The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup

My easy chicken tortilla soup is a delicious meal in itself. Comforting, hearty, and filling this perfect easy weeknight dinner comes together in one pot!

Chicken, peppers, and aromatic veggies are gently simmered to create an authentic Mexican chicken tortilla soup recipe. Top the soup off with crispy homemade tortilla strips and lots of flavorful toppings and you’ve got a meal the whole family will love!

Some recipes for tortilla soup have a heavy tomato flavor. While those tomatoey versions make a delicious soup, it’s just not what I consider the “Classic Tortilla Soup”…the one I crave!

Most recipes fry the tortilla strips. Now, I have to say, that of course, is the classic approach. I’ve discovered over the years I’ve been making this delicious soup, however, that the baked strips are real dang good and a lot less messy to make.

For more Mexican-inspired soups try my Mexican chicken soup, taco soup, and creamy chicken tortilla soup next! You’ll love them all!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

• Oil: You can use any neutral flavored oil. I use Olive oil because of the health benefits.
• Onion: I use yellow onion but white onion would work equally well.
• Garlic: I like to use fresh. I don’t care for the minced garlic that comes in a jar. That stuff isn’t pure garlic and the ingredients they add to suspend the garlic and preserve it really changes the flavor.
• Poblano Pepper: This is an integral ingredient for the flavor of this soup. Please don’t skip it. Use fresh!!
• Jalapeno Pepper: This is another integral ingredient. If you’re worried about the heat just be sure to carefully remove all the ribs and seeds.
• Caldo de Pollo or Chicken Stock: What is Caldo de Pollo anyway. It’s an authentic Mexican chicken broth. If you want to take this soup to the next level, with layered nuances of flavor, use this homemade broth. It’s simple to make,  you can make it ahead of time and freeze it. If you’re making this during the week and your freezer isn’t stocked with the Caldo de Pollo, the soup will be absolutely delicious with commercial chicken stock. ♥
• Cilantro: I love this fresh herb, however, not everyone shares that love. If you hate it, just omit it.
• Corn Tortillas: I use these to make baked tortilla strips. I like the health benefit! If you want to skip this step, you can always replace them with crushed tortilla chips or crushed Fritos!
• Salt 
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Tomato Paste
• Chicken Breast
• Lime
• Avocados
• Jack Cheese

Tips

• Saute First: Saute your onion and garlic, also known as aromatics, before adding them to your broth. This recipe is done with poblano and jalapeno peppers. Don’t skip this step!! Sauteed vegetables will contribute a mellower, more balanced aroma, and a slightly sweeter flavor.
  • If you skip sauteing, the aromatics will instead contribute a stronger sulfurous aroma and a strange raw pungency. YUCK!
• Toasting the Spices: Don’t skip this step, add the spices to the pan and cook them before you add the broth. This really intensifies their wonderful flavors, allows them to marry a bit, and gives the broth a lot of complexity.
• Poblano Pepper: A mildly spicy pepper, often used in Mexican cuisine. Jalapeno peppers in comparison are quite a bit spicier.
• Chicken: If you are short on time, feel free to substitute 4 cups of rotisserie chicken for the raw chicken breast.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Transfer this chicken tortilla soup to an airtight container and it can last up to 3-4 days.
• Can You Freeze This? Yes, if you’re planning to freeze this, don’t add tortillas or other toppings. Place this soup in an airtight container or in a freezer bag and it can last in the freezer for 4-6 months.
• Make-Ahead Tips: Cook this soup up to step 4. Place in the fridge, then reheat. Add tortillas and toppings before serving.
• Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.

Serving Recommendations

This soup is delicious served with my Authentic Mexican corn salad or my baked Mexican street corn casserole and jalapeno cornbread! Let me know what you serve it with ♥

How Do You Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

1. Saute aromatics and the peppers.
2. Add the spices.
3. Add tomato paste.
4. Add chicken stock and simmer.
5. Add chicken.
6. Add cilantro and lime juice.
7. Bake tortilla chips.
8. Serve.

See full instructions below.

More Chicken Soup Recipes

• Chicken and Rice Soup
• Cream Of Chicken Soup
• Chicken Vegetable Soup
• Lemon Chicken Soup
• Chicken Potato Soup

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The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup

My easy chicken tortilla soup is a delicious meal in itself. Comforting, hearty, and filling this perfect easy weeknight dinner comes together in one pot!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic minced
• 2 poblano pepper, ribs removed, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, ribs removed, seeded and chopped
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 12 cups Caldo de Pollo or chicken stock
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 cubes
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 12 stale corn tortillas, sliced Into 1/4 Inch-thick strips
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 2 cups jack cheese, shredded

Instructions

• Prep. Preheat oven to 425°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Saute. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add the oil. Once shimmering add the onion (1), garlic (1 1/2 tablespoons), and peppers (2 poblanos & 1 jalapeno), and cook for 5-7 minutes, or just until they are soft. Sprinkle the salt (3 teaspoons), cumin (1 tablespoon), and coriander (2 teaspoons) over the onion mixture and continue to cook, stirring often so spices don't burn, for 1-2 minutes or until the spices become fragrant. Add the tomato paste (2 tablespoons) and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
• Simmer. Add chicken stock (12 cups) to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add chicken (4) and continue to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add cilantro (1/2 cup) and lime juice (1 tablespoon) and stir.
• Tortilla chips. Meanwhile, spread tortilla strips (12 tortillas, sliced) out in a single layer on your prepared baking sheets. Spray tortillas evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven for about 4-6 minutes or until they are just starting to slightly brown and are crispy.  Sprinkle hot strips with salt and pepper.
• Serve + enjoy! Ladle soup into individual bowls and top each bowl with avocado, cheese, and tortilla strips as desired.

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Notes

1. Saute First: Saute your onion and garlic, also known as aromatics, before adding them to your broth. This recipe is done with poblano and jalapeno peppers. Don't skip this step!! Sauteed vegetables will contribute a mellower, more balanced aroma, and a slightly sweeter flavor. 
   • If you skip sauteing, the aromatics will instead contribute a stronger sulfurous aroma and a strange raw pungency. YUCK!
2. Toasting the Spices: Don’t skip the step of adding the spices to the pan and cooking them before you add the broth. This really intensifies their wonderful flavors, allows them to marry a bit, and gives the broth more a lot of complexity.
3. Poblano Pepper: A mildly spicy often used in Mexican cuisine. Jalapenos in comparison are quite a bit spicier.
4. Chicken: If you are short on time, feel free to substitute 4 cups of rotisserie chicken for the raw chicken breast and make a convenient tortilla soup with rotisserie chicken!

© Gonna Want Seconds. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media/website/blog is strictly prohibited.

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