Name: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs; 1 medium yellow/brown onion (peeled and finely diced); 3 garlic cloves; 1 jalapeño (finely diced, seeds and white pith removed); 1 can of peeled tomatoes (blended before adding them); 1 can (14.1oz/400 grams of black beans, drained); 1 cup of corn kernels (preferably from fresh corn, but canned corn works too); 1 tbsp mild chili powder; 1 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 6 cups chicken broth or water and chicken stock cubes or pots; a handful of fresh cilantro (in the UK, coriander); 1 lime; 1 tsp kosher salt (more to taste); 2 tbsp light oil (vegetable oil or light olive oil); 6 corn tortillas (for fried tortilla strips); 1/3 cup light oil for frying the tortilla strips; a pinch of salt (to season the fried tortillas trips); 1 avocado (for topping the soup); sour cream (to taste); jalapeño slices (optional, for extra heat); lime wedges (to garnish); cilantro (optional, to garnish); shredded cheese (to taste (Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Oaxaca, or mild Cheddar), not pictured below)

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Few dishes are as heartwarming and filling as chicken tortilla soup for those long winter nights. This rich soup has sweet, smoky, and zesty notes to accompany the heat of the chili. It is packed with texture and makes for a great dish to serve to family or a group of friends.

Don’t let the number of ingredients intimidate you. It’s actually quite an easy soup recipe, particularly by chicken tortilla soup standards. Most of the ingredients are seasonings like chili powder, ground cumin, and smoked paprika or cupboard essentials like canned tomatoes and black beans. There’s very little prep involved, and the soup is all made in one pot.

For more heartwarming soups, try this mushroom and sun-dried tomato soup, this roasted tomato soup, and this broccoli cheddar soup with croutons.

overhead view of two bowls of chicken tortilla soup with sour cream, avocado, and lime wedge on a dark wooden table

Ingredients You’ll Need

To make this chicken tortilla soup, you’ll need the following:

overhead view of ingredients board for chicken tortilla soup on a wooden chopping board

For the Soup itself:

Chicken thighs (boneless fillets) – 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets
Onion – 1 medium yellow/brown onion, peeled and finely diced
Garlic – 3 garlic cloves
Jalapeño – 1 jalapeño, finely diced, seeds and white pith removed
Peeled tomatoes – 1 can of peeled tomatoes, blended before adding them
Can of black beans – 1 can (14.1oz/400 grams) of black beans, drained
Corn – 1 cup of corn kernels (fresh corn kernels or canned corn, drained)
Chili powder – 1 tbsp mild chili powder
Cumin – 1 tsp cumin
Smoked paprika – 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Dried oregano – 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Tomato paste – 1 tbsp tomato paste
Chicken broth (or stock cubes) – 6 cups (1.5 liters) chicken broth or 6 cups of water and chicken stock cubes or pots
Cilantro – a handful of fresh cilantro (in the UK, coriander)
Lime – 1 lime
Salt – 1 tsp kosher salt (more to taste)
Oil – 2 tbsp light oil (vegetable oil or light olive oil)

Toppings

overhead view of tortillas, oil, and salt to make the fried tortilla strips for chicken tortilla soup

Corn tortillas (for fried tortilla strips) – 6 (or more) corn tortillas
Oil – 1/3 cup light oil for frying the tortilla strips
Avocado – 1 avocado, for topping the soup
Sour cream – sour cream, to taste
Jalapeño – jalapeño slices, optional, for extra heat
Lime – lime wedges to garnish
Cilantro – optional, to garnish
Shredded cheese – shredded cheese, to taste (Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Oaxaca, or mild Cheddar), not pictured below

top down view of toppings for chicken tortilla soup consisting of halved avocado, cilantro, jalapeno, and sour cream on a cutting board

Instructions to Make the Soup

Step 1. To a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of oil. Season the chicken thigh fillets with salt and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until you get a bit of color. The chicken will not be cooked through at this point, and that’s okay (it will finish cooking in the soup later on). For now, remove the chicken and set it aside.

close up of chicken thighs cooking in a pot

Step 2. Add one tablespoon of oil and the diced onion with the remaining salt (to help soften it). Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is slightly softer. Make sure it doesn’t burn. Don’t worry about the golden-brown bits/fond on the bottom of the pot (that will be deglazed when adding the tomato and chicken broth and will add wonderful flavor to the soup).

close up of diced onion cooking in a pot

Step 3. Add the spices and herbs (chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano), diced jalapeno, minced garlic, and tomato paste. Cook for about 30 seconds just to toast the spices.

Step 4. Add the blended peeled tomatoes and the chicken broth (or water and chicken stock cubes) and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze it.

Note that it’s best to make this soup in a stainless steel pot (rather than non-stick) for better flavor and increased fond. But if cooking the soup in a nonstick pot, you shouldn’t use metal utensils to scrape the bottom.

close up of stirred chicken broth with canned tomatoes and onion in a pot

Step 5. Return the chicken to the soup. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes before the next step.

chicken thigh being added to a pot of chicken tortilla soup base (broth, tomatoes, onion)

Step 6. Add the corn, drained black beans, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.

sweetcorn and black beans being added to a pot of chicken tortilla soup

Step 7. Remove the chicken from the soup. It should be cooked now. Shred the chicken with 2 forks and return to the soup.

Note: If you want to check the chicken, remember it’s cooked when the meat thermometer reads 165°F (74°C) and the juices run clear. However, for dark meat like chicken thighs, the optimal temperature (for the best taste) is about 175-185°F (80-85°C) as the meat will be more tender and juicier.

close up of cooked chicken being shredded with two forks in a bowl

Step 8. Add the finely chopped cilantro and the juice of a lime to the pot. Let the soup cool down a bit. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

overhead view of shredded chicken being added to chicken tortilla soup in a big pot

Step 9. Making the tortilla strips. While we’re waiting for the soup to simmer, we can make the fried tortilla strips. Cut the corn tortillas into thin slices.

tortillas being cut into strips with a chopping knife on a chopping board

Add the oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tortilla strips and fry. Remove to a plate with a paper plate and season with salt while they’re still warm.

tortilla strips frying in oil in a black pan

Place some fried tortilla strips on the bottom of the serving bowl. Add soup and top with more fried tortilla strips, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeno (optional for more heat), avocado, and shredded cheese (optional, not pictured in the final photo).

top down view of two white bowls of chicken tortilla soup in front of a larger bowl of the remaining soup with a ladle in it

This is a rich, hearty soup, with plenty of crunch from the tortilla and sweetcorn to complement the creamy, silky textures. The soup has acidity, sweetness, and zest, with heat from the chili and smoky, juicy flavors from the chicken.

top down view of a white bowl of chicken tortilla soup topped with sour cream, avocado, jalapeno, and cilantro

Using the ingredients listed, I was able to get around six bowls of soup, making it a great option for a weeknight family dinner or for meal prep.

topw down of two bowls of chicken tortilla soup on a dark wooden table

If you made this soup and loved it, let me know in a review below.

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Don’t forget to save this recipe to one of your soup or dinner ideas boards, ready for those days you need some inspiration.