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A vibrant bowl of tortilla soup recipe, garnished with avocado and cilantro, showcasing the rich broth infused from bloomed spices.

Easy tortilla soup recipe

Rebecca Blumer
Smoky, comforting chicken tortilla soup with a rust-colored broth, tender shredded chicken, and crispy homemade tortilla strips plus avocado and lime.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 360 kcal

Equipment

  • Large pot or Dutch oven
  • Frying pan
  • Paper towels
  • Tongs or slotted spoon
  • Two forks

Ingredients
 

Chicken Tortilla Soup:

  • 2 Tbsp light olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1-2 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced
  • 32 oz chicken broth
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 lb chicken breasts (2 medium), or leftover rotisserie chicken
  • 15 oz can corn drained and rinsed
  • 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/3 cup cilantro chopped, plus more to garnish
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice from 1 lime, or to taste

Homemade Tortilla Strips:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 8 corn tortillas (6" tortillas)

Toppings:

  • 1 large avocado diced
  • 1 lime cut into wedges, to serve

Instructions
 

Crispy tortilla strips first

  • Preheat a pan with 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat.
  • Cut tortillas into thin strips and fry them in batches in the hot oil until crisp.
  • Remove from the pan and allow them to drain on a paper towel.
  • Repeat with remaining tortilla strips, adding more oil as needed then set aside.

Build the aromatic base

  • Preheat a pot or dutch oven with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, and chopped jalapeño and sauté until veggies soften.

Simmer the soup, then shred

  • Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, chicken breasts, corn, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt.
  • Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through and easy to shred.
  • Remove chicken from the pot and shred it using 2 forks.
  • Add shredded chicken back to the soup and simmer another 5 minutes.

Finish with herbs, citrus, and toppings

  • Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice.
  • Serve the soup garnished with some tortilla strips, diced avocado, fresh cilantro and lime wedges, or use your favorite toppings.

Notes

For best texture, keep tortilla strips and avocado separate until serving. Don’t add lime juice too early—stir it in off-heat to prevent bitterness.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 26gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2.5gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 820mgFiber: 8gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 900IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 3.2mg
Keyword chicken tortilla soup, cumin, lime and cilantro, rotisserie chicken, tortilla strips
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