Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup is a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Filled with beans and slightly spicy peppers, this simple meal is full of great flavors.

We like to pile tortilla chips, cheese, and sometimes sliced avocadoes into our bowls most of the time, but I’m happy to say that this soup is always a hit both with or without all of the toppings.

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For a few more soup options to thrill anyone who loves Mexican food, check out White Chicken Chili, Green Chile Chicken Chowder, Carne en su Jugo, Chorizo Corn Chowder, and the Best Ever Green Chile Stew.’

Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

• boneless chicken breast or thighs
• yellow onion
• garlic cloves
• cilantro
• poblano pepper
• fire roasted diced tomatoes
• white or black beans
• chicken broth
• fresh lime juice

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

1. Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken, stir to coat and season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken, stirring or turning as needed, for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned on all sides. (The inside of the chicken should still be a little bit pink.)
2. Add the onion, garlic and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes until the onions turn clear.
3. Add the tomatoes, beans, chicken broth, cilantro and lime juice. Simmer for 30 minutes. Scoop into bowls and serve with the toppings of your choice. 

Canned or frozen green chile can be swapped for the fresh poblano pepper if poblanos are unavailable. Also, fresh lime juice makes an enormous difference in this recipe.

If you are unsure of the lime, feel free to serve the soup with lime wedges on the side, so that the amount can be adjusted for individual tastes. Personally, we like to add a very generous amount of lime to our soup.

For a shortcut recipe, cooked and chopped chicken can be swapped into the recipe. Just add it at the end of the cooking process to warm it for a few minutes.

{originally published 2/6/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/8/22}