Description
This Easy Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup is a flavorful and comforting dish that combines tender shredded chicken, fresh vegetables, and a blend of aromatic spices in a rich tomato and chicken broth base. Perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal, it features classic Mexican ingredients like cumin, coriander, jalapeño, and cilantro, finished with crunchy tortilla strips and customizable toppings like avocado, cheese, and sour cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 4 carrots, thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 large (or 3 small) chicken breast halves, bone-in, skin-on
- 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) chicken broth
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 4 corn tortillas, thinly sliced into strips
Toppings
- Chopped avocado
- Tortilla chips
- Shredded cheese (e.g., cheddar or Monterey Jack)
- Lime wedges
- Sour cream
- Additional fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapeño
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Add Aromatics and Spices: Stir in the chopped garlic, jalapeño, ground cumin, and ground coriander. Cook for another 2 minutes to release their flavors, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add Chicken and Liquids: Place the chicken breasts into the pot. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes over the chicken so it is fully submerged. If necessary, add a bit of water to cover the chicken completely. Stir in the chopped cilantro and sliced corn tortillas.
- Simmer Soup: Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover loosely and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and place on a cutting board. Allow to cool slightly until safe to handle. Discard skin and bones, then shred the meat finely with two forks or a stand mixer.
- Combine and Reheat: Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Warm the soup over low heat until heated through, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls. Offer a variety of toppings such as chopped avocado, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, lime wedges, sour cream, extra cilantro, and sliced jalapeño so each person can customize their bowl to taste.
Notes
- For less heat, remove the seeds from the jalapeño before adding.
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts as a substitute, but bone-in adds more flavor to the broth.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Adjust the thickness of the soup by adding more broth or water if it becomes too thick from the tortillas.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead; add extra beans or veggies for protein.
