Chicken Tortilla Soup

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Tortilla Soup is usually the thing at a Mexican restaurant that I WANT to order, but can't, because tacos. (I mean, you get this, right?) But I'm tellin you guys, don't sleep on this recipe. IT'S SO GOOD. It's perfectly spiced, creamy, warm and comforting, and healthy to boot. Not only that, but it's super easy to throw together, you can even make it in the crock pot no problem. Perfect for weeknights OR your next dinner party.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 447kcal

Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic smashed and minced, or about 1 tablespoon
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper or to taste
4 cups chicken bone broth*
2 cup water
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
1 (7-ounce) can fire roasted green chilies
1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can seasoned black beans or regular black beans is fine
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken** about 1 and 1/2 pounds to 2 pounds
drippings from rotisserie chicken in addition to broth called for
bones from rotisserie chicken optional
1 lime juiced
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons masa harina*** (Maseca Instant Corn Masa Flour)
1/2 cup cilantro chopped

For the fried tortillas

1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas***

Garnishes

diced avocado optional
lime slices optional
shredded cheese optional
sour cream optional
jalapeno sliced, optional

Instructions

Chop the onion. Dice a large onion, here is a how-to. Set a large pot or dutch oven on the stove and turn the burner to medium heat. When it is very hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. The oil will shimmer right away, swirl it around. Add the diced onion and saute for about 5-6 minutes, until they are translucent. Stir occasionally.
Chop the garlic and jalapeños. Meanwhile, smash 4 cloves of garlic with the side of your chef's knife. Peel the paper off and mince the garlic. Slice the jalapeno in half lengthwise, and use a paring knife to cut out the seeds and membrane in the center and discard. Chop the jalapeno in a small dice.
Prepare the spices: In a small bowl, add 4 teaspoons cumin, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper.
Once the onions have sauteed for about 5 minutes, add the minced garlic, jalapeno, and all the spices. Stir it all together for about 30-60 seconds, until they become fragrant.
Add broth and cans. Add 4 cups of chicken bone broth, 2 cups of water, and 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base. Add a 7-ounce can of green chilies, a 14-ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes, and a 14-ounce can of seasoned black beans, don't drain it.
Rotisserie chicken. Take your chicken out of the packaging and before you do anything, add all the cooking liquid from the chicken into your soup. We want that fat and flavor!
Cut your chicken in half down the backbone. Remove the breast, leg and thigh on one side. Remove and chop/shred all the chicken; you should end up with about 4 cups if it was a big chicken. If not, keep chopping until you have about 4 cups, with a mix of dark and light meat.
Add the bones. Add several chicken bones to the soup pot. This is optional but adds amazing flavor. Don't add the shredded chicken yet; just the cooking liquid and the bones.
Simmer. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn the burner down to medium low, cover with a lid that is vented (tilted so the pot is not sealed), and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Add chicken. When the soup has simmered for about 15 minutes, add 4 cups shredded chicken. Continue cooking the soup at a low simmer for another 10 minutes.
Heat oil for tortillas. While the soup finished cooking, set a 12-inch heavy bottomed pan on the stove over medium heat and add 1/4 cup vegetable oil.
Slice 8 corn tortillas into strips. Cut a stack of 4 tortillas in half, then slice each half into small strips that are about 1/4 inch thick. See photos.
Fry. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully add a handful of strips to the oil, in a single layer so they are not touching each other. Do not over crowd the pan. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to move the pieces around and make sure each is submerged in oil and getting cooked on all sides.
Let cool. After about 30-60 seconds, the tortilla strips will turn golden. Knowing when to take them out may take some trial and error. Be aware that they will continue to darken and crisp even after you take them out of the oil.
Remove the strips to a plate lined with paper towels (or paper bags are also very absorbent.) Sprinkle generously with salt.
Continue the process with the remaining tortilla strips in batches until all have been fried. You can add up to another 1/4 cup of vegetable oil if it starts to get low.
Finish the soup. When the soup has simmered with the chicken in it for at least 10 minutes (longer is totally fine), turn off the burner. If you're still frying tortillas, leave it simmering on low until you are ready to serve.
Add the lime and masa. DON'T skip this! Juice 1 lime into a small bowl, at least 2 tablespoons, more is fine. Add 3 tablespoons water. Add 2 tablespoons Masa flour and a large pinch of salt. Stir until it's smooth and runny. If it's thick like a paste, add more water. Use a whisk to stir it into the soup.
Add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. Put the lid back on and let the soup sit for 5 minutes. While the soup rests, prepare any garnishes by cutting avocado, extra lime, and shredding cheese.
Remove the bones. Just before serving, remove the bones from the soup and discard.
Serve. Fill a bowl with a large ladle of soup. Top with fried tortilla strips, and if you know what's good for you, add some avocado, extra lime, shredded cheese, and sour cream. Devour!
Crock Pot Instructions: Add everything to the slow cooker except the shredded chicken, the lime juice, water, masa harina, and cilantro. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. A half hour before you are ready to serve, add the chicken. Follow the instructions for combining the lime juice, water, and masa harina. Let cook another 30 minutes with the lid on. Add the cilantro and serve with garnishes.
Storage: Store the soup covered in the fridge. It will last about a week, and gets more flavorful with time!
Freezing instructions: Add cooled soup to a freezer ziplock bag. Leave at least an inch at the top of the bag to leave space for the soup to expand as it freezes. Chicken tortilla soup will stay good in the freezer for 4-6 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Notes

*CHICKEN BROTH: If you have a nice high quality chicken broth, use 4 cups + 2 cups water, and the 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon called for. OR you can use 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base and 6 cups of water. DON'T forget to add in the drippings from your rotisserie chicken, no matter what.

**ROTISSERIE CHICKEN: If you don't have rotisserie chicken on hand but do have boneless skinless chicken breast, you can still make this! Add in the whole breasts (about 1 and 1/2 to 2 pounds raw) along with the broth and beans. Once the soup has come to a boil and is turned down to simmer, make sure the chicken cooks for 20-25 minutes if the chicken is frozen, 12-15 minutes if thawed. When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the soup onto a cutting board and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Shred the cooked chicken with two forks and return to the soup.

***MASA: I prefer the corny flavor added in masa over actual corn kernels. You can always add in 1 cup of frozen corn (add them with the beans at the beginning) in addition to or instead of the masa.

****TORTILLA STRIPS: If you don't want to fry your own tortilla strips, of course you can buy tortilla chips. Juanitas Juantonios is the best brand. But I'm telling you, frying your own doesn't take long and it's what really sets this soup apart!!

Nutrition