Chicken Tortilla Soup

It doesn't take a lot to convince people to try chicken tortilla soup. This classic Mexican-inspired soup is filled with favorite flavors of tomato, corn, black beans, and of course juicy, tender chicken. Then, it's topped with even more favorite ingredients, like crispy tortilla chips, avocado, and cilantro. All in all, it's no wonder this soup is so popular—and the most searched soup in the South, too.

Is Chicken Tortilla Soup Authentic Mexican Food?

Yes, authentic chicken tortilla soup is very similar to the version in this recipe. The traditional recipe for chicken tortilla soup uses chicken broth, garlic, onion, tomatoes, and chiles. Then, it's topped with fried tortilla strips. Adapted versions like this one add ingredients like corn and beans for a bit more heft.

What You'll Need To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

This ingredient list is filled with foods you can easily keep on hand for a fast dinner fix, like canned beans, tomatoes, and frozen corn. Several spices are used, too, but these are called for in a lot of Mexican-inspired dishes like chicken enchiladas, burrito bowls, and posole.

Here's what you'll need to make this soup:

• Yellow onion, poblano, and garlic: These form the aromatic base of the soup, as they're cooked down and tenderized first.
• Cumin, paprika, and chili powder: Classic spices for Mexican-inspired recipes. You can scale back on the chili powder for a less "warm" soup.
• Chicken broth: A good quality broth will be the best for flavor. If you use a low-sodium broth, you may need to add extra salt. Taste before adding to be sure.
• Frozen corn: Canned would work, too.
• Tomato sauce: Helps thicken up the broth with a rich tomato base.
• Black beans: Keep things fast by using canned beans.
• Diced tomatoes: For extra flavor, get the canned fire-roasted tomatoes with added green chiles.
• Chicken breasts: Bone-in chicken adds more flavor to the broth and keeps the chicken moist.
• Fresh cilantro: It's added to the soup and used as a garnish.
• Fresh lime juice: Brightens up the soup, and leftover wedges can be squeezed over the soup before eating.
• Garnishes: Our recommendations include tortilla strips, lime wedges, and avocado slices.

How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken tortilla soup is an easy dish, ideal on a weeknight when you need something nearly effortless. Here's an outline of the process. The full recipe is further below:

• Step 1. Tenderize the onion, garlic, and poblano in a little olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot.
• Step 2. Stir in and toast the spices.
• Step 3. Once the spices are toasty and fragrant, pour in the broth, along with the tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, beans, and corn. Bring mixture to a boil, then add the chicken breasts.
• Step 4. Simmer soup until chicken cooks to 165°F.
• Step 5. Take chicken out of soup, and let cool until you can shred it easily with two forks.
• Step 6. Add shredded chicken back to soup, and simmer for several minutes. Remove pot from heat and add lime juice and cilantro.
• Step 7. Divide soup, add toppings, and serve.

Toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup

We recommend avocado slices, tortilla strips, and lime wedges, but really you can do whatever you like, such as sour cream, jalapeño slices, and cheese. In place of the fresh cilantro and sour cream, you could make this Cilantro-Lime Crema.

Recipe Variations

Chicken tortilla soup is versatile, and our Test Kitchen agrees. These are some suggested variations they shared:

• Use drained canned corn instead of frozen.
• Boneless chicken breasts would also work; just cook for less time.
• You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
• Regular diced tomatoes with green chiles instead of fire-roasted can work in a pinch, but use smoked paprika instead of regular to replace that flavor.
• Make this in an Instant Pot under HIGH pressure for 11 minutes. Or try our Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Make-Ahead Soup

Chicken tortilla soup is delicious the next day, when the broth has had a chance to really develop flavors, so if you want to get ahead, do it. Soup can be made ahead up to 3 days.

What To Serve With Chicken Tortilla Soup

Soup is a one-dish meal for most folks. With loads of vegetables, beans, and chicken, you really don't have to add much to it. But if you're looking to serve it up with some sides, consider these:

• Skillet Cornbread or cornbread muffins
• Corn Salad
• Tortilla chips and Guacamole
• Tortilla chips and Queso with Chorizo
• Beef Flautas

How To Store Chicken Tortilla Soup

As mentioned, chicken tortilla soup is great to make ahead—which means it's also excellent leftovers. So if you have some soup remaining after dinner, keep it for another meal or two.

• Refrigerator: Store soup in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
• Freezer: Transfer soup to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop. Add a splash of chicken broth if needed.

More Soup Recipes for Busy Weeknights

Chicken tortilla soup is beloved on weeknights because of how easy it is to make. These soup recipes are in that category, too:

• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Lasagna Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Vegetable Soup
• Loaded Potato Soup