Why is this the Best Chicken Tortilla Soup? It all comes down to the little details. The first is the homemade tortilla chips, baked until golden and crispy, the perfect crouton for a great soup. Then there’s the broth; every sip unveils new layers to it — sweet lime, spicy chili, savory chicken, and smoky seasonings. The juicy chicken, bright tomatoes, the summery corn, all of it melds together to make a soup as comforting as chicken noodle, but as electric as Taco Tuesday! That’s the magic of this Best Chicken Tortilla Soup… and where it got its name!
Ingredients
For the tortilla strips:
- 10 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
- 1 large jalapeño pepper, diced very small, seeded (if desired)
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1 1/2 cups corn
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 cup water, optional
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced
Optional, for serving:
- avocado, to taste, diced
- cheese, to taste, of your choice, shredded
- sour cream, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line a 15×10-inch baking sheet with foil.
Step 3 –Loosely scatter the tortilla strips over the baking sheet.
Step 4 –Drizzle the tortilla strips with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season them with 1 teaspoon of the salt, tossing everything to coat evenly.
Step 5 –Bake until crisp and lightly golden-brown, about 15-18 minutes.
Step 6 –In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat, heat the remaining olive oil.
Step 7 –Add the onion and the jalapeño to the hot oil and cook, stirring intermittently, until the veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Step 8 –Add the garlic and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 9 –Add the chicken broth, the tomatoes and their juices, the black beans, the chicken, the corn, the lime juice, the chili powder, the cumin, 2 teaspoons of the salt, 1 teaspoon of the pepper, the smoked paprika, and the cayenne pepper and bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 10 –Allow the soup mixture to boil gently until the flavors have melded together, about 5-7 minutes. Add the water if the soup seems to be too thick or if you prefer a soup with more broth.
Step 11 –Add the cilantro to the soup and boil until the flavors meld together, about 1 minute.
Step 12 –Taste the soup and add the extra salt and the extra pepper as needed.
Step 13 –Evenly ladle the soup into bowls.
Step 14 –Serve the soup with the tortilla strips, the avocado, the cheese, and the sour cream.
