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chicken tortilla soup in white bowl with spoon garnished with lime
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Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

30-minute Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe made with shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn. It's garnished with homemade tortilla strips, lime, and cilantro for classic Mexican tortilla soup flavors! 
Course entree, Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 1-cup servings
Calories 198kcal
Author Traci The Kitchen Girl

Ingredients

Soup Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil or any cooking oil
  • 2 cloves Garlic finely grated
  • ½ large Onion diced
  • ½ large Red Bell Pepper diced
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 (15 oz can) Diced Tomatoes keep juice
  • 1 (15 oz can) Black Beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup Sweet Corn frozen, canned, or fresh
  • ½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 cup Cooked Shredded Chicken
  • 1 bunch Cilantro chopped for garnish
  • 1 Lime sliced into wedges for garnish

For the cornmeal thickener:

  • 2 tablespoons Corn Meal
  • 2 tablespoons Water

For homemade tortilla strips

  • 4 Corn Tortillas sliced into thin strips
  • 1 tablespoon Canola Oil
  • ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions

For the Chicken Tortilla Soup:

  • In a 4 or 5 quart soup pot, heat OLIVE OIL; add GARLIC, ONION, and BELL PEPPER; sauté until tender.
  • Add CHICKEN BROTH, TOMATOES (with juice), BLACK BEANS, CORN, RED CHILI FLAKES, CUMIN, SALT, and PEPPER; stir to combine; increase heat to med-high and bring it to a gentle boil for a few minutes.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer (about 15 minutes); add cooked CHICKEN in the last 5 minutes.

For the Pioneer Woman tortilla soup-thickening trick:

  • In a small bowl, combine the CORNMEAL and WATER to form a paste. Work the lumps out with a fork; add this paste to the soup; stir to combine.

Bake the homemade tortilla strips (while the soup simmers)

  • In a mixing bowl, combine TORTILLA STRIPS, CANOLA OIL, CHILI POWDER, and SALT; work the oil and seasonings into the strips with your hand; scatter on a baking sheet.
  • Insert into oven and bake for about 8-12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
  • Remove from oven; remove strips from baking sheet onto a plate or bowl; set aside to cool.

To serve Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • Ladle warm soup into bowls, top with cilantro, lime, and baked tortilla strips. Add cheese if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 900mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 678IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg