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Top down view of a white bowl full of chicken tortilla soup topped with diced avocados, crushed chips, and chopped cilantro.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 57 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (see note)
  • 1 medium red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced or crushed tomatoes (do not drain)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 to 4 corn tortillas, chopped (see note)
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, avocados, crispy tortilla strips or chips, and other desired toppings, for serving

Instructions 

  • Pressure cooker: Using the saute function, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
  • Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.
  • Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
  • Let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure.
  • Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
  • Stovetop: In a 4- or 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
  • Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Stir.
  • Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Add the chicken and chopped tortillas; cook for 8-10 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
  • Slow Cooker: In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker (you can skip this pre-cooking step, but I like to do it since I find that sometimes the onions don't soften all the way when cooking).
  • Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.
  • Cook for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 on high. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.

Notes

Jalapeno: I often throw in a small can of green chiles in place (or in addition to) the jalapeno.
Corn Tortillas: the corn tortillas soften and meld into the soup adding a yummy texture and thickening the soup slightly. You don't have to add them if you don't want, or you can substitute them with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of masa harina (I haven't tried it with regular cornmeal, but I'm guessing it would work).