Soups & Stews Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Chicken Tortilla Soup
A vibrant Mexican-inspired soup of shredded chicken in a spiced tomato broth, topped with crispy tortilla strips.
No common allergens detected
Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.
Good to know
- Crispy
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- 2
Stir in the garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 3
Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, bring to a simmer, then add the whole chicken breasts and poach for 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through.
- 4
Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, then return it to the pot along with the black beans, corn, and salt and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 5
Meanwhile, fry or bake the tortilla strips until crisp and golden.
- 6
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, diced avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
62/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving350
Calories
41 g
Protein
14 g
Carbs
15 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
This chicken tortilla soup builds its base by sauteing onion, garlic, and jalapeno directly in oil rather than starting from a roasted, blended chile puree, a quicker route that still leans on blooming ground cumin in the fat for flavor.
Listahan note
This version blooms the cumin in the hot oil alongside the sauteed aromatics, and seeds the jalapeno to control heat directly, rather than guessing at the pepper's strength.
Technique cues
- Sauteing the onion, garlic, and jalapeno together until softened builds a base layer of flavor that a soup built straight from broth and canned tomatoes skips entirely.
- Ground cumin bloomed briefly in the hot oil with the aromatics, rather than stirred straight into the broth, releases more of its flavor than it would added to an already-liquid soup.
- Seeding the jalapeno controls the soup's heat level directly, since most of a jalapeno's sharpness lives in the seeds and the white pith rather than the flesh itself.
- Shredding cooked chicken into the soup rather than leaving it in whole pieces lets each spoonful get some chicken instead of concentrating it in a few bites.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Prep any side dishes while Chicken Tortilla Soup finishes with the boneless skinless chicken breasts — the hands-off cook time is the window to use. Plan around the bake; that's the slow part.
- Make-ahead
- Chicken Tortilla Soup reheats well, so cooking it a day ahead and finishing it just before serving is a reasonable way to spread out the work. This one leans on the boneless skinless chicken breasts. The bake step is what sets the pace here.
- Leftover move
- Leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup reheats well covered on the stove or in the oven with a splash of liquid; avoid the microwave, which tends to toughen the chicken broth on a fast reheat. This one leans on the boneless skinless chicken breasts. Plan around the bake; that's the slow part.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Deglaze the pan used for Chicken Tortilla Soup with a splash of water or broth right after cooking — it lifts the browned bits before they dry on and saves scrubbing later. This one leans on the boneless skinless chicken breasts. Everything else is quick — the bake is the one step that takes real time.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Richness and texture
Purpose: tablespoons vegetable oil rounds the texture and helps the dish feel complete.
Handling: Wash, trim, and cut evenly so the pieces cook at the same pace.
Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.
1 medium onion, diced
Aromatic base
Purpose: medium onion, diced creates the savory foundation before stronger ingredients are added.
Handling: Wash, trim, and cut evenly so the pieces cook at the same pace.
Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.
3 cloves garlic, minced
Aromatic base
Purpose: cloves garlic, minced creates the savory foundation before stronger ingredients are added.
Handling: Wash, trim, and cut evenly so the pieces cook at the same pace.
Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Flavor support
Purpose: jalapeno, seeded and minced supports the balance of Chicken Tortilla Soup and should taste integrated.
Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.
Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Seasoning backbone
Purpose: teaspoon ground cumin gives the dish its recognizable flavor direction.
Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.
Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.
Technique notes
- Top bowls with crushed tortilla chips at serving rather than simmering them in the pot, so they add crunch instead of dissolving into the broth.
- Set out lime wedges, avocado, and shredded cheese on the side, so the soup can be adjusted to taste at the table.
- Leftover soup thickens somewhat overnight, thin it with a splash of broth when reheating rather than serving it as is.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Swap in a certified gluten-free 1:1 flour blend or gluten-free noodles/breadcrumbs wherever the recipe calls for a wheat product, and read packaged-item labels closely. This one leans on the boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use a low-sodium or no-salt-added version of the chicken broth, then season to taste with fresh herbs, citrus, or vinegar at the end instead of more salt. This one leans on the boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Weeknight shortcut
- For a faster version, prep the longest-cooking component a day ahead so the night-of cook is mostly assembly and finishing. This one leans on the boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Serve alongside
- Steamed rice
- Cucumber salad
- Roasted vegetables
- Pickled vegetables
- Iced tea
- Sparkling water with citrus
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat gently with a splash of water, broth, milk, or sauce as appropriate.
- Freeze up to 2 months when the texture is braised, baked, or stew-like.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or soup pot
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Make this household-aware
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