This chicken tortilla soup brings tender chicken, tomatoes, beans, corn, and smoky spices together in a hearty bowl finished with crisp tortilla strips.

A really good chicken tortilla soup should make you hungry before your spoon even reaches your mouth! You want smoky tomato broth, juicy pieces of chicken, sweet corn, tender black beans, a little chile heat, plenty of fresh lime, and those salty, crisp tortilla strips scattered over top so every bite gets a little crunch.

This version delivers all of that in one pot, but it also has a few small cooking tricks that make it taste far more interesting than a simple dump-everything-in-and-boil situation!!

Ingredients

For Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 8 small corn tortillas, about 6 inches each, divided
• 1/3 cup avocado oil, canola oil, or another neutral high-heat oil, for frying
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium poblano pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 jalapeño, finely diced, seeds removed for milder soup or left in for more heat
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or regular dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 can, 28 ounces, fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can, 15 ounces, black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, no need to thaw
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more if needed
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For Serving

• Crispy tortilla strips from recipe
• Diced avocado
• Shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
• Fresh cilantro
• Thinly sliced jalapeño
• Sour cream
• Lime wedges
• Sliced green onions
• Crumbled queso fresco, optional

Serves: 6 generous portions

How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

Cut 6 corn tortillas into thin strips about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide, keeping remaining 2 tortillas aside for broth. Pour oil into a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot and heat over medium-high until oil looks loose and shimmering but is not smoking.

Drop in one tortilla strip first to test it. If small bubbles immediately gather around it, you are ready!

Fry strips in two or three batches rather than crowding pot, stirring and flipping them occasionally for about 60 to 90 seconds per batch until lightly golden and crisp.

Remember that tortillas continue to darken slightly after leaving oil, so do not wait until they look dark brown in pot. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt while still hot. Carefully pour excess oil from pot, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.

Pat chicken thighs very dry with paper towels because moisture works against browning, then season both sides with about 3/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper.

Return pot to medium-high heat and, once oil is hot again, lay chicken thighs in a single layer with a little breathing room between pieces. You should hear an immediate confident sizzle!

Leave chicken untouched for about 3 to 4 minutes until underside develops a golden brown crust, then flip and cook second side for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Chicken does not need to cook through yet. Transfer it to a clean plate and keep any juices that collect because those are going straight back into soup.

Lower heat to medium and add onion, poblano, jalapeño, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt to same pot. Stir vegetables through browned bits and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion looks translucent and peppers begin softening around edges.

If pot seems dry, add just a teaspoon of your reserved tortilla frying oil rather than pouring in a big splash.

As vegetables cook, scrape your wooden spoon along bottom of pot so those browned chicken bits loosen into mixture. That brown layer is flavor, as long as it is brown rather than black!

Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until you can smell it clearly. Do not wander away here because minced garlic has a remarkable talent for going from fragrant to burnt during whatever 45 seconds you decide to check your phone!

Add tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and minced chipotle, then stir continuously for about 60 to 90 seconds.

Tomato paste should darken slightly from bright red toward brick red, while spices become intensely fragrant. This quick cooking step makes a noticeable difference because spices bloom in warm oil rather than floating into broth tasting dusty or raw.

Pour in fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, scraping pot well as liquid hits bottom. Tear remaining 2 corn tortillas into rough one-inch pieces and add them directly to broth.

Bring everything to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tortilla pieces become very soft.

Use an immersion blender for about 5 or 6 short pulses directly in pot, moving it around slightly but stopping well before soup becomes completely smooth. What you want is a tomato broth with a little more body, not tomato baby food!

If you do not own an immersion blender, carefully transfer about 2 cups of soup, including some softened tortilla and vegetables, to a countertop blender, vent lid according to manufacturer instructions for hot liquids, blend briefly, then pour mixture back into pot.

Return browned chicken thighs and every drop of juice from plate to soup. Keep heat low enough that liquid maintains a gentle simmer rather than a violent boil, cover pot partially, and cook for about 15 to 18 minutes.

Start checking chicken around 15-minute mark. Thickest part should reach 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, and meat should feel tender when pierced.

Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 3 minutes while you add drained black beans and frozen corn to soup. Simmer beans and corn for about 4 to 5 minutes until completely hot.

Use two forks to shred chicken into bite-size pieces, but do not shred it into tiny threads. I like pieces large enough that you actually notice chicken in each spoonful rather than wondering where your pound and a half of meat disappeared!

Return shredded chicken to pot and stir gently. Turn off heat, then add 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste broth now before adding anything else. This is one of those little moments that separates good home cooking from blindly following measurements.

If tomato flavor seems slightly heavy, add another teaspoon or two of lime juice. If flavors taste muted, add another pinch of salt. If you want more smoke, stir in another small spoonful of adobo sauce.

If heat has gotten stronger than expected, do not add more chile just because recipe ingredient list looked exciting five minutes ago!

Let soup sit off heat for about 5 minutes before serving. This little rest allows shredded chicken to absorb broth again while temperatures settle enough that you can actually taste your dinner instead of simply confirming that yes, soup is hot!

Serving Suggestions

Serve chicken tortilla soup in wide bowls and add tortilla strips only at last second so they stay crisp.

My favorite combination is diced avocado, shredded Monterey Jack, fresh cilantro, thinly sliced jalapeño, a squeeze of lime, and a generous handful of tortilla strips right over center.

For a creamy contrast without changing soup itself, add a small spoonful of sour cream and let it slowly melt into hot broth as you eat. Queso fresco works beautifully too because its salty, milky flavor contrasts with smoky tomatoes and chipotle.

If you are feeding a group, turn toppings into a tortilla soup bar with separate bowls of avocado, cheese, cilantro, green onions, jalapeños, sour cream, lime wedges, queso fresco, and extra tortilla strips. Everyone gets exactly what they want, and nobody can accuse cook of improper avocado distribution!

For a fuller dinner, serve soup with warm cornbread, cheese quesadillas, a simple cabbage slaw with lime, or a crisp green salad. You really do not need a heavy side because chicken, black beans, corn, and tortillas already give each bowl plenty going on.

Best Toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup

My must-have topping is crispy tortilla strips, naturally, followed closely by avocado and fresh lime. Tortilla strips bring crunch, avocado softens smoky heat, and lime keeps every spoonful bright.

Shredded cheese is excellent when you want extra richness, while cilantro and green onions bring freshness. A spoonful of sour cream is especially good if you have increased chipotle or jalapeño.

Just do not bury soup under so many toppings that you need excavation equipment to find broth again! A few contrasting textures work better than piling everything in refrigerator onto one bowl.

This chicken tortilla soup is exactly what I want when I picture a bowl worth making from scratch: smoky fire-roasted tomato broth, tender chicken, creamy black beans, sweet corn, warm cumin and chile, fresh lime, and crisp homemade tortilla strips that crackle before soaking up just enough broth around their edges!

Hungry for more feel-good meals? Explore these 21 Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast Recipes for a nourishing start and 10 Anti-Inflammatory Dinner Recipes for delicious evenings that make healthy eating easy!