Description
This Chicken Tortilla Soup is a flavorful and hearty Mexican-inspired recipe perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner. Loaded with tender shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and a blend of spices, it delivers a savory, comforting bowl topped with crispy tortilla strips and fresh avocado. The soup is gluten-free and easy to make on the stovetop, taking just 30 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
Toppings
- Crispy tortilla strips
- Diced avocado
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Then stir in the minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for another 1–2 minutes until the mixture is fragrant and well combined.
- Add liquids and main ingredients: Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth and the can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. Stir in the drained black beans, frozen corn, and the shredded cooked chicken. Mix everything together to combine evenly.
- Simmer to develop flavors: Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 10–15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together beautifully.
- Finish with fresh ingredients: Stir in the chopped fresh cilantro and squeeze the juice of one lime into the soup just before serving to brighten the flavors.
- Serve with toppings: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with crispy tortilla strips, diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, extra chopped cilantro, and lime wedges as desired. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- For a spicier version, add a diced jalapeño with the onions or increase the chili powder amount.
- Rotisserie chicken works great to save time on cooking and shredding chicken.
- You can customize toppings to preference including adding sliced jalapeños, radishes, or a drizzle of hot sauce.
- Use gluten-free tortilla strips to keep the recipe completely gluten-free.
