Chicken Tortilla Soup

This easy chicken tortilla soup recipe with a simple broth and chunky bites of black beans, sweet corn, shredded chicken, and crushed tomatoes topped with the crunch of tortilla strips is truly chicken soup for the soul.

My version of Chicken Tortilla Soup brings to life a simple Mexican-seasoned soup that’s brothy, nourishing, and chock-full of flavor-bomb bites of chicken, corn, beans, and aromatics. Not to mention this soup’s namesake tortilla crunch—plus, ALL the toppings. Like any good chicken soup, this humble tortilla soup recipe gets a major flavor bump with homemade chicken stock. Because this soup is so simple, a really great broth is a must for the best flavor. Cooked, shredded chicken can be cooked at home or plucked from a rotisserie chicken from the store when you pick up an onion, cilantro, and the toppings. The rest of the ingredients come from the pantry or freezer making this soup super quick and convenient to make any night of the week.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

The beauty of this easy chicken tortilla soup recipe is that it takes just a few ingredients to get such bold flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to make the best chicken tortilla soup:

• Canola oil—Or any other neutral, flavorless oil
• Yellow onion—I usually use yellow onion because I always have them on hand but white or red onion work just as well in Mexican flavored food.
• Chicken broth—I keep frozen homemade broth or stock on hand for use in soups just like this. Or, use a good-quality store-bought brand.
• Diced green chiles—Fire-roasted Hatch chiles are my favorite. I buy the canned variety for ease.
• Black beans—Drain and rinse the canned beans before adding to the soup so they don’t muddy the broth. Try canned or cooked pinto beans or Great Northern beans if you like.
• Dried oregano, cumin, and chile powder—These dried herbs and spices deliver the soup’s signature Mexican flavor
• Fresh cilantro—I love cilantro but if you’re not a fan, feel free to skip it
• Shredded, cooked chicken—Baked skinless breasts are easy to cook, but buying a good rotisserie chicken from the store could save you even more time.
• Corn kernels—I like frozen corn here because it has a more snappy bite
• Corn tortillas—White or yellow corn tortillas work fine here.
• Toppings like avocado, sour cream or Mexican crema, more chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and cheese if you like

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Any great soup starts with a great broth, and even if I do say so myself, I have become the master of the GREAT broth! Whether it’s on the stovetop, Crock Pot, or Instant Pot, get all the secrets and the method for the best homemade chicken stock here. I typically make a batch on the weekend after roasting a whole chicken or freeze it in gallon freezer bags to use any time. It’s one of my favorite meal prep tips.
• I use shredded chicken from baked chicken breasts or from one of my favorite roast chickens that I usually make at the start of the week.
• From here, the only cooking left to do is a simple sauté of the onion to soften and deepen the flavor.

• Then, it’s just a simple ingredient dump plus about 30 minutes on the stove for the flavors to mix and marry.
• While the soup cooks, cut the tortillas into strips, spray or lightly brush with oil, and bake until crispy. A salty sprinkle finishes them off.
• When serving, top the soup with the tortilla strips and garnish with cheese, sour cream or Mexican crema, avocado, and more cilantro.

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Sauté the onion with the oil in a small saucepan.
• Add the onion to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients (up to the shredded chicken).
• Cook on HIGH setting for 3-4 hours or LOW setting for 7-8 hours.
• Garnish with the toppings and serve.

Here’s Make Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and cook the onion until softened. Add the rest of the ingredients (up to the shredded chicken), cancel sauté mode, and seal the lid into position.
• Select SOUP mode and manually adjust the time to 5 minutes. It will reach the right pressure in about 10 minutes. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Release the pressure lock (avoid the steam stream) then ladle into bowls and top with garnishes.

Recipe Tips and Ingredient Substitutions

• I cook my foolproof baked chicken breasts at the start of the week to make recipes like this fast. If you don’t have time to cook the chicken beforehand, buy a rotisserie bird from the store.
• If you like things on the spicier side, use hot green chiles instead of mild, and add extra chili powder to suit your taste. Jalapeño slices will also jazz up your bowl or add some hot sauce to the soup before digging in.
• Swap black beans with pinto beans.
• To make the crispy corn tortilla strips, I brush tortilla strips with a bit of oil or spray them with cooking spray. Then, pop the strips into the toaster oven to crisp up then salt them while still hot. You can also fry the tortilla chips in a bit of oil. Or, crunched-up tortilla chips can save the day.
• Use a 15-ounce can of creamed corn instead of frozen corn to thicken the broth.
• Or use the tortilla chips to thicken the broth. Blend 1 cup of the broth with ⅓ cup of toasted tortilla chips until smooth then stir into the soup.

What to Serve With Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Chipotle Chicken Taquitos
• Chopped Mexican Kale Salad
• Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
• Chunky Guacamole
• Kale Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Cheddar Cheese

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

 

More Easy Soup Recipes You’ll Love

• Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Sage
• Slow Cooker Hatch Green Chili Verde
• The Best Cheeseburger Soup
• Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale
• Easy Hamburger Vegetable Soup
• Tomato Basil Soup
• Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

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