Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup – the perfect combination of chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, crispy tortilla strips, and a splash of fresh lime juice on top! A simple, delicious and easy chicken tortilla soup is a great recipe that only takes 30 minutes to cook and is perfect for meal prepping!
An Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
This delicious Mexican-inspired soup is packed with so many great flavors that are mixed right in, plus great options for adding even more flavor in the toppings! This bowl of soup is our all-time favorite comfort food. It is so simple that you could even make it on a busy weeknight for the whole family. They will love getting creative with all of the topping options! The best tortilla soup that requires minimal effort and full of delicious ingredients.
And if you love easy, weeknight chicken meals…. we also suggest that you try our Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas, Salsa Verde Chicken, or Creamy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili.
What Goes In Chicken Tortilla Soup
- olive oil – a drizzle in the dutch oven to help sauté the garlic, onion, and pepper.
- yellow onion & garlic – they get the flavor party started for all delicious soups.
- Anaheim pepper – personally, we love the heat & flavor these provide but you could also use a jalapeño, for more spice, or a green pepper, to be really mild.
- chicken broth or chicken stock – any will do – just grab your favorite.
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts – this is what we used but you could also use chicken thighs.
- diced tomatoes & crushed tomatoes – the perfect tomato base!
- canned corn & can of black beans – essential components to any chicken tortilla soup.
- chili powder, cumin, & kosher salt – the perfect combo of spices to really bring the soup to life.
- lime – the zest and the juice for all that fresh lime flavor!
How To Make Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Begin by sautéing the onion, garlic, and pepper in a large pot over medium heat.
Then add the chicken broth and raw chicken breast – cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken breasts, shred, and return it to the pot.
Add the rest of the soup ingredients.
Mix and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add your desired toppings and enjoy!
Best Toppings For Chicken Tortilla Soup
Our favorite toppings that we used are avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, green onions, and strips of corn tortillas! This combination was delicious and highly recommended. Some other great options would be sour cream, fresh tomatoes, shredded cheese, red onions, or hot sauce if you want a bit of a kick.
How To Store Chicken Tortilla Soup
This family favorite soup makes great leftovers and is perfect for meal prep! You can simply store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just make sure you wait on the toppings until you are ready to eat the next day.
Can I Freeze it?
Absolutely! It is the easiest soup, that is perfect for freezing. Once it has cooled off you can place it in a freezer-safe container and store it for up to 6 months. When it is time to thaw, just place it in the fridge the night before you plan to eat it, reheat, and enjoy!
A Few Recipe Tips
- The recipe calls for cooking the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the broth, shredding them, and adding them back to the pot. This is super easy and provides even more great flavor to the pot but if you are really tight for time you could shred a rotisserie chicken instead.
- Make sure you pause for taste tests to ensure that the salt and spice levels are where you want them. This is different for everyone and the salt content of various chicken broths will vary too so make sure you adjust to your liking.
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Easy Mexican Street Corn
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Homemade Fresh Guacamole
Mango Margarita
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Description
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup – a simple, delicious and easy chicken tortilla soup recipe that is perfect for meal prepping!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1/4–1/2 cup Anaheim pepper*, diced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 15oz can corn, drained
- 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of 1 lime
- 2–3 teaspoons kosher salt (more to taste)
- Toppings: tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, avocado and lime wedges
Instructions
- Bring Dutch Oven to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat.
- Add onion, garlic and pepper; move around pan until garlic is fragrant and onions softens – about 1 minute.
- Add broth and bring to a boil.
- Add chicken and cover. Let simmer until chicken is fully cooked – about 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken from pot and place on a plate; use two forks to shred and return shredded chicken to pan along with the corn, tomatoes (diced and crushed), black beans, chili powder, cumin, lime zest, lime juice and salt.
- Stir to combine. Let simmer 10-15 minutes.
- Taste and add any additional salt, spice or lime juice – as desired.
- Serve with tortilla strips, fresh chopped cilantro, lots of avocado and lime wedges.
Notes
- Anaheim Pepper: you can use jalapeno if you want it spicier or you can use bell pepper if you want it really tame. I like Anaheim peppers because they bring a bit more flavor and heat, but nothing crazy – I also know they aren’t always easy to find so use what works for you/what you can find!
Michael says
This is a staple for our winter menu! Thanks for an easy meal that my kids actually enjoy!