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A steaming bowl of chicken tortilla soup garnished with avocado and cilantro.

The 1 Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe You Need

This quick and easy chicken tortilla soup is perfect for a weeknight meal. It's packed with flavor and comes together in no time.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Soup
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15-oz can corn, drained
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
For Serving
  • tortilla chips
  • shredded cheese
  • sour cream or avocado
Optional Garnishes
  • fresh cilantro, chopped
  • lime wedges

Equipment

  • Large Pot or Dutch Oven
  • Cutting Board
  • Knife
  • Forks

Method
 

Prepare the Chicken
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes per side; remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
Sauté Aromatics
  1. Add chopped onion to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Combine Ingredients
  1. Return the cooked chicken to the pot. Add diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir everything to combine.
Simmer and Shred
  1. Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and easily shreddable. Remove chicken from the pot and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
Serve
  1. Ladle hot soup into bowls. Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream or avocado, and optional garnishes like fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Notes

This soup is even better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld. You can also adjust the spice level by adding more or less chili powder, or a pinch of cayenne pepper for extra heat.