chicken tortilla soup

this is the yummiest chicken tortilla soup I have ever had, and my husband (who is EXTREMELY picky when it comes to his favorite genre of food, Mexican) agrees! it is the perfect amount of spicy, and the sour cream and cheese toppings cool it down for the best balance of flavors. chock full of chicken and veggies, chicken tortilla soup is a complete meal the entire family will love! make this for a weeknight, a party, a rainy day, or even freeze for leftovers–enjoy!

this one pot meal is super easy to make! I love using my le creuset to make soup. you can put it from the stove directly into the refrigerator, which makes clean up and life much easier.

the only other tool you need to make this soup, aside from the kitchen basics, is an immersion blender. this is key to getting the broth to that perfectly creamy consistency.

aside from the best broth, the other secret to making delicious chicken tortilla soup is the toppings! make sure and get some great tortilla chips to crumble on top, sour cream, cheese, fresh cilantro, and pickled jalapeños. let everyone top their own to make a customized creation. kids (and everyone else) will love getting involved with assembling their dinner!

if you have any other veggies in the fridge that you want to use (such as mushrooms, squash, bell pepper, etc.), feel free to chop them up and drop them in the broth when you put in the tomato and zucchini. one of the great things about chicken tortilla soup is that it is versatile and can be good with lots of variation. experiment, and comment on this post to let me know what you like best!

Print Recipe

chicken tortilla soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion chopped
• 1 large jalapeño minced (remove seeds/ribs for less heat, or use them both for more!)
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 large carrots peeled & chopped
• 1 14.5oz can fire roasted tomatoes organic if possible
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 3/4 tbsp chili powder
• 1 15oz can black or pinto beans rinsed
• 1/2 large avocado plus more for topping
• 3/4 c monterrey jack or cheddar cheese plus more for topping
• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1.5 c frozen corn
• 1 zucchini chopped
• 2 roma tomatoes chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro for topping
• 1 jar pickled jalapeños for topping
• 1 bag tortilla chips for topping
• 2 fresh limes quartered for topping
• 1 tub sour cream for topping

Instructions

• heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
• add in the onion, jalapeño, and carrots & sauté until soft.
• next add in the garlic, and heat until fragrant (don’t add the garlic with the first round of veggies because otherwise it will burn & turn bitter).
• add in the fire roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin, and chili powder and allow to heat through. keep the broth at a low simmer–if it begins to boil turn the temperature down.
• once the broth mixture is warm, add in half the can of rinsed beans, the 1/2 avocado, and the cheese.
• using the immersion blender, blend until the broth forms a smooth, creamy consistency.
• add in the chicken breasts, chopped tomatoes, and zucchini. push the chicken breasts to the bottom of the simmering broth to ensure they cook through.
• once the chicken breasts are cooked (about 10 minutes in the simmering broth), remove from the pot, shred, and put back in.
• add in the corn and the rest of the beans, and cook until the corn is no longer frozen. 
• taste the broth, and add salt & pepper as needed. 
• serve with the toppings (sour cream, cheese, pickled jalapeños, cilantro, fresh lime, and chips), and enjoy!

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