Chicken Tortilla Soup
A deeply savory, tomato-rich broth loaded with tender shredded chicken, hearty black beans, sweet corn, and just enough heat from fresh jalapeño. This one-pot meal comes together in about 30 minutes and delivers bold, Southwestern-spiced flavor that feels both cozy and exciting.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot - at least 5 quarts / 4.7L
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Two Forks - for shredding chicken
- Ladle
- Small baking sheet - for baking tortilla strips
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Can opener
- Citrus juicer - optional, for the lime
- Immersion Blender - optional, for a thicker broth
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts - 450g, about 2 medium
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion - diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 large jalapeño pepper - seeds removed for mild or kept for spicy, finely diced
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes - 14.5 oz / 411g, with juices
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles - 10 oz / 283g, such as Rotel
- 1 can black beans - 15 oz / 425g, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels - 150g
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth - 950ml
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional, for extra heat
- Salt and black pepper - to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice - about 1 lime
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro - chopped
For the Crispy Tortilla Strips
- 6 corn tortillas - cut into thin strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- Pinch of salt
For Topping (Optional but Highly Recommended)
- 1 ripe avocado - diced or sliced
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese - 115g
- Sour cream - for serving
- Extra cilantro - for serving
- Lime wedges - for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stack tortillas, slice into thin strips about ¼ inch wide and 2-3 inches long, toss with oil and salt, and bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and jalapeño and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne (if using). Stir and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to toast and bloom the spices.
- Pour in both cans of diced tomatoes with their juices, then add the black beans, corn, and chicken broth. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Nestle the raw chicken breasts into the pot, fully submerged in broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Using tongs, transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 2-3 minutes. Shred with two forks, then return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir.
- Stir in the fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Simmer for 3-5 minutes on low to meld the flavors. Adjust salt, pepper, or lime juice to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with crispy tortilla strips, diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, extra cilantro, and lime wedges on the side. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Toast your spices: Never skip cooking the dry spices in oil for a minute before adding liquid. This single technique dramatically deepens the flavor of the entire batch.
- Don't overcook the chicken: Pull the breasts as soon as they hit 165°F (74°C) to keep the shredded chicken juicy and tender, not dry or stringy.
- Use fire-roasted tomatoes: The subtle char and smokiness adds complexity that regular canned tomatoes simply cannot match.
- Rotisserie chicken shortcut: Skip cooking raw chicken. Use 2-3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken and add it during the last 5 minutes of simmering just to heat through.
- Creamy version: Stir in 4 oz (115g) of softened cream cheese or ½ cup of heavy cream in the last 5 minutes for a richer, velvety broth.
- Make it spicier: Leave the seeds in the jalapeño, add a second jalapeño, or increase the cayenne pepper to ½ teaspoon for extra heat.
- Storage: Store the cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store tortilla strips separately at room temperature to stay crispy.
- Freezing: The soup (without toppings) freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the stovetop over low heat.
- Leftovers are better: This soup is genuinely better on day two after all the flavors have had time to deepen and develop in the fridge.