Tortilla Soup

Soup is the perfect comfort food, and this chicken tortilla soup is no exception. It’s hearty, flavorful, and warming, perfect for a cold winter night. Plus, it’s easy to make and can be tailored to your taste. So if you’re looking for a new soup recipe, look no further than this easy tortilla soup!

Not only is this a fast and easy soup recipe its smoky tomato broth is so crave-able you’ll want to eat it again and again. Luckily it comes together in less than 30 minutes.

This delicious soup recipe is extremely flexible and makes excellent leftovers. It’s also a great freezer meal! My family loved it so much!

Tortilla soup is a tomato-based soup flavored with onion, garlic, serrano peppers, and smoky chipotle peppers. Then the smoky tomato broth is topped with crunchy tortilla strips, crumbled cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, fresh avocado, and a squeeze of lime.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

To make this easy tortilla soup recipe, you’ll need a few simple ingredients.

• Tomato sauce. I use canned San Marzano Roma tomatoes, but you can also use canned tomato sauce.
• Chicken broth. Opt for low-sodium chicken broth or ideally unsalted. I usually have homemade chicken stock in the fridge or freezer.
• Canned chipotle peppers
• Serrano pepper or jalapeños
• Onion
• Garlic
• Shredded chicken. I usually use leftover cooked skinless chicken breasts or shredded rotisserie chicken.
• Corn tortillas to make crunchy tortilla strips.

Topping Options

• Crunchy tortilla strips
• Cotija or queso fresca cheese
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges for squeezing
• Sour cream
• Avocado
• A fresh squeeze of lime juice

How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

This chicken tortilla soup recipe is the easiest soup to make.

1. Sauté the onion and peppers in the oil for 3 to 5 minutes—Mince one-half of the white onions, the garlic, and the serrano peppers. You can use a small food processor for this. Add a tablespoon of oil to a dutch oven or large soup pan. Set the heat to medium-high heat.
2. Make the broth. Add the tomatoes or tomato sauce to your pot along with the chicken broth and 3 to 4 of the canned chipotle peppers. I sometimes add more because I love these peppers’ spicy, smokey flavor.
3. Puree the soup. Use an immersion blender to puree everything so that it is smooth and the chipotle peppers are incorporated.
4. Add the shredded chicken.
5. Make the crispy tortilla strips. Either air fry or deep fry thin strips of corn tortillas.
6. Serve will all of your favorite toppings.

Crispy Tortilla Strips

My favorite way to make homemade tortilla strips is in an air fryer. They come out so light and crispy. But you can also fry them in a little bit of oil. Plan on one to two corn tortillas per soup serving. Slice them into thin strips and then cook them up until they are nice and crispy.

To Air Fry Tortilla strips

1. Spray the tortilla strips with olive oil spray and air fry at 375℉ for 4 minutes.

Deep-Fried Tortilla Strips

1. Heat about a quarter cup of oil in a small pan over medium heat.
2. Add a handful of tortilla strips to the oil and deep fry them until they are a light golden brown.
3. Remove the tortilla strips from the oil with a slotted spoon and set them on a paper towel to cool.

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a great recipe to make in your Instant pot, especially if you don’t already have leftover chicken. The pressure cooker is the easiest way to cook boneless chicken breasts quickly.

1. Set the pot to sauté and a tablespoon of oil. Sauté the onions, garlic, and peppers for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add 2 large chicken breasts (boneless or bone-in) and 4 cups of chicken broth to your instant pot.
3. Seal and set the pot to Manual pressure for 10 minutes. Natural release for 5 minutes, and then vent the pot.
4. Remove the chicken breasts and set them on a cutting board to cool while making the rest of the soup.
5. Add the tomatoes and the chipotle peppers to the broth. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
6. Set the pot again to sauté, and then bring it to a simmer. Meanwhile, shred the chicken and add it back to the pot.
7. Keep the soup warm while you are making the tortilla strips.

Tortilla Soup Tips

• Canned San Marzano tomatoes give this soup the best rich tomato flavor.
• An immersion blender makes it easy to puree this soup. If you don’t have one, add the soup to your blender in batches and puree until smooth.
• Thicken tortilla soup with a cornstarch slurry—1 tablespoon of cornstarch and two tablespoons of water.
• Make it creamy tortilla soup by adding some heavy cream.
• Other add-ins: black beans, corn, green chiles.
• Make a vegan tortilla soup by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth and adding hearty black beans for your protein.
• The best cheese for tortilla soup crumbled cotija or queso fresco is.
• Double the recipe and freeze half so that you have leftovers ready to go for another week.

How To Eat Tortilla Soup

Serve yourself a big bowl of soup and top with all of your favorite toppings.

Storing and Freezing Soup

Soup usually freezes beautifully. This soup recipe is an excellent example of a soup that is easy to freeze.

Tortilla soup will stay good in the fridge for up to a week. Do not mix in the tortillas or any of the other toppings. Store the toppings separately.

You can freeze tortilla soup in individual portions for up to 6 months.

What to Serve With Tortilla Soup

Whether you serve this soup as a starter or as a main dish there are plenty of recipes that go perfectly with tortilla soup.

More Cozy Soup Recipes

Soup is one of my favorite comfort food meals. It’s warm and cozy and full of healthy ingredients. You can’t go wrong with a hearty bowl of soup.