Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
A comforting and flavorful chicken tortilla soup, featuring a rich, blended tomato and spice base, shredded chicken, black beans, and corn, finished with your favorite fresh toppings and crispy tortilla strips.
Equipment
- large saucepan
- Immersion Blender
- small skillet
- tongs
- paper towel lined plate
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper stem and seeds removed and roughly chopped
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
- 1 14-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes and green chiles
- 3 cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup black beans
- ¾ cup frozen corn
- 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 small corn tortillas cut into thin strips
Toppings
- shredded cheese colby jack / monterey jack / pepper jack your choice
- quartered limes
- cubed avocado
- cilantro
- sliced green onions
- sliced jalapenos
Instructions
Soup Base
- Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat (add a little olive oil if desired).
- Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño; sauté 5–7 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Season with salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, and chipotle; cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to blend to your preferred smoothness. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Stir in the black beans, corn, and shredded chicken; warm 5–7 minutes (do not overcook).
Crispy Tortilla Strips
- In a small skillet, heat a thin layer of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
- Add tortilla strips in a single layer; fry 30–45 seconds per side until crisp and golden.
- Remove with tongs to a paper towel–lined plate and season with a pinch of salt.
Serving
- Divide the soup among 4 bowls.
- Top with shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, and crispy tortilla strips.
- Finish with lime juice and optional extra jalapeño slices.
Notes
For extra crispiness, you can also bake the tortilla strips in the oven until golden. Adjust the spice level by adding more or less jalapeño and chipotle pepper.