Chicken Tortilla Soup is a beautiful Mexican staple found in many restaurants and homes throughout Texas. Growing up this soup made frequent appearances especially when the chilly air set in! Friends and family would prepare Chicken Tortilla Soup for large gatherings and everyone had their own special take on it. The best thing about Chicken Tortilla Soup is its versatility. This version is about as easy and simple as they come and is the perfect weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs. I prefer to use All-Natural boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs from HEB. Another great option to cut down on time is using HEB Rotisserie chicken. *Please know that HEB is not a sponsor at this time. Being from Texas, HEB is my store of choice and that I just love that place!
- Chicken Bone Broth. Look for a bone broth that is low in sodium, additional salt will be added to this soup. When I don’t have home made broth in stock, I choose Central Market Organic and Pacific bone broths.
- Ancho Chile Powder. This is a staple and easy to find Mexican chile powder available at any grocery store.
- Tortilla Chips. When you have the time frying strips of corn tortillas adds an extra special touch to the soup! Since this is a quick and simple recipe meant for any night of the week bagged Tortilla Chips are the way to go. Our favorite tortilla chips to use in this soup are made by El Milagro and are called Totopos, which is translated to homemade tortilla chips! They are crunchy, thick and are perfect to crush a top this soup.
Instructions
Gather your ingredients and a large pot. I love using my dutch oven for any soup recipe!
Cut the chicken into bite size, 1/2 inch pieces. Heat your pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and cook the chicken until golden brown all over. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onion and garlic. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside in a medium size bowl. We will add the chicken back later.
Add additional olive oil at this time if needed, then the onion and garlic to cook, stirring frequently until golden and translucent for about 5 minutes. Next, add the tomatoes, stir together and cook until the vegetables have developed to a creamy consistency. At this time, add the ancho chile spice and black pepper, continue to stir for 2-3 minutes or until this mixture fills the kitchen with a delicious aroma!
Once the vegetables and spices are ready, add the bone broth, cilantro spring (if using) and generous teaspoon of salt, stir together and allow the soup to simmer on a medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Before serving return the chicken to the soup and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Prepare your meal! Ladle a heaping spoonful of soup to your bowls. Top with a handful of crushed tortilla chips, cheese, avocado and a squeeze of lime!
Our family hopes that you love this Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe! Please share your experience with this recipe and any adjustments you may have made. I’d love to hear them!
Classic Chicken Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- Large Pot or Dutch Oven
- Cutting Board
- Large Wooden Spoon/Large Spoon
- Knife
- Medium Size Bowl
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 1 Medium, diced White Onion The onion can also be thinly sliced. Your choice!
- 3 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 Large sprig of Cilantro Optional
- 15 oz Fire Roasted Tomatoes I like to puree my tomatoes prior to adding to create a creamier soup.
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Ancho Chile Powder
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- Salt
- 2 quarts Chicken Broth When buying store bought broth, I always recommended Low-Sodium! Another tip to assist the cooking process is to preheat the broth in the microwave or in a small saucepan prior to adding to the pot.
- 1 1/2 lbs Boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs To cut down on time, precooked HEB rotisserie chicken works great in this soup!
- 1 Avocado cubed
- 1 1/2 cups Shredded Mexican Cheese
- 3-4 cups Crushed Tortilla Chips
- 1 Lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat the pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once heated add the thighs and brown all over until fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the pot and place in a bowl.
- While your chicken is cooking, prep the onion and garlic. Add additional olive oil if needed and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Next add in the tomatoes, allow the onion, garlic and tomatoes to cook down over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the Ancho Chile powder and black pepper to the vegetables, stir to combine and allow the flavors to develop for about 2 minutes. Continue to stir! Your want the vegetables and spices to thicken into a creamy consistency.
- Next add the broth and stir to combine. At this time, you may also add the sprig of cilantro! Bring the soup to a simmer and allow to cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
- Return the chicken thighs back to the soup and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Prepare your bowl! Grab your ladle and give each person a generous serving. Add a handful of crushed tortilla chips, cheese and avocado to top it off!
Nutrition
