Description
This Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup is a flavorful, comforting dish combining tender chicken, black beans, fresh vegetables, and a smoky, spicy broth. Crispy homemade corn tortilla strips add the perfect crunch topping, making it a perfect weeknight meal full of vibrant Mexican-inspired flavors.
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 spread them evenly on the tray. Sprinkle with 5 g kosher salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden and crisp, stirring once halfway through to ensure even baking.
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat 30 ml olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, green bell pepper, and jalapenos. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables soften. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Add the soup ingredients: Pour in the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and add the drained black beans and cooked chicken chunks. Season with chili powder, lime juice, ground cumin, salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
- Finish with fresh herbs: Stir in the finely minced fresh cilantro. Let the soup boil for 1 more minute, then remove the pot from heat.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top each serving with the crispy tortilla strips prepared earlier. Add optional toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, or guacamole if desired for extra creaminess and flavor.
Notes
- To keep tortilla strips crispy, bake them just before serving or store separately and add to soup right before eating.
- Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper and jalapenos to control soup spiciness.
- Use rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken breast to save time.
- Garnish with shredded cheese, avocado slices, fresh lime wedges, or sour cream for extra flavor.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth and omit chicken.
