This chunky chicken tortilla soup recipe is filled with shredded chicken, corn, beans, and other delicious ingredients that are simmered in a tomato base. Top the soup generously with homemade tortilla chips, cilantro, avocado, lime, and/or a dollop of sour cream to take it from good to great. This Southwestern flavored soup which is the perfect cozy weeknight dinner.
Mix a warm rich broth with just a bit of spice with loads of texture from chicken, corn, and beans. Then top that with all of your favorite toppings and you have a restaurant worthy chicken tortilla soup that you can easily make at home.
Table of Contents
About This Soup
A pot of flavorful soup is perfect for so many occasions. After all a good bowl of soup is fabulous for lunch, great as a starter, or have two bowls and make a whole dinner of it!
Of course it is fabulous as an accompaniment to a quesadilla or taco as well. The possibilities are nearly endless.
This chunky tortilla soup is filling enough to be a meal on its own. Or use that quesadilla to dunk into the soup if you want.
Either way, this recipe is full of flavor. And it is sure to warm you up on a cold day.
How to Store Leftover Tortilla Soup?
Soup stores well, so it is a wonderful option for meal prepping. Make a big batch on the weekend and enjoy the leftovers throughout the week as an easy lunch.
Or make a double batch now and freeze extra portions for quick and easy meals later. You can have a tasty meal with no effort whenever you would like.
Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. Or freeze the leftovers for up to six months.
Extra tortilla strips can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Though tortilla strips are best made fresh, so ideally just make what you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I used leftover chicken in this tortilla soup?
Yes, you can use leftover cooked chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken. Smoked or grilled chicken could add an extra smoky layer of flavor to the soup.
If using precooked chicken just bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil, then drop to a simmer. Add the chopped chicken to the simmering broth to heat through then enjoy when you are ready.
What can I use instead of jalapenos?
If you can’t find fresh jalapeno, you can use pickled jalapeno. Either are great with this tortilla soup recipe. Or try using a can of chopped green chilies instead of jalapeno for a milder flavor.
How do I adjust how spicy the soup is?
If you like it spicy add more chili powder or some extra jalapenos. If you don’t want it spicy, skip the jalapenos and chili powder.
What kind of beans and corn should I use?
You can cook your own beans and corn but you save so much time by using canned beans and corn. Simply drain and rinse before adding to the soup.
Frozen corn is another great option. It tastes fresh with a fraction of the work.
We like using black beans in this recipe. However, white beans would be tasty as well.
You can use a can of navy beans or cannellini beans if that is what you have on hand. You could even use a can of chickpeas if that is what is in your pantry.
How do I keep the avocado garnish from browning?
Cut your avocado right before serving to prevent browning. If you need to cut it ahead of time, toss it in a little bit of lime juice to slow down the oxidation process.
More Easy Soup Recipes
Yummy taco soup is loaded with flavor and pasta! It’s made quick and easy in the instant pot.
Creamy white chicken chili is a perfect cold weather meal. The creamy texture makes it much different than this recipe, but chances are if you like one you will like them both.
Crock Pot creamy buffalo chicken chili is another great recipe. It is really easy to make and is perfect for game day.
Chili mac soup has the perfect combination of pasta, beef, tomatoes and chili beans for a hearty meal. It has beef and beans and plenty of macaroni noodles too!
Apple ale pumpkin chili is loaded with fall flavors. It is perfect for game day or for warming you when it’s chilly outside.
Or check out all of these other great soup, chowder, and chili recipes!
If you tried this recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments. Hungry for more? Be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Chunky Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 20 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 15 ounce can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn drained and rinsed
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Crispy Tortilla Strips
- 6 corn tortillas or any tortilla
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- pinch Salt
Instructions
Tortilla Strips
- Cut your tortillas into thin strips and add them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Bake at 350ºF for 5-7 minutes until nice and crispy. Set aside.6 corn tortillas, 1 Tablespoon Olive oil, pinch Salt
Chunky Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Meanwhile, preheat a large pot with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Sauté until vegetables soften.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 jalapeno pepper
- Add the whole chicken breasts, beans, corn, ground cumin, chilli powder, crushed tomatoes, cilantro, and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes.1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 pound chicken breast, 20 ounces canned crushed tomatoes, 4 cups chicken broth, 15 ounce can of black beans, 1 cup corn, ½ cup cilantro
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it using 2 forks. Add the shredded chicken back to the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes or so then add the fresh lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.1 lime
- Serve the soup warm with the tortilla strips, pieces of avocado, fresh cilantro, lime wedges and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!
Notes
- 1 avocado, diced
- Squeeze of lime
- Cilantro
- A splash of hot sauce to personalize heat level
- Sour cream
- If you can’t find fresh jalapeno, you can use pickled jalapeno.
- You can use leftover rotisserie chicken to make the soup. Just add the shredded chicken to the pot in step 4.
- If you like it spicy add more chili powder or some extra jalapenos. If you don’t want it spicy, skip the jalapenos and chili powder.
- You can cook your own beans and corn but you save so much time by using canned beans and corn. Simply drain and rinse before adding to the soup.
- Cut your avocado right before serving to prevent browning.