Chicken Tortilla Soup is a satisfying, comforting, and stick to your ribs soup that is perfect for any time of year. You’ll love this complex broth full of rich flavor topped with crisp tortilla strips!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tortilla soup is one of those recipes that just warms you from the inside out. It starts with a rich broth, full of well developed and complex flavor. It’s topped off with crispy crunchy tortilla strips, a cool hit of sour cream, rich avocado slices, and melty shredded cheddar cheese.

If you’ve never enjoyed tortilla soup, especially one that’s homemade, then you are in for a treat! This is one of my absolute favorite soups ever and I’m excited to share it with you all today.

What Is Tortilla Soup?

Tortilla soup is a traditionally Mexican dish, loaded with a tasty tomato and garlic broth. Traditional recipes use chile de arbol also known as birds beak chile but I find it a bit difficult to find up here in Canada so I find my recipe works just fine with jalapeno. The magic of this dish is all the amazing garnishes that go on top, it really sets the whole dish off!

overhead shot of ingredients needed for Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients In Chicken Tortilla Soup

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Soup

Veggies – Jalapeno pepper, onion, corn, crushed tomatoes, and black beans.
Garlic – I use fresh in this recipe but if jarred is all you have on hand just keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons equals 1 fresh clove.
Spices – Cumin and chili powder.
Broth – Low sodium or no sodium added chicken broth as we want to control the sodium content of our dish.
Chicken – Cooked chicken that has been shredded will be added to our tortilla soup.
Lime – The juice from one lime, believe me you want to use fresh. You can also substitute this for lemon juice if that’s what you have on hand.
Olive oil – We want a neutral tasting oil to saute some of our veggies in.

Tortilla strips

Tortillas – We’re using medium sized corn tortillas today. If you prefer flour tortillas feel free to use those instead.
Olive oil – We want a neutral oil to fry up the tortilla in to crisp them up.
Salt – To taste

Garnish

Cilantro – Chopped up roughly.
Avocado – Sliced up to be spread over top. We’re looking for very ripe avocados today.
Cheese – Cheddar cheese, or anything that melts down well with a mild flavor, shredded on top.
Sour cream – Just a dollop per bowl, it’ll add a creamy component to our soup.

How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Fry the tortilla strips: Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add tortilla strips and fry. You may have to do this in batches so transfer them to a paper towel lined plate and season with salt when each batch is done.
Saute the sauteables: In a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Once hot add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic and cook till the onion is softened, about 3 minutes.
Combine the soup: Add the remaining soup ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro. Spoon the soup into bowls and serve topped with tortilla strips and the rest of the garnish ingredients.

How Else Can I Make Tortilla Soup?

Slow cooker

Combine soup: Add all the soup ingredients in your slow cooker and give it a good stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 – 8 hours or HIGH for 3 – 4 hours. Crisp up the tortilla strips as instructed above and serve in bowls topped with cilantro and the additional garnish ingredients.

Pressure cooker

Saute the sauteables: Turn the pressure cooker to the saute setting on high and combine olive oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeno as described in the original recipe instructions.
Combine the soup: Add chicken and remaining soup ingredients and stir before placing the lid on and allowing to lock securely according to manufacturer instructions.
Finish the soup: Set the cooker to the soup setting and cook for 4 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally and add cilantro to the pot. Serve hot garnished with the additional garnish ingredients.

Bake the tortilla strips

If you’d like to bake the strips rather than fry them in the oil, here are directions to do just that:

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Toss the cut tortilla strips with olive oil and salt on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

What Else Can I Put In My Tortilla Soup?

Spices

If you’d like to use up some of the spices in your spice rack, feel free to add these:

Coriander
Paprika
Cayenne

Veggies

Canned roasted fire tomatoes
4 fresh roma tomatoes, roasted on a skillet till slightly blackened. Add this to a blender with your chicken broth and blend till smooth before incorporating.
Dried New Mexico chiles that have been deseeded and destemmed and roast them in a skillet then add to a blender with the crushed tomatoes and blend till smooth.

What Can I Serve My Chicken Tortilla Soup With?

Believe me this soup is totally filling and satisfying all on its own. If you’d like to bring some other dishes to your weeknight meal that pair well with this dish then here are some suggestions!

Can I Make Tortilla Soup Ahead Of Time?

You sure can! This soup stores well in either the fridge or freezer.

Fridge

This recipe will last for 3 – 4 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. Be sure to let it cool fully in a shallow container before placing it in the fridge. The tortilla strips can be placed in a bag with the air pushed out and stored for up to 3 days in the cupboard.

Freezer

Chicken Tortilla Soup will freeze for 4 – 6 months if stored in an airtight container and allowed to cool fully before placed in the freezer. Place it near the back of the freezer where the temperature is the most consistent. When ready to eat just allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove and prepare all the garnishes when ready to eat.