This chicken tortilla soup is the perfect comfort food for a chilly winter day. It’s packed with flavor and topped with crispy tortilla strips and cheese!
Chicken tortilla soup is one of my favorite soups and crave it often during the winter months. It has everything I love in one bowl and hearty enough for a meal.
This soup is easy to customize with different toppings such as sour cream or sliced avocados. I like adding some diced jalapenos for extra heat but it’s totally up to you!
This delicious Mexican-inspired dish is sure to become one of your family’s favorite soups to enjoy too! Serve alone or with a side of chips and guacamole!
If you like this recipe, try my chicken gnocchi soup or tortellini soup. Both are delicious and comforting!
What is chicken tortilla soup?
Chicken tortilla soup is a Mexican soup made with chicken, tomatoes, jalapeños, and corn tortillas. It is typically garnished with sour cream, avocado, cheese, and cilantro.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
- It’s a one-pot meal, so cleanup is a breeze.
- The leftovers taste even better the next day.
What You Need
- Chicken, cooked and shredded
- Onion, diced
- Garlic, minced
- Jalapeño, seeded and diced
- Olive oil
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Chicken broth
- Diced tomatoes
- Frozen corn
- Cilantro
- Salt and pepper
- Tortilla chips
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Lime wedges, for serving
Recipe Variations
- This recipe is made without beans but you could add black beans or another kind if you’d like.
- Want more vegetables? Feel free to add more such as bell peppers, zucchini, etc.
- Don’t like corn? Swap it out for black beans or omit completely.
- Add cayenne pepper for an extra kick of heat.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño pepper, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cumin and chili powder and cook for 1 minute more.
- Pour in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and frozen corn. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked shredded chicken and cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Storing & Reheating
- To Store: Allow to cool completely and store remaining leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: After cooled, store in a freezer safe container in the freezer with room for soup to expand for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Heat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
FAQs
What kind of chicken do you use for chicken tortilla soup?
Any kind of chicken will work for this soup. However, shredded chicken is the most commonly used type of chicken in this dish. You can use rotisserie chicken or cook your own chicken and shred it yourself.
Can I make this soup vegetarian?
Yes! To make a vegetarian version of this soup, simply omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
What goes with chicken tortilla soup?
Chicken tortilla soup is good on it’s own but if you’d like some other options to serve with it try these; tacos, burritos, quesadillas, Mexican rice or corn muffins.
Recipe
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups frozen corn
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño pepper, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cumin and chili powder and cook for 1 minute more.
- Pour in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and frozen corn. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked shredded chicken and cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
Storing & Reheating
- To Store: Allow to cool completely and store remaining leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: After cooled, store in a freezer safe container in the freezer with room for soup to expand for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Heat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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