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This one-pot chicken tortilla soup has everything you love in one spoonful.
Black beans, tomatoes, and chicken are cooked in a southwest seasoned broth and served with creamy avocado chunks and crunchy tortilla strips.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Bursting with south-of-the-border flavor, chicken tortilla soup is light but super filling and flavorful.
- Skill Level: This beginner-friendly one-pot meal is a weeknight time and labor saver.
- Budget Tip: Add a cup or two of cooked rice to stretch the recipe further.
- Serving Suggestions: Chicken tortilla soup is a crowd favorite! Serve from a crockpot and set up a toppings bar on the side.
Ingredient Tips for Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Chicken: No need to pre-cook the chicken, just toss it in. Leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken work well, too.
- Vegetables: This recipe is all about the tomatoes that combine all the flavors! Rotel brand tomatoes are pre-seasoned with green chiles and add extra flavor to this recipe. Canned, fresh, or frozen corn work great as well.
- Black Beans: Black beans, white navy beans, kidney beans, or any combo of canned beans add flavor, fiber, and nutrition to tortilla chicken soup. Use the Instant Pot to make beans from scratch and have plenty left over to freeze.
- Broth: Use any broth brand you like or use homemade. A pinch of homemade adobo seasoning will add a smoky depth of flavor along with the garlic and cumin.
- Tortilla Strips: Homemade tortilla strips are fun and easy to make! Any crunchies like Fritos or tortilla chips will also work.
Favorite Variations & Toppings
- Make a creamy version of chicken tortilla soup by stirring in some half and half or cream in Step 5.
- Amp up the nutrition and add some chopped spinach, peas, kale, or even thinly sliced Brussels sprouts.
- Mix in dollops of sour cream, guacamole, or salsa for quick, flavorful upgrades.
- Top with shredded cheese, black olives, green onions, lime wedges, or cilantro for extra taste.
More Chicken Soup Favorites
Did you enjoy this Chicken Tortilla Soup? Leave a comment and rating below.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
This chicken tortilla is hearty and comforting with the perfect spicy kick.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and diced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 14.5 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounces canned black beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 10 ounces canned diced tomatoes with chilies with juices, such as Rotel, 1 can
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 6 ounces each
- 1 cup corn kernels drained if canned
- 1 lime juiced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 avocado sliced, for garnish
For the Tortilla Strips
- 6 small corn tortillas cut into ¼-inch strips
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- salt
Instructions
For the Tortilla Strips
- Cut the tortillas into ¼-inch strips. In a small pan, heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the tortillas, in small batches to the oil and fry them until they are crisp, about 1 minute per side. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel. While warm, sprinkle with salt to taste.
For the Soup
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the pot, and cook until the onion is softened about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add in the chicken broth, black beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with juices, corn, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, and chili powder. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken breasts and bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it with two forks. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, lime wedges, and sliced avocado.
Video
Notes
Chicken: This recipe uses chicken breasts that are 6oz each. If your chicken is larger or smaller, adjust the cooking time as needed. The chicken is added to the soup raw and simmers in the soup.
Cooked chicken: To replace the chicken breasts with rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken, simmer the soup for a total of 25 minutes, adding 3 cups of shredded chicken during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Tortilla Strips: Tortilla strips can be replaced with tortilla chips or they can be cooked in the air fryer or oven. Toss the strips with 1 ½ tablespoons of oil and salt. Cook in the air fryer at 350°F for 2-4 minutes or until crisp or bake at 350°F for 11-14 minutes. Check the strips early to ensure they don’t burn.
Spice: Reduce the spice by replacing jalapeno with green chiles.
Serving suggestion: Create a fun meal by serving it with a variety of toppings.
Leftovers & Freezing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. To freeze, cool completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag for up to 4 months.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1.25cup | Calories: 278 | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 671mg | Potassium: 714mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 19.9mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2.7mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Mexican© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Holly…..I love this recipe. My whole clan eats every drop. I stir in 3 to 4 ounces of cream cheese just before serving…..Girl….NEXT LEVEL
Easy, quick, and just delicious. I didn’t change a thing; It made the perfect lunch! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
I absolutely love this recipe. So much flavor. But this time I don’t have a lime. Can lemon juice be substituted for the lime juice ??
I haven’t tried this with lemon juice. If you don’t have lime, you can leave it out.
Made according to recipe, with the addition of one bell pepper and 1 1/2 medium zucchini. I did not have a fresh jalapeño, but used half of a 4 oz can of diced jalapeños. Topped with the fried tortillas, avocado and shredded pepper jack cheese. Absolutely amazing! This is now my favorite soup! So flavorful and spice level is perfect!