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Bowl of Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup. The reddish soup is garnished with cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, a little sour cream, and avocado slices.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

This Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup has a smooth and smoky base made from chicken broth, peppers, tomatoes, and a little spice. It's filled with shredded chicken and garnished with homemade baked tortilla strips and your favorite toppings.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:40 minutes
Total Time:50 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, California, Mexican
Keyword: Easy, Tortilla Soup
Servings: 6

Ingredients

The Soup

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 to 3 breasts
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 poblano pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
  • ½ to 1 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo, diced (depending on spice preference)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp adobo seasoning
  • 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, (14.5 oz)
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Tortilla Strips

  • 5 corn tortillas, cut into strips
  • 2 tbsp olive or neutral oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp chili powder

Optional Toppings

  • Tortilla strips
  • Shredded Jack cheese
  • Mexican crema or sour cream
  • Cilantro
  • Avocado
  • Green onions
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F for the baked tortilla strips. You’ll make these while the soup cooks.
  • Add olive oil to a large soup pot and cook the onions, poblanos, and jalapeños until they’re starting to get a little translucent, about 5 minutes.
    1 yellow onion, 1 poblano pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 jalapeño pepper
  • Mix in the chipotle peppers in adobo, tomato paste, salt, and spices and cook for about a minute more.
    ½ to 1 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp adobo seasoning, 1 tsp salt
  • Add the fire roasted tomatoes and broth and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, cover the pot, and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
    1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, 6 cups chicken broth, 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • While the chicken is cooking, mix the cut tortilla strips, oil, and spices together and place the strips on an unlined baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool (they’ll crisp as they cool).
    5 corn tortillas, 2 tbsp olive or neutral oil, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp chili powder
  • Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and shred it with 2 forks or chop it. Set the chicken aside.
  • With an immersion blender, blend the soup until mostly smooth. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and remove the soup from the heat.
  • Ladle it into your favorite soup bowl and top with the baked tortilla strips and your desired toppings.
    Tortilla strips, Shredded Jack cheese, Mexican crema or sour cream, Cilantro, Avocado, Green onions, Lime wedges