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chicken tortilla soup recipe

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Steven Pennington
Authentic Chicken Tortilla Soup is a traditional Mexican dish that warms the soul with its rich broth, tender chicken, and the harmonious blend of spices and flavors. Topped with crispy tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and a squeeze of lime, it offers a vibrant, comforting experience that embodies the heart of Mexican cuisine.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican/American
Servings 8 bowls
Calories 160 kcal

Suggested Equipment

Ingredients
  

Cooking The Chicken

  • 1 whole Chicken (4 to 6 pounds) Shredded
  • 2 large Onions Chopped
  • 3 stocks Celery
  • Tomato Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Minced
  • 8 cups Water Use enough to just cover everything.
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Tortilla Soup Broth Base

  • 1 charred Onion Blender
  • 1 charred Red Bell Pepper Blender
  • 1 charred Orange Bell Pepper Blender
  • 1 charred Tomato Blender
  • charred Guajillo Pepper Blender
  • 1 charred Ancho Chili Pepper Blender
  • Chipotles Optional (to taste)
  • 1 Orange Bell Pepper Chopped cooked in the broth
  • 1 Poblano Pepper Chopped cooked in the broth
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper (chopped in the broth) Chopped cooked in the broth

Garnish / Serving

  • 1 ear Fresh Corn Canned works as well
  • Cilantro
  • Avocado Sliced & served on the side
  • Tortilla Strips / Crispy Corn Tortillas
  • Mexican Cheese Blend Or favorite cheese
  • Sour Cream
  • Green Onion Sliced for presentation

Instructions
 

  • Cooking The Chicken:
    Place 4 to 6 pounds whole chicken in to large pot. or use an Instant Pot/pressure cooker. Add 2 onions, 2 carrots, 3 celery stalks. Roughly chop all of the vegetables, and into the pot.
    Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 large tablespoon of tomato paste. The tomato paste adds great flavor and helps color the soup base.
    Stovetop Method:
    Cover all ingredients, plus the chicken with water, around 8 cups. Cook on medium for around an hour.
    Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker:
    Set to Soup/Broth setting, Timer 40 minutes, normal temperature. Make sure the release valve is in the sealing position.
    Cooking the chicken for the tortilla soup recipe.
  • After the timer goes off, release the pressure. Take the chicken out of the cooker to cool.
    Shred the chicken. Our chicken will be very moist and juicy and easy to shred.
    Shredding chicken for tortilla soup.
  • Preparing the Crispy Corn Tortilla Strips:
    Use 100% corn tortillas and slice them lengthwise, making even cuts for consistency and presentation.
    Oven Method:
    Place a small amount of oil on the cookie sheet to cover the tortilla strips lightly. Use less oil verse more. Bake for 10 minutes at 325.
    Stovetop Method:
    Shallow fry the sliced corn tortillas in heated oil until crispy. 
    Oven roasted crispy tortilla strip on cookie sheet.
  • Prepare the Soup Broth Base:
    Take orange or red bell pepper, onion, guajillo, and ancho peppers and char them in a pan; cast iron works best. This process will develop a great depth of flavor.
    Next, place the charred dried peppers in water and microwave for 3 minutes. The peppers will be very soft at this point. Add both the peppers and the hot liquid to the blender.
  • Place all charred ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.
  • Finishing The Tortilla Soup Base:
    Combine the liquid the chicken cooked in (chicken broth) and the soup base we made in the blender. Mix well together and add in the chopped peppers, fresh juice of one lime, 2 tablespoons of Cilantro
    Chopped peppers being added to the soup base..
  • Plating and Garnishing the Chicken Tortilla Soup:
    Add the soup base to a bowl, add the chicken next.
    There are many options to include in your soup:
    Options:
    Fresh corn
    Black beans
    Cilantro
    Mexican cheese blend
    Green onion (sliced)
    Lime
    Sliced avocado
    Add the crispy tortilla strips last to preserve the crunch factor.
Keyword chicken tortilla soup