Chicken Tortilla Soup has been on “the rotation” since I was a kid. I fondly remember the smell of tortilla soup at my parents house and we would hover over the pot as it simmered asking what else we need to add in the soup. To this day it is my go-to soup. Its savory, nutritious and delicious with a kick of spice and who doesn’t like crumbling tortilla chips over top of a hot bowl of soup?
Whats in this Chicken Tortilla Soup?
Chicken Rotisserie Chicken is always an easy option. If I don’t have rotisserie chicken, you can cook the chicken breast in the soup until 160F, remove from broth and shred once cool enough to touch.
Alternatively, for more tender chicken, put two chicken breast on a small sheet pan, cover them with plastic wrap and pound the chicken out until its tenderized. Remove the plastic wrap and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake at 400F for about 25 minutes or until cooked through. Once cool enough to touch, shred and stir into soup.
Zucchini & Squash My mom used to put zucchini and squash in her tortilla soup and I absolutely loved it. They get nice and tender quickly and soak up tons of flavor.
Spices Just the right amount of spice makes this soup take light but loaded with flavor.
Salsa Instead of canned tomatoes, I add salsa to give this soup a boost of flavor along with the tomatoes. Furthermore, I usually tomato based salsas, but you can use Salsa Verde to change the flavor profile.
Green Chiles Mild Hatch Diced Green Chiles are typically at all the stores. If they don’t have that, something simliar will work great! I always get mild because there is usually someone that can’t handle the heat!
Corn Frozen or canned corn work great. If you do canned, drain the corn before adding to the soup. For frozen corn, add one cup. No need to thaw out before adding.
Black Beans Progresso Black Beans are everywhere and very consisitent. If you are wanting organic, I really like Central Market Organic Low Sodium Black Beans. You can get them at HEB or Central Market.
Broth Kitchen Basics Chicken Broth is my favorite. If you have homemade chicken broth, even better!
Tortilla Chips We always have Xochitl Salted Tortilla Chips at our house, so we like to crumble those over top. If you have Corn Tortillas, slice them into thin strips and pan fry until crispy or bake
Garnish Lime Juice, Cilantro, Cheese, Avocado, Sour Cream
Chicken Tortilla Soup Pairings
What to Serve with the Soup Tortilla Soup can be a meal by itself when its loaded up with tortilla chips, avocado and cheese. Serve it with a yummy salad with jalapeno ranch dressing for a soup and salad situation. Quesadillas or Cornbread are always a nice pairing as well.
Drink Pairings Our pitcher of margaritas are the perfect pairing to Chicken Tortilla Soup. A refreshing Ranch Water or Mexican Beer with lime goes great too!
If you like this recipe, try our Chicken Chorizo Skillet or our Mexican Beef Stew.
Recipe
Chicken Tortilla Soup
This cozy Chicken Tortilla Soup is savory, nutritious and delicious with a kick of heat. Who doesn't love crumbling tortilla chips and cheese over a hot bowl of Mexican chicken soup?
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 Zucchini, medium diced
- 1 Squash, medium diced
- 1 tsp. Chile Powder
- 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp. Paprika
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 3 gloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup Salsa
- 4 oz. can Diced Green Chiles
- 15 oz. can Corn, Drained
- 15 oz. can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
- 1 lb. Shredded Chicken
- 2 quarts Chicken Broth, 64 oz.
- Tortilla Chips or Torilla Strips
- Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
- Lime, Cilantro and Avocado for Garnish
Directions
- Step 1 In a large pot on medium heat, saute squash and zucchini in olive oil with spices for 4-5 minutes.
- Step 2 Add garlic, corn, black beans, green chiles and salsa and stir until combined. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to medium low and let simmer for 30 minutes or until squash and zucchini are tender and flavors have combined.
- Step 3 Add shredded chicken and simmer for a few minutes. Season to taste.
- Step 4 Top each bowl of soup with tortilla chips, cheese, diced avocado, cilantro and a side of lime wedges.
About the Author
Lauren is a classically trained, professional chef. A culinary school graduate, she has spent time working organic farms in the Italian countryside and was the pastry/sous chef at a high profile restaurant in Dallas prior to becoming a full-time personal chef. Her cooking style is often referred to as “rustic.” Being a personal chef, she is not bound by a single type of cuisine and has had the opportunity to experiment with hundreds of regional recipes from all over the world.
