Servings
Font
Back
Southwest Black Bean Chicken Tortilla Soup
4.8 from 10 votes

Southwest Black Bean Chicken Tortilla Soup

This Black Bean Chicken Tortilla Soup is bursting with lean chicken, healthy veggies and South-of-the-Border flavor - it comes together in under an hour!

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 261 kcal
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Ingredients

For the soup:
  • 6 small corn tortillas 6-inch
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion finely diced
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper finely diced
  • 4 medium garlic finely minced, number missing
  • 1 tablespoon oregano dried
  • 1 tablespoon paprika sweet
  • 2 teaspoons cumin ground
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder I like Mexene
  • 8 cups chicken broth maybe more, low sodium
  • 2 14½- ounce (411g) diced fire-roasted tomatoes If you can't find the fire-roasted tomatoes just use regular, canned diced tomatoes, cans
  • 1 cup cilantro use both stems and leaves, finely chopped, about 1 medium-size bunch
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 4-5 cups rotisserie chicken diced
  • 1 ounce corn I like to buy the petite or tiny sweet variety, (you can also use 2 11-ounce (312g) cans sweet, crisp corn, well-drained, tiny, frozen, bagged
  • 2 ounce (425g) black beans rinsed and well drained, canned
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice fresh
For the crispy tortilla chips
  • 6 small corn tortillas 6-inch
  • 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

For the soup:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Stack the corn tortillas on top of each other. Cut pile in half then stack the halves on top of each other. Very thinly slice the stacked halves widthwise. Run your knife through the strips a few times to cut into smaller pieces. Set aside. These will be used in the soup.
  2. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-duty soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, oregano, paprikas, cumin and chili powder and cook for another minute until nice and fragrant.
  3. Add the broth, tomatoes, cilantro, reserved tortilla strips (from step 1), brown sugar, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a medium boil over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
  4. Uncover and add the chicken, corn, black beans and lime juice. Cover, turn off the heat and allow the soup to rest (covered) for another 10 minutes before serving.
  5. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. If you prefer your soup a little “juicier” feel free to add more chicken broth. Sometimes I need to do that, especially when reheating a day or two after making as the tortillas will continue to thicken the soup. Enjoy!
For the crispy tortilla strips garnish: (This is optional, if you're in a hurry you could just use crushed tortilla chips.)
  1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper for easy clean up.
  2. Stack the corn tortillas on top of each other. Cut pile in half then stack the halves on top of each other. Thinly slice the stacked halves widthwise (about ¼-inch thick). Set aside.
  3. Place strips on prepared sheet pan and drizzle with 1½ tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and toss lightly with your hands until all strips are coated with oil. Spread-out, as much as possible, to a single layer.
  4. Bake for 8 minutes then remove from oven and toss with a spatula. Redistribute to an even layer and return to the oven. Repeat, stirring gently every 8-10 minutes, until golden and crisp, a total baking time of 20-30 minutes. Watch carefully toward the end so they don't burn.

Notes

  • See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
  • If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutrition Information

Calories 261kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 24g (8%) Protein 18g (36%) Fat 10g (15%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 6g (30%) Cholesterol 35mg (12%) Sodium 646mg (27%) Potassium 384mg (8%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 627IU (13%) Vitamin C 21mg (23%) Calcium 78mg (8%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 261

% Daily Value*

Calories 261kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Protein 18g 36%
Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 35mg 12%
Sodium 646mg 27%
Potassium 384mg 8%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 627IU 13%
Vitamin C 21mg 23%
Calcium 78mg 8%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.