Description
This Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup is a flavorful and comforting dish featuring a spicy tomato and chicken broth base, tender chunks of cooked chicken, black beans, and crispy baked corn tortilla strips. It’s perfect for a cozy meal, combining a rich blend of spices and fresh ingredients, topped with crunchy tortilla strips and optional garnishes like cheese, sour cream, or guacamole.
Ingredients
Scale
Tortilla Strips
- 8 small corn tortillas, sliced into 6 mm wide strips
- 15 ml olive oil (for tortilla strips)
- 5 g kosher salt (for tortilla strips)
Soup Base
- 30 ml olive oil (for soup base)
- 2 jalapenos, finely diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 10 g minced garlic
- 950 ml chicken broth
- 800 g crushed tomatoes
- 2 cans (425 g each) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 300 g cooked chicken breast, cut into chunks
- 8 g chili powder
- 15 ml lime juice
- 4 g ground cumin
- 10 g salt
- 2 g ground black pepper
- 2 g smoked paprika
- 0.5 g cayenne pepper
- 10 g fresh cilantro, finely minced
Instructions
- Prepare the tortilla strips: Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a baking tray with foil. Toss the corn tortilla strips with 15 ml olive oil and sprinkle with 5 g kosher salt. Spread them evenly on the lined tray and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden and crisp, stirring once halfway through baking to ensure even crispiness.
- Sauté the aromatics: In a large Dutch oven, heat 30 ml olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the finely diced onion, green bell pepper, and jalapenos. Cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables soften. Then stir in the minced garlic and sauté for another minute to bring out its fragrance.
- Add liquids and seasonings: Pour in the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Add the drained black beans, cooked chicken chunks, chili powder, lime juice, ground cumin, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Stir well to combine all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Simmer the soup: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the soup to heat through completely.
- Finish and serve: Stir in the finely minced fresh cilantro and let the soup boil for 1 more minute. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the crispy tortilla strips. Optionally, add garnishes such as shredded cheese, sour cream, or guacamole for extra richness and flavor.
Notes
- For extra heat, add more jalapenos or a pinch of extra cayenne pepper.
- Use gluten-free corn tortillas to make this soup gluten-free.
- If preferred, substitute cooked rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Leftover soup stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, warm gently on the stovetop or in a microwave.
