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    Home » Recipes » Soup & Chili

    Published: Jan 30, 2020 · Modified: Jun 1, 2020 by Danielle · This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.

    Chicken Tortilla Soup

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup with text overlay
    Two bowls of chicken tortilla soup with text overlay

    This warm, comforting Chicken Tortilla Soup is everything you want a soup to be. Easy, fast, accidentally healthy, and soul satisfying. A rich broth thickened with tortillas that is layered with deep Mexican flavors, tender bites of chicken, and a hint of spice.

    Overhead of Chicken Tortilla Soup this recipe
    Chicken Tortilla Soup is fast, easy, and amazingly rich with authentic Mexican flavors.
    Skip to:
    • 🍅 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦  For a crowd
    • 🙋 Questions & Answers
    • 📖  More Mexican recipes
    • 👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks
    • 👋 Connect with us! 
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Everyone has soup that sounds good when a cold is coming on. For my family this is the one. It has a smell that says, "I am here to heal you". Now, I am not a doctor and cannot vouch for the healing properties of chicken soup, but it if you take up the spiciness level it will do a dandy job of cleaning out your sinuses. 😉

    Another one of the reasons I love this soup is that I usually have all the ingredients for it on hand. In just a few minutes it can be thrown together. Great for a busy day. I first saw the recipe for this soup in a Food Network booklet of 50 soups.  Over time I adjusted it to my family's tastes and added in a couple cooking techniques to perfect it. This is a meal that lives on repeat.

    Upclose Bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup
    Top the soup with avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and fresh lime juice.

    🍅 Ingredients

    Tomatoes: Romas or on-the-vine tomatoes are best.
    Onions and garlic: The essential aromatics for adding flavor to the broth.
    Jalapeno: Adds flavor and a little spice.
    Guajillo chilis: Dried chilis found in the Mexican section of your supermarket. Ancho chilis are a great choice as well.
    Chicken broth: Please use homemade if you have it. It will elevate the soup to another level. Store-bought chicken broth will be sufficient though.
    Corn tortillas: Perfect time to use leftover tortillas.
    Shredded chicken: Cook your own or use rotisserie chicken. I have also included instructions for using raw chicken breasts.

    🥑 Toppings

    • Tortilla chips: Store-bought chips make this easy but feel free to fry your own corn tortilla strips. 
    • Avocado: Add the perfect creamy bite.
    • Cheese: Cotija, cheddar, Jack, Colby...they will all work.
    • Sour cream: Helps take the spiciness down a notch. 
    • Lime: An acidic shot in the bowl.
    • Cilantro: A perfect touch of fresh herby flavor.

    🔪 Instructions

    The key to getting this soup right is the temperature of the pot before adding in the blended vegetables. Place the pot over high heat while you add the veggies to the blender. Blend until they are smooth. It will be a dark orange-red color with bits of chilis dotted throughout.

    Veggies in Blender Before and After
    Make the base by blending the fresh ingredients and chiles until smooth.

    Once the veggies are blended add oil to the pan. It should ripple. Now carefully add the contents of the blender to the pan. If your pan is hot enough the ingredients in the pot will be spitting and sputtering. Cook until the ingredients condense down. It’s time to add stock when a spoon runs through the pot and leaves a trail. On our stovetop that takes just over 5 minutes.

    Veggies Cooked Down in Pan
    Fry the base until it thickens and holds a line when you run a spoon through it.

    Once you add in the stock and tortillas, allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Then add in the shredded chicken and continue cooking for 5 more minutes. During this time it’s a great opportunity to get the toppings ready.

    👨‍👩‍👧‍👦  For a crowd

    White Chicken Chili is a great crowd option because it is easy to make, doubles or triples very well, and is economical! The most important part of the soup making process is cooking the vegetables in the super hot pan. If the pan is too small it won’t be hot enough to deepen the flavors enough. When doubling the recipe, my recommendation is to use an extra large pot, use two separate pots, or cook in batches. Whichever way you go you won't be sorry! One can never have too much of this soup.

    🙋 Questions & Answers

    Can I use raw chicken breasts?

    I cannot count how many times I have made this soup. Depending on what I have on hand, I have used both cooked, pre-shredded chicken and raw breasts. Using raw chicken breasts is great, but they require additional time to simmer. Once the chicken stock is at a gentle simmer, put in a couple sliced chicken breasts. You can leave them whole, but I have found the chicken is more tender and cooks more quickly if sliced. After the chicken has cooked in the broth until tender, add in the tortillas. Continue to simmer gently until the tortillas dissolve and the soup thickens.

    Can I freeze this soup?

    Yes, this freezes and reheats perfectly. My favorite container for freezing dinner-size soups and chilis is this one. You can also freeze individual-size meals in these for a quick, no-brainer lunch. Both containers can be found at Walmart or Target for a bit cheaper. Defrost it in the microwave, overnight in the fridge, or at room temperature on the counter.

    How long is Chicken Tortilla Soup good?

    Store the soup in an air-tight container for up to five days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

    Two Bowls of Chicken Tortilla Soup
    This is an easy recipe to double or triple for serving a crowd.

    📖  More Mexican recipes

    • This is another delicious Mexican recipe served in a bowl...White Chicken Chili
    • Can't get enough Mexican food? Try these Chicken Tinga Tacos (Using Rotisserie Chicken).
    • For a great Mexican side dish, serve this Cheesy Refried Beans Casserole.

    👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

    • Get the pan very, very hot. Without this step the blended vegetables will not be able to reach the depth of flavor that makes this soup so amazing.
    • Cook the vegetables long enough that they condense down. You will know they are ready when a spoon leaves a trail after running through the pot.

    👋 Connect with us! 

    If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food! To get our new recipes straight to your email, subscribe to our newsletter.

    📋 Recipe

    Bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup with spoons

    Chicken Tortilla Soup

    This warm, comforting Chicken Tortilla Soup is everything you want a soup to be. Easy, fast, accidentally healthy, and soul satisfying. A rich broth thickened with tortillas that is layered with deep Mexican flavors, tender bites of chicken, and a hint of spice.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 233kcal
    Author: Borrowed Bites

    Ingredients

    Soup Ingredients

    • 2 tomatoes roma or on-the-vine, roughly chopped
    • 1 onion roughly chopped
    • 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
    • 1 jalapeno roughly chopped
    • 2 dried guajillo peppers tops and seeds removed, ancho may be substituted
    • 2 tablespoon oil
    • 8 cups chicken broth
    • 4 corn tortillas torn
    • 3 cups shredded chicken
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Optional Toppings

    • tortilla chips
    • avocado diced
    • cheese
    • sour cream
    • lime
    • cilantro
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place the pot over high heat. Add the tomaotes, onions, garlic, jalapeno, and dried peppers to the blender. Blend until they are smooth.
    • Once the pot is hot add the oil. It should be hot enough to ripple. Carefully pour in the contents of the blender. It will be spitting and sputtering. Stir frequently for approximately 5-7 minutes. Once a spoon runs through and leaves a trail, pour in the chicken broth and torn pieces of corn tortilla.
    • Allow to simmer for 10 minutes then add in the shredded chicken for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with toppings of your choice.

    Notes

    Tips & Tricks
    • Get the pan very, very hot. Without this step the blended vegetables will not be able to reach the depth of flavor that makes this soup so amazing.
    • Cook the vegetables long enough that they condense down. You will know they are ready when a spoon leaves a trail after running through the pot.
     
    Raw Chicken Option
    Once chicken stock is at a simmer, put in a couple sliced chicken breasts. After the chicken has cooked in the broth until tender, add in the tortillas. Continue to simmer gently until the tortillas dissolve and the soup thickens.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1211mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 704IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg

    All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.

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    Comments

    1. Aspen says

      March 08, 2020 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      This is so stinkin flavorful! Personally I like it super brothy. With a quesadilla on the side... it's Mexican food heaven.

      Reply
      • Misty says

        March 08, 2020 at 3:15 pm

        It's never a bad idea to add extra broth if you like it more brothy. My favorite tortillas to serve on the side are the kind that you cook yourself in a hot skillet. So good, hope you try them!

        Reply
    2. Patricia says

      February 13, 2020 at 12:35 pm

      5 stars
      I LOVE this tortilla soup. It is super easy to make for a weeknight dinner. Lots of lime and crushed tortilla chips on top are a must!

      Reply
    3. Delani says

      January 31, 2020 at 4:40 am

      5 stars
      This looks amazing! Perfect for someone like me. Can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Misty says

        February 01, 2020 at 4:29 pm

        Yay, hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Karen says

      January 30, 2020 at 8:40 am

      5 stars
      Sooooo good!

      Reply
      • Misty says

        February 01, 2020 at 4:30 pm

        Glad you liked it!

        Reply
    5. Kimberly Jones says

      January 30, 2020 at 8:23 am

      So excited to have Danielle recipes in my inbox! I’ve waited like 15 years for this.

      Reply

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