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A steaming bowl of chicken tortilla soup garnished with fresh avocado and cilantro.

Best way to grow a rich Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe guides you through making a rich and flavorful chicken tortilla soup, starting with perfectly seasoned chicken and building layers of taste with aromatics, tomatoes, beans, corn, and a blend of spices. It's a comforting and satisfying meal that can be customized with your favorite toppings.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the chicken
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon cumin
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
For the soup
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 can (28 ounce) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 ounce) black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15 ounce) corn drained
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 can (4 ounce) diced green chiles
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon cumin
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup lime Juice of
For serving
  • Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
  • Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • Diced avocado
  • Sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • Fresh cilantro chopped

Equipment

  • Large pot or Dutch oven

Method
 

Prepare the chicken
  1. Heat olive oil in a pot, season chicken breasts with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, then sear until browned.
  2. Remove chicken, let it cool, then shred or dice it.
Sauté aromatics
  1. Add olive oil to the same pot, cook chopped onion until softened, then stir in minced garlic until fragrant.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add crushed tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken broth, water, green chiles, and spices to the pot.
  2. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat, cover, and cook for at least 20 minutes to meld flavors.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the shredded chicken and lime juice.
  2. Ladle into bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, cheese, avocado, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and fresh cilantro.

Notes

For extra depth of flavor, you can roast the chicken breasts before shredding or dicing them. Adjust the amount of chili powder and green chiles to your preferred spice level. A squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end brightens up all the flavors in the soup.