This Chicken Tortilla Soup is hearty, satisfying, and full of bold Tex-Mex flavors! With plenty of shredded chicken and black beans, it’s a soup that’s worthy of a meal—and everyone will love the crispy tortilla strip topping!
It’s officially soup season! If Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Pumpkin Soup, and Broccoli Cheddar Soup are already on your menu and you’re looking for a recipe with some Tex-Mex flair, then this Chicken Tortilla Soup is just the ticket.
It’s absolutely loaded with flavor, and since it’s packing protein from chicken and black beans, it’s also super satisfying. No one will leave the table hungry when you serve Chicken Tortilla Soup for dinner!
Best of all, this soup is easy as can be. It takes just minutes of effort, and I’ve even got some shortcuts to share if you want to make it even easier. It’s so simple that you can easily double the recipe and freeze the extras so you have another batch of soup to heat-and-eat when life gets busy or you’re feeling under the weather.
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
The other fabulous thing about this Chicken Tortilla Soup is that it’s highly customizable, so you can tweak it according to your family’s preferences. Not only can you change up the soup ingredients (I share some ideas below!), but you can also customize each individual serving with different toppings.
I like putting this Chicken Tortilla Soup on my meal plan when I’ve already planned another Tex-Mex recipe. For example, if I’m making Crockpot Chicken Fajitas, Fish Tacos or Pulled Pork Tacos I can simply set aside 6 tortillas for the soup, save the leftover cilantro and use any extra sliced green onions, shredded Monterey jack cheese, avocado, lime wedges, and sour cream for topping the bowls of Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
For the soup:
- Olive oil
- Onion – Yellow or white are both fine.
- Jalapeño pepper – Use less for a milder soup, or more if you want your soup spicier. You can also use a spoon to scrape out the ribs inside the pepper to remove some of the heat.
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Diced tomatoes
- Chicken stock – Chicken broth is fine too, but you’ll want to taste before adding salt at the end of the recipe.
- Black beans – Or use 1 1/2 cups of cooked dried black beans.
- Corn – Frozen, canned, or fresh all work.
- Chicken breasts – Use rotisserie chicken, and leftover Baked Chicken Breasts, or bake some fresh chicken breasts to use in this recipe. Skinless chicken thighs are fine too!
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime
- Salt & black pepper
For the tortilla strips:
- Corn tortillas
- Olive oil
- Salt
Variations
- Make it hotter. Add cayenne pepper to make your Chicken Tortilla Soup spicy.
- Make it smoky. Swap the jalapeño for a canned chipotle pepper for some smoky heat.
- Make it meatless. You can omit the chicken and add an extra can of black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans.
- Make it with turkey. Have leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Use it to make Turkey Tortilla Soup!
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
1. Cook the Veggies and Spices
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, and garlic and cook until they’re softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cumin and chili powder and toast for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Simmer
Pour in the tomatoes, chicken stock, beans, corn, and shredded chicken. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
3. Make the Crispy Tortilla Strips
Heat the oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla strips in batches and cook until they’re crispy. Transfer the strips to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
4. Finish
Add the cilantro and lime juice to the soup, then season to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the tortilla strips.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but if you’d like to round it out with something else, try serving it with:
How to Store Chicken Tortilla Soup
Once the soup has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat individual servings of soup on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming hot.
FAQs
If you find that your soup is too thin, you can thicken it by simmering it uncovered until some of the liquid has evaporated. You can also add a cornstarch or flour slurry and simmer the soup until thickened. For a creamy chicken tortilla soup, stir in sour cream at the end of the cooking time.
Tortilla soup is a Mexican dish that has become popular in the United States. It typically includes ingredients like tomatoes, corn, and beans, and is served with crispy tortilla strips on top.
If you find that your soup is too spicy, you can add a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt to each bowl. This will help to cool down the heat of the soup. You can also add more lime juice or cilantro to balance out the spice.
Yes, this soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Transfer it to an airtight container or freezer bag and store it in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Hearty Meal-Worthy Soup Recipes
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large jalapeno seeded and minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 14oz can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 14oz can black beans drained
- 1 cup corn
- 1 lb. chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 large lime juiced
- salt & black pepper to taste
Tortilla Strips
- 6 6” corn tortillas cut into strips
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the cumin and chili powder and toast for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, beans, corn, and shredded chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 25 minutes. Before serving, add the cilantro, lime juice, and season to taste.
- For the tortillas, heat the oil in a pan until hot over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla strips in batches and cook until crispy. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
