Description
This hearty and flavorful Chicken Tortilla Soup combines tender shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and tomatoes with a zesty blend of spices. Simmered to perfection and finished with fresh lime juice and cilantro, it’s served with crispy tortilla strips and optional toppings like avocado, shredded cheese, and sour cream for a deliciously comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, canned, or frozen)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie works great!)
Garnishes and Toppings
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Crispy tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
- Sliced avocado
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Extra cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook until they become soft and translucent. Stir in minced garlic along with ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute to release the spices’ aroma.
- Add base ingredients: Stir in the canned diced tomatoes, drained black beans, corn kernels, and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer with chicken: Add the shredded cooked chicken to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
- Finish soup: Stir in fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper as preferred.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crispy tortilla strips or crushed chips. Add additional garnishes like sliced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, extra cilantro, and lime wedges as desired.
Notes
- For extra protein, use homemade shredded chicken or a rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- Adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing the chili powder.
- To make the soup gluten-free, ensure tortilla strips or chips are certified gluten-free.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- This soup can be made vegetarian by omitting chicken and using vegetable broth instead.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Mexican soup, tortilla strips, black beans soup, chicken soup, easy dinner
