The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Chicken Tortilla Soup that is restaurant delicious (or better!), accidentally healthy, easy to double/triple for a crowd, freezer friendly and tastes like it's been simmering for hours but on your table in 30 Minutes! This Chicken Tortilla Soup is almost dump and run for the ideal easy weeknight dinner or fabulous for crowds. It's warm and comforting, hearty, savory, filling, and healthy, requires minimal effort (seriously one of the easiest soups you will ever make) and is destined to become a new family favorite!

📝 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (pounded to an even thickness)
• 1 medium onion, (chopped)
• 1 poblano pepper, (chopped*)
• 1 red bell pepper, (chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves, (minced)
• 2 tsp EACH chili pwdr, ground cumin, chicken bouillon pwdr*
• 1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies
• 2 15 oz. cans fire-roasted tomatoes ((not drained))
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, (rinsed and drained)
• 1 15 oz. can sweet corn, (rinsed and drained)
• 1 10 oz. can mild enchilada sauce
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/3 chopped cilantro
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• salt
• fresh cilantro
• sour cream
• avocado
• lime
• hot sauce

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Stovetop ---
2. 2Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (for tortilla strips).
3. 3Melt olive oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven/soup pot. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and poblano peppers and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
4. 4Add all remaining Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients (except ADD LATER). Cover soup and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer over medium-low (or low if your stove runs hot). Simmer 20-25 minutes OR just until chicken is tender enough to shred. Remove chicken and let rest 5 minutes then shred.
5. 5Add chicken back to pot along with lime juice and cilantro. Taste and season with additional salt/lime juice/cayenne to taste. Stir in additional chicken broth if you would like a less chunky soup.
6. 6Top individual servings with desired amount of tortilla strips and garnishes.
7. 7--- Tortilla Strips ---
8. 8Cut tortillas into 1/2-inch strips. (I stack them all together and use my pizza cutter.)
9. 9Light spray a large baking sheet/jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Add tortilla strips and toss with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Arrange strips in a single layer and lightly season with freshly cracked salt. Bake at 425 degrees F for 12-16 minutes or until light golden brown.
10. 10--- Slow Cooker ---
11. 11Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
12. 12Add chicken, followed by all remaining soup ingredients except cilantro, lime juice and tortilla strips. Give the top ingredients a stir to combine
13. 13Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until chicken is tender enough to shred.
14. 14Remove chicken to a cutting board, shred chicken and return chicken to slow cooker along with cilantro and lime juice and cook on LOW for 10 minutes so the chicken can soak up more flavor.
15. 15Stir in additional chicken broth for a less chunky soup if desired and season with salt/pepper/hot sauce to taste.
16. 16Top individual servings with desired garnishes.