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Chicken tortilla soup in bowls

Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Doina Johnson

Ingredients

For the Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • 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

Toppings

  • 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

Instructions

Making the Soup

  • To a large pot over medium-high heat, add one tablespoon 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.
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Return the chicken to the soup. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes before the next step.
  • Add the corn, drained black beans, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the soup and shred the chicken with 2 forks and return to the soup.
  • Add the finely minced cilantro and the juice of a lime to the pot. Let the soup cool down a bit. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

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.
  • 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.

Toppings

  • 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).

Notes

1. 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.