Tortilla Soup

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

To make tortilla soup, saute onion, garlic, and jalapeno in olive oil, bloom cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and oregano in the pot, then simmer fire-roasted tomatoes, tomatoes with green chiles, broth, water, and chicken until tender. Shred the chicken, add black beans and corn, finish with lime juice, and serve with crispy fried tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, and lime wedges. It takes 45 minutes and serves 6.

Chicken tortilla soup can go wrong in a very specific way: a perfectly respectable bowl of tomato broth with chicken floating in it, followed by a pile of tortilla strips asked to provide all the personality. This version builds flavor before the liquid goes in, starting with onion, garlic, chile, and spices so the broth tastes finished even before toppings arrive.

Tomatoes, broth, beans, corn, and chicken turn it into a full meal, while lime at the end keeps the pot from tasting flat. Add the tortilla strips only when serving so they stay crisp long enough to give each spoonful some texture. Avocado, cheese, cilantro, sour cream, and jalapeño are useful toppings, but they should be extras, not emergency repair supplies.

The soup itself should taste smoky, tomato-rich, savory, and bright. If you find yourself eating the broth before you have added a single tortilla strip, that is how you know the base did its job.

Prep15 minutes

Cook30 minutes

Total45 minutes

Serves6 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (leave seeds in for more heat)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen or canned corn, drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
6 small corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons neutral oil (for frying tortilla strips)
Optional garnishes: sour cream, shredded Mexican cheese blend, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, lime wedges

Instructions

1Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
2Add the minced garlic and jalapeño to the pot and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn.
3Add the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano directly to the pot. Stir and cook the spices with the vegetables for 1 full minute. They will smell toasty and fragrant — this is called blooming the spices and it matters more than I originally believed.
4Pour in the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, the diced tomatoes with green chiles, chicken broth, and water. Stir to combine.
5Nestle the whole chicken breasts into the liquid. They should be mostly submerged. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
6While the soup simmers, make the tortilla strips. Heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla strips in a single layer and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Work in batches to avoid crowding. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt immediately.
7Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the soup and shred them using two forks on a cutting board. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
8Add the drained black beans and corn to the pot. Stir to combine and simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes to let everything come together.
9Squeeze in the lime juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. The lime is not optional — it wakes the whole pot up.
10Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crispy tortilla strips and any garnishes you like. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 6 servings.

390Calories

37 gProtein

39 gCarbohydrates

10 gTotal Fat

2 gSaturated Fat

10 gFiber

6 gTotal Sugars

1180 mgSodium

85 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Bloom your spices — cook them in the oil with the aromatics for a full 60 seconds before adding any liquid. This is the step I skipped the first time and the reason the first batch tasted like potential rather than soup.
Fire-roasted tomatoes are worth seeking out. They carry a smokiness that regular diced tomatoes simply do not have and cannot fake. If your store doesn't carry them, canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand, are a reasonable substitute.
Do not skip the lime at the end. I know it sounds like a minor thing. It is not a minor thing. Acid at the finish is what separates a soup that is fine from a soup that makes people ask for the recipe while still eating.

Substitutions

chicken breasts → rotisserie chicken Skip the poaching step entirely — shred about 2.5 cups of rotisserie chicken and add it with the beans. Cuts the cook time down significantly and nobody will know.

chicken breasts → no chicken (vegetarian) Use vegetable broth and add an extra can of black beans or one can of pinto beans. The soup holds up well without meat.

black beans → pinto beans Pinto beans are slightly creamier and work beautifully here. Use the same quantity.

corn tortillas → store-bought tortilla chips Crush them and add right before serving. You lose the satisfaction of making them yourself but gain about eight minutes of your life back.

jalapeño → canned diced green chiles Use one 4-oz can. Milder heat, more mellow flavor. Good if cooking for people whose spice tolerance you do not trust yet.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover soup (without tortilla strips) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store tortilla strips separately at room temperature in a zip-top bag for up to 2 days so they stay crispy. The soup also freezes well — transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat.

Make Ahead

The soup base can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator — the flavor actually deepens overnight. Reheat over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if it has thickened too much. Make the tortilla strips fresh the day you plan to serve, or they will lose their crunch entirely and become a disappointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes. Cook Tortilla Soup ahead, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it covered. Reheat gently before serving; add any fresh garnish or crunchy topping at the end instead of storing it in the pot.

How do I store the leftovers?

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store tortilla strips separately at room temperature in a zip-top bag for up to 2 days so they stay crispy. The soup also freezes well — transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat.

Can I freeze it?

Yes. See the storage section on this page for exact freezing and thawing directions — most versions of Tortilla Soup freeze well for up to 2–3 months when cooled fully first and portioned into airtight containers.

Can I adjust it for what I have on hand?

Yes. Tested adjustments on this recipe include chicken breasts → rotisserie chicken; chicken breasts → no chicken (vegetarian); and black beans → pinto beans.

What's the most common mistake to avoid?

Bloom your spices — cook them in the oil with the aromatics for a full 60 seconds before adding any liquid. This is the step I skipped the first time and the reason the first batch tasted like potential rather than soup.

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