January is soup month in the Whitaker house. Jake’s back out on rotation, the holidays have officially ended, and we all need something warm that tastes like we’re being taken care of. Chicken tortilla soup is the one that shows up most often because it’s fast, it’s warming, and every single person in this family will eat it without complaint—which, if you have three kids, you know is basically a miracle.
Clara asked me to make it last Wednesday. She came home from school looking absolutely defeated—one of those days where nothing went right, lunch got forgotten, and she’d been rained on walking to the car. She didn’t even say hello. She just dropped her backpack by the door and said, “Can we have the tortilla soup?”
There’s something almost medicinal about this soup. The warmth, the spice that’s just enough to make your eyes water a little, the way the tortilla strips get crispy and then soften in the broth. It’s comfort in a bowl, and it costs about $8 to feed all five of us.
I use rotisserie chicken to keep things simple, which means I can have this on the table in under 30 minutes on even the busiest weeknights. It’s not fancy, but it’s the kind of food that makes a bad day feel a little smaller.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
Start with the aromatics. Dice an onion, a couple cloves of garlic, and a jalapeño (remove the seeds if your family doesn’t like much heat). Sauté them in a drizzle of olive oil in a big pot until the onion is soft and translucent—about 5 minutes. The smell alone will start making you feel better.
Add the tomatoes, broth, and spices. A can of diced tomatoes (fire-roasted if you can find them), chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, a pinch of oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir it all together and bring to a simmer. This base comes together in minutes but tastes like it’s been on the stove for hours.
Add the chicken and let it simmer. Shred a rotisserie chicken (or use leftover chicken—anything works) and stir it in. Add a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and some frozen corn. Let everything simmer together for about 15 minutes so the flavors meld.
Serve with all the toppings. This is the best part. Ladle the soup into bowls and let everyone pile on their favorites: crispy tortilla strips, shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, diced avocado, a squeeze of lime, and fresh cilantro if you’re not one of those people who thinks it tastes like soap. Mason puts cheese on everything. Clara likes hers with extra lime. Wyatt just wants more tortilla strips.
For another soup that feeds the whole family from the slow cooker, try my Crockpot White Bean Ham Soup — it has that same warm, fill-you-up quality.
Maggie's Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn fresh, frozen, or canned
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lime lime for juice
- Handful fresh cilantro chopped
- -2 corn tortillas cut into strips and fried or baked until crispy
- For topping shredded cheddar cheese
- For topping avocado slices
Instructions
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Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in the minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
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Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and stir well, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
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Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken, black beans, and corn. Simmer for 20 minutes.
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Season with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust spices as needed. Squeeze in the lime juice just before serving.
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For the tortilla strips: Cut corn tortillas into strips. Either fry them in a little oil over medium-high heat until golden and crispy (about 3-4 minutes), or toss them with a bit of oil and bake on a sheet pan at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.
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Ladle soup into bowls and top generously with crispy tortilla strips, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and avocado slices. Serve hot.
Common Questions
What I Use for This Recipe
A couple things from my kitchen that make this one easier.
Big enough for Sunday soup, light enough to lift. Every kitchen needs a pot this honest.
Set it before school drop-off, come home to dinner. The most-used appliance in my kitchen after the stove.
For every stew, pot roast, and soup that needs low-and-slow love. The pot I reach for on Sundays.
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