Best Chicken Tortilla Soup (Printable Version)

Flavorful Mexican-inspired soup with tender chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, and crispy tortilla strips.

# Ingredient List:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 cup frozen or canned corn, drained
06 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
07 - 1 lime, juiced
08 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Canned Goods

09 - 1 can (14 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
10 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 bay leaf
12 - 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
13 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
15 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
16 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Tortilla Strips

17 - 4 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
18 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss tortilla strips with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Set aside.
02 - In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeño. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened.
03 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in chili powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds.
04 - Add chicken breasts, fire-roasted tomatoes with juice, corn, bay leaf, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
05 - Remove chicken breasts and shred them using two forks, then return shredded chicken to the pot.
06 - Add lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Discard bay leaf.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with crispy tortilla strips, avocado slices, shredded cheese, sour cream, and lime wedges as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, which means you can actually make it on a weeknight without losing your mind.
  • The layers of flavor—smoke, spice, brightness—feel way more complicated than the ingredient list suggests.
  • Those crispy tortilla strips are the kind of detail that makes people ask for the recipe before they've even finished eating.
02 -
  • Don't skip toasting the tortilla strips—they're not just a garnish, they're the textural difference between a bowl of soup and something you actually want to eat.
  • Lime juice at the end changes everything; adding it too early means it mellows out and you lose that bright punch that wakes up your palate.
03 -
  • If you're using fresh chicken, don't rush the simmer time—those extra minutes are when the broth absorbs all the flavor and the chicken becomes tender enough to shred with barely any pressure.
  • Taste as you go with the lime and cilantro; you want them front and center, not hiding behind the spices.
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