Is Chicken Tortilla Soup the answer? Coming home from work all you can think about is what can you make to satisfy your desire for something healthy that can be flavorful, satisfying, and not make you feel bloated from overeating. My recipe for a quick and easy chicken tortilla soup works well for me!

What Makes a Great Tortilla Soup?

So how do we make the perfect tortilla soup? There are so many variations and options in making this soup, why not make it so that it is perfect for you! Here is a list of some of the options that you might consider.

• Tomato-based or chile-based (if chile-based, you have options of making your broth using fresh chiles or use one or more of the many chile powder blends at your local market. If tomato-based, use a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes.)

• Herbs – Cilantro, parsley, chives all work well with this dish.

• Which protein – Chicken or shrimp, or no protein at all

• Veggies or no veggies

• Avocado slices, jalapenos, fresh lime

• Mexican crema, sour cream, or none at all

• Cheese or no cheese (optional cheeses, Mexican Cotija, Oaxaca, Jack, Cheddar)

As you can see, there are many options available to make your tortilla soup just perfect for you and your family!

For me, I am going to add shredded chicken, a small amount of corn and black beans, a splash of lime, some avocado, cotija cheese, Mexican crema, and of course some tortilla strips. For this recipe, I am using a combination of chile powders to flavor my broth in combination with some fresh salsa. Have fun making my recipe and let me know what version you decided on in the comments below.

As always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!

The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup Ever!

Recipe by David Frank – Spending Time In My Kitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

1.5 lbs Chicken breasts or thighs
48 oz Chicken Stock, low sodium
12 – 16 oz Fresh salsa
15 oz Corn
15 oz Black beans
3 Tbl Ancho chili powder
2 Tbl Guajillo chili powder
1 Tbl Cumin
2 tsp Mexican oregano
2 Tbl Corn starch
4 Tbl Water
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnishes, optional
Cilantro or chives, chopped
Cotija cheese
Drizzle Mexican crema
Tortilla strips
Avocado slices
Jalapeno slices
Fresh lime, squeeze

Directions

Place your chicken on a baking sheet and sprinkle your chile powder blend over your chicken. Cover the chicken with foil and set it aside on the kitchen counter to come to room temperature. 30 minutes or more.
Cook your chicken on your outside grill or on a cast iron pan on top of your stove over medium-high heat. If using a cast-iron pan, place your pan on the heat until your pan gets very hot. Drizzle some grapeseed oil in the pan. Gently place your chicken in the pan. You can expect some great sizzle and browning on the chicken
Don’t move the chicken around. Let the chicken sit in the pan to develop a nice crust. Flip the chicken and continue to cook over medium-high heat. Do not overcook the chicken. It will continue to cook when placed into the soup pot. Cook time approximately 20 minutes
Let the chicken cool down. When sufficiently cooled, shred up the chicken and set it aside. (You can prepare the chicken the day/night before which will save you time when you plan on serving the next day.)
Add broth to your soup pot. Add chili powders, oregano, and cumin to your soup pot. Wisk to combine. Place pot on the stove over medium heat.
Wisk water and corn starch in a 2:1 ratio in a small bowl to make a slurry. Slowly whisk the corn starch into your soup pot so you don’t get any clumps. Turn heat to boil and then drop to simmer. The addition of the cornstarch to your broth will bring a shine to it and thicken it.
Add your fresh salsa to your soup pot. Reduce your broth until your soup has thickened to your preference and is nice and glossy. About 20 minutes.
Taste your broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Now is a good time to “pump” up the chili and cumin flavor of your broth if not tasting spicy, or needing more seasoning. Continue to add a teaspoon of chili powders and cumin a little bit at a time. Stir and continue to taste your soup until you are at your perfect seasoning level.
Drain your cans of corn and your black beans. Add veggies to your broth.
Add chicken to your broth and cook for an additional 10 minutes. (See note below)
Time to finish up and serve. Ladle some soup into your bowls. Top off with tortilla strips, cilantro/chives, cotija cheese, and avocado. Squeeze some lime and drizzle some crema/sour cream in your bowl. Enjoy!!
Garnishes
Chop the herbs you want to use to top your soup and set them aside.
Slice up your jalapenos, avocados, and limes. Set them aside.

Notes

As I mentioned earlier, this recipe is easily adaptable to your likes and dislikes. I like a more “brothy” soup so I limit the amounts of chicken and veggies I add. I prefer it that way so it is less like a stew. Add more or fewer veggies and chicken depending on your preferences.