Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe On The Stove Top

This chicken tortilla soup recipe has moved up the list of my favorite soups! As with most soups, it’s easy to prepare, but wow … the flavors just pop!

Why This Recipe Works

It’s an excellent soup for any time of the year and looks amazing when served.

Also, keep it nice and mild, or blast it with as much heat as you can without losing those beautiful flavors.

The presentation of the soup is very lovely. The contrasting colors and textures make you want to dive right in. And, of course, the taste is amazing.

The smokiness of the cumin comes through, and that splash of lime juice really makes it pop.

And leftovers are the best. If you have soup remaining, store it in an airtight container and stick it in the refrigerator. It’ll be even better the next day!

Chicken tortilla soup prepared on the stovetop with cilantro and various other garnishes.

Give this recipe a try. It will be sure to please the family and become an instant favorite!

How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

What’s nice about this recipe is that many of the ingredients are canned items, which means you can dump and go. You can also mix it up by adding other favorite ingredients of yours.

For garnish, you can do none, one, or all of the following:

  • Tortilla chips or tortilla strips
  • Cilantro
  • Sour cream
  • Shredded Cheese (cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese)
  • Radish
  • Jalapenos
  • Avocado
  • Lime

note

This is an excellent recipe for using any leftover rotisserie chicken. Follow the recipe but cut the cooking time way down. Just cook the soup until the chicken has heated thoroughly.

Add the oil to a large pot or dutch oven on medium-low heat. When the oil has heated up, add the diced onions and jalapenos.

Cook on medium-low heat and allow the onions to become translucent and the jalapenos soften for about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the garlic next, and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.

Ingredients for chicken tortilla soup cooking in a blue dutch oven

Add the chicken stock, fire-roasted tomatoes, fire-roasted corn, black beans, and all the spices to the pot. Increase to medium-high heat.

When the soup starts to boil, add the chicken and reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 25 to 30 minutes.

shredded chicken on a cutting board

Remove the chicken from the soup and transfer it to a cutting board. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot.

Chicken tortilla soup cooking on the stove top

Add the cilantro to the pot and stir. Allow it to cook for an additional 5 minutes. You might want to grab a spoon and give it a taste. Add more salt and/or pepper to your preference.

Optionally, add some lime juice to the soup. A squeeze of half a lime will brighten it up big time!

Serving It Up

Serve in a bowl topped with your favorite garnishes. We love cilantro, so ours always gets a tad more. Throw on some sliced fresh jalapeños and tortilla strips, perhaps a dollop of sour cream … it’s all up to you.

In fact, you can add additional ingredients to this soup to make it your own. A can or two of green chiles (green chilis), perhaps some bell peppers? It’s really a no-fail soup. Add the flavors you love!

Chicken tortilla soup in a dark bowl with all sorts of garnish

This delicious soup has become one of our go-to comfort food favorites!

Making Tortilla Strips For The Soup

You can optionally make your own strips. For ours, we purchased some ‘street taco’ size corn tortillas.

In a bit of vegetable oil, cook the tortillas on each side on medium-high heat. Check to ensure there is a bit of char on each side, then remove them from the heat.

chicken tortilla soup with tortilla strips garnish

Cut them into small strips using a sharp knife and serve as a garnish on this yummy tortilla soup.

For extra crispy tortilla strips, cut them into strips and fry them in oil.

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How long will chicken tortilla soup keep in the refrigerator?

It should stay fresh for three to four days in an air-tight container. Leave the toppings off.

Can I freeze chicken tortilla soup?

The soup will last a couple of months if stored in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Other Tasty Soup Recipes

Chicken tortilla soup prepared on the stovetop

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Chicken tortilla soup is made with flavorful Mexican seasonings, and it’s an easy recipe to customize with different ingredients and toppings. Instant fav!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 249kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 lb Chicken breasts Chicken thighs ok, deboned, skinless
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable oil Olive oil ok
  • 1 Onion Small, diced, appx. 1/2 cup
  • 1 jalapeno De-seeded, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic Diced, about a tbsp
  • 6 cup Chicken broth
  • 1 can Black beans Drained, rinsed, 15 oz can
  • 1 can Fire roasted tomatoes 15 oz can
  • 1 can Southwestern corn Drained (fire roasted corn a good substitute)
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Chili powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup Cilantro reserve 1/4 cup for garnish
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper Freshly ground
  • 1/2 Lime Juiced squeezed

Optional Garnish

  • Tortilla strips
  • Radish
  • Sour cream
  • Shredded cheese
  • Cilantro
  • Lime wedges
  • Jalapenos
  • Avocado

Instructions

  • In a large pot or dutch oven on medium low heat, add the oil. When the oil has heated up, add the diced onions and jalapenos.
  • Cook on medium-low heat and allow the onions to become translucent and the jalapenos soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Add the garlic next, and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  • Add the chicken stock, fire roasted tomatoes, fire roasted corn, black beans, and all the spices to the pot. Increase to a medium high heat.
  • When the soup starts to boil, add the chicken and reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • Continue to simmer until the chicken is completely cooked, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the soup and transfer to a cutting board. Shred chicken and return it to the pot.
  • Add the cilantro to the pot and stir. Allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Taste. Add more salt and/or pepper to your preference.
  • Optionally, add some lime juice to the soup. A squeeze of half a lime is good.
  • Serve in a bowl topped with your favorite garnishes.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1450mg | Potassium: 831mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 706IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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