Topped with homemade crispy tortilla strips and filled with tender chicken, this chicken tortilla soup is a hearty, filling, and high-protein meal. It’s a great one-pot meal that will warm you up on a cold day.
If you’ve been around here a while, you’ll know a love a hearty chicken soup, so this chicken tortilla soup recipe is just another idea you can add to the repertoire. The combination of chicken, beans, and corn ensures the soup is thick and filling, while the spices and toppings add a nice boost of flavor.
Plus, it’s a great way to repurpose leftover chicken into a crowd-pleasing and family-friendly meal that you can enjoy on a cold day.
Why You’ll Love It
- High in Protein – The combination of shredded chicken and black beans gives this soup over 40 grams of protein per serving.
- Full of Fiber – The combination of beans, corn, and tortilla strips boosts the fiber content of this soup to 15 grams of fiber per serving.
- Keeps Well – This chicken tortilla soup keeps well in the fridge and freezer, making it a great meal prep idea.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Chicken – To add some protein. The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can use leftover rotisserie chicken if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Tortillas – To add some complex carbohydrates and make the crispy tortilla strips. The recipe calls for corn tortillas, but flour tortillas will also work. You can also omit them completely and use tortilla chips instead.
- Black Beans – To add some plant-based protein and fiber.
- Corn – To add some carbohydrates, fiber, and color. The recipe calls for frozen corn, but canned corn will also work. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Tomatoes – To thicken the soup. I used fire-roasted tomatoes, but any style of diced and crushed tomatoes will work.
- Onions + Garlic – To flavor the soup. The recipe calls for a whole onion and garlic cloves, but onion powder and garlic powder will also work well. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Jalapeño – To add some spice, although optional. You can swap it for green chilies or bell peppers if preferred.
- Spices – To flavor the soup. The recipe calls for a combination of chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt, but you can use a pre-made taco seasoning if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Broth – To add more flavor to the soup, but water will also work.
- Fresh Cilantro – To add some greens and brighten the flavor.
- Limes – Some fresh lime juice to balance the flavors.
- Olive Oil – To add some healthy fats.
- Salt and Pepper – To season.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: Use corn tortillas and certified gluten-free chicken broth.
To Make it Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed; this recipe is dairy-free.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
This soup contains a whopping 41 grams of protein per serving, thanks to the combination of plant and animal protein. Combining protein sources is a great way to increase the protein content of a meal with minimal effort.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken tortilla soup is a balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat. It can be enjoyed as is or adapted to suit your personal calorie or macro needs. For example:
- To make it higher in protein, add an additional 1/2 pound of chicken breasts to the recipe, along with more broth or water.
- To make it higher in fiber, add an additional can of beans to the recipe, along with more broth or water.
- To make it higher in fat, turn it into a creamy chicken tortilla soup by adding a bit of heavy cream once it’s cooked.
- To add extra flavor, top the soup with diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and/or fresh cilantro.
Can you make it in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can make this chicken tortilla soup in a slow cooker. Simply add all of the soup ingredients, except the lime juice and cilantro, to a slow cooker, stir to combine, then cook on high for 3-4 hours or high for 6-8 hours. Once cooked, transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board, shred them into bite-sized pieces, then return them to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Then add the lime juice and chopped cilantro, stir again, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Once cooled, you can freeze chicken tortilla soup in an airtight container(s) in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Once thawed, the soup can be reheated in a pot on the stovetop on medium heat for 5 minutes or until warm, or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
More Mexican-Inspired Chicken Recipes:
- Mexican Corn and Chicken Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Casserole
- Chicken Burrito Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Topped with crunchy tortilla strips and creamy avocado, this chicken tortilla soup is a hearty and healthy meal that works equally well for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 40 minutes
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Total Time: 50 minutes
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Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Category: Soups & Stews
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Method: Stovetop
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups chicken broth, or water
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, strained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finally chopped
Tortilla Strips:
- 8 corn tortillas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
To Serve (optional):
- Avocado, peeled and diced
- Cheddar cheese, shredded
- Sour cream
- Green onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large pot on medium-high heat, warm the olive oil, then add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent.
- Add the diced garlic, diced jalapeño pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt, stir to coat the onions, and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any tasty bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, black beans, and frozen corn, and stir to combine.
- Add chicken breasts to the pot, ensuring they are submerged in the liquid. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the soup is cooking, prepare the crispy tortilla strips. Place the tortillas on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife or scissors, cut them into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
- Place the tortilla strips on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle the olive oil over top, and, using your hands, toss them until each strip is well coated, and then spread them out evenly. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven for 12 minutes, flipping the tortilla strips halfway through, until they are toasted. Once cooked, transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate and set them aside.
- When the soup has cooked, turn off the heat, remove the chicken breasts from the pot, and place them on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken into fine strips or bite-sized pieces.
- Once the chicken is shredded, return it to the pot, add the lime juice and chopped cilantro, and stir until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper as needed.
- Serve the soup in bowls with a handful of crispy tortilla strips on top and toppings of your choice. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Onion Powder: Swap the onion for 1 teaspoon of onion powder. Skip step #2 and add it in step #3.
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic cloves for 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder in step #3.
To Use Taco Seasoning: Swap the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt for 1 1/2 tablespoons of taco seasoning in step #3.
To Use Cooked or Rotisserie Chicken: Swap the chicken breasts for 4 cups of shredded chicken. Add it in step #5 and reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes, and skip #8.
To Use Canned Corn: Swap the frozen corn for 1 cup of canned corn, drained in step #4.
To Use Water: Swap the chicken broth for equal parts water in step #4.
To Use Tortilla Chips: Omit the tortillas and olive oil, skip steps #6-7, and top the soup with crushed tortilla chips instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 587 calories
- Sugar: 13 grams
- Fat: 21 grams
- Carbohydrates: 66 grams
- Fiber: 15 grams
- Protein: 41 grams
Done and loved! I prepared it with my leftover rotisserie chicken
I’m happy to hear you liked it!
Delicious soup. So easy to prep/make.It was a big hit with my husband and 2 kids.
Tastes great the next day as well.
Filling and satisfying.
We used tortilla chips instead.
Another thing I love about Stephanie Kay’s recipes is the ingredients are easy to find in any grocery store.
A+