, then sautéing onion, red pepper, and jalapeño before adding garlic for fragrance. The broth is built with low-sodium chicken stock, fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, mild enchilada sauce, corn, diced green chilis, and a blend of chili powder, cumin, paprika, and other seasonings. Shredded chicken joins the pot to simmer and meld flavors. Cubed cream cheese is stirred in to add a creamy texture without overpowering the ingredients.
Tortilla strips are prepared separately by cutting corn tortillas into thin strips, drizzling with olive oil and sprinkling salt, then baking until crisp. These add a pleasant crunch when served atop the soup. Lime juice brightens the final bowl, complemented by optional toppings such as avocado, cotija cheese, cilantro, and sour cream.
This soup features a balance of smoky, spicy, and creamy flavors with varied textures from tender chicken, soft beans, and crisp tortilla strips. It is suitable as a comforting meal, especially when garnished fresh. The recipe allows substituting butter or olive oil for bacon fat, though bacon adds a distinctive taste. Leftovers keep well refrigerated.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Omitting cream cheese results in a less creamy, broth-only soup.
Ingredients
- 5 Bacon cut into small pieces¹, uncooked strips
- 1 cup onion about one medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup red pepper about one red pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño seeds removed, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon garlic about 4-5 cloves for me, minced
- 3 ½ cups chicken stock low sodium
- 14 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes undrained, canned
- 14 oz black beans rinsed and drained, canned
- 10 oz mild enchilada sauce
- 1 cup corn frozen, sweet
- 7 oz diced green chilis can
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder I like use ½ Tbsp ancho chili powder and ½ Tbsp regular chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
- 3-4 cups chicken I use shredded rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced, cooked
- 4 oz cream cheese cut into cubes
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice fresh
- avocado optional toppings
- cotija cheese
- cilantro
- sour cream
TORTILLA Strips:
- 10 corn tortillas
- olive oil for drizzling
- kosher salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 415F/215C (this is to cook your tortillas, you want the oven preheating and it can take some time for it to reach this temperature so preheat it now).
- Place bacon pieces in a large heavy bottomed pot (I like to use my Dutch Oven) and cook over medium heat until browned, crisp, and cooked through. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Add onion, pepper, and jalapeno to pan and cook until translucent (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds)
- Add chicken stock, tomatoes, beans, enchilada sauce, corn, chilis, chili powder, sugar, cumin, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, paprika, black pepper, and chicken. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile prepare your tortillas.
TORTILLA STRIPS
- Cut tortillas into strips that are ¼” thick by 2” long. Scatter evenly over parchment paper lined baking sheet, drizzle lightly with olive oil (about 1 Tbsp), sprinkle with kosher salt and use a spatula to evenly coat with olive oil.
- Transfer to 415F (215C) and cook until crisp, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet.
- Meanwhile, once soup has finished simmering, add cream cheese and lime juice and stir well until cream cheese is melted. Return bacon to the pot and stir well.
- Serve topped with your crisp tortilla strips and other toppings, as desired.
Notes
- If bacon isn’t preferred, substitute 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, noting flavor differences.
- Omit cream cheese for a less creamy but still flavorful soup.
- Store leftovers in airtight container refrigerated up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 428 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 428kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 51g | 17% |
| Protein | 22g | 44% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 54mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 1476mg | 62% |
| Potassium | 561mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 12g | 48% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 2850IU | 57% |
| Vitamin C | 88.3mg | 98% |
| Calcium | 130mg | 13% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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