Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Soup! Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup to be exact. Are you a fan? The answer is yes, right? For the three or four of you out there that said no, I ask you to give this recipe at least one try. Really, just one try and you may be hooked.

First, this recipe is SO easy. I am not claiming it to be the next best thing to chocolate and wine, but it’s rich in flavor and so easy. Yes, I repeated myself on purpose there. Get the idea that it’s very easy recipe?

Let’s be honest. Sometimes the most important feature of a meal is it’s ease or convenience. I almost always have a box of tomatoes in my cupboard along with some onion, celery, and garlic. Throw in some spices and corn tortillas and you have yourself an easy version of a classic favorite.

Another great feature of this soup is that you can truly make it your own. My mom doesn’t like chicken or much meat for the matter so she tends to prefer it meatless. Or maybe you like meat, but you are having this along with other items so you want it to be a bit lighter. No problemo! Leave out the meat and the soup will still be satisfying though you can’t call it Chicken Tortilla Soup anymore. 😉

Are you really hungry and looking for a fully loaded version? Then, heck ya, go for it! Load it up with chicken and all the fixings. You can treat it like a taco bar making it a DIY kind of meal. Your family or friends can select whatever toppings they prefer to add to their soup.

I included some suggestions in the recipe below, but here they are as well. Also, this list is not complete. You can pretty much add whatever sounds good to you and your tummy.

Additional Toppings for soup:

• Toasted tortilla strips
• Avocado (a must!)
• Green onions
• Fried onions
• Olives
• Jalapenos
• Sour cream
• Black beans
• Roasted tomatillos
• Cheese (of course!)

As you can see, this is a soup and a meal that you can have fun with. My sons think it is so fun to “decorate” their soup. Sometimes this actually convinces them to eat rather than squirm in their seats until I let them leave the table and return to playing. Sometimes, though, only sometimes. Why are kids so picky?

Also, you don’t have to use fresh chicken. This easy chicken tortilla soup is a great way to use leftover chicken breast, chicken thigh, or rotisserie chicken.

You will notice in the pictures that I used blue corn tortillas. That is also another thing that doesn’t matter. You can use whatever tortillas you have on hand. They really should be corn though. Wheat or any other grain tortilla will not impart the same corn flavor into the soup.

Taking a recipe and making it your own is when cooking really gets fun. Let your creativity come out. Trust me. The kitchen is a really fun place and then you get to show off your hard work (shh, sometimes it is easy work) when you bring everyone together at the table. Enjoy this and all your meals!

Have I convinced you to make a pot of this soup tonight? I hope so and, if not tonight, then one night soon. Can you think of even more toppings to jazz the soup up a bit? If you do, please comment below and let me know what you did to make it your own.

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5 from 1 vote

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

With the addition of some spices and some corn tortillas, you can turn your comforting tomato soup into a zesty chicken tortilla soup. This recipe is a great way to use leftover chicken and can be dressed up with toppings such as spring onions, tortilla chips, and irresistible avocado.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 bowls

Calories: 128kcal

Author: Ashley

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 1 carrot chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder or ancho chili powder
• 1 ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne optional
• 4 corn tortillas
• 1 box chopped tomatoes and juices 26 oz.
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded
• Lime juice and zest
• Additional toppings: avocado spring onions or green onions, sour cream, black beans

Instructions

Tortilla strips for topping

• Preheat oven to 400 F. Brush two tortillas with olive oil and season with salt. Cut into 1-2” long strips. Spread out on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until crispy. About 15 minutes. Stir strips about half way through cooking time.

Tortilla soup

• In large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté onions in olive oil. Once onions start to get tender, stir in celery, carrot, and garlic.
• Once vegetables are tender, add in spices and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Add in tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.
• While soup is simmering, prepare remaining two corn tortillas. Coarsely chop tortillas. Add into soup and let simmer for extra couple minutes.
• Remove soup from heat and using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend soup.
• If soup is too thick, add some extra chicken broth. Stir in the 2 cups of chicken and let simmer over low heat until warmed through.
• Remove from heat. Stir in a dash of lime juice and lime zest. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips and any extra toppings you desire.

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