30 Minute One Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

This chicken tortilla soup recipe is the easiest weeknight meal ever! The rich tomato-based broth is filled with your favorite Mexican spices and loaded with beans, corn, tomatoes, and shredded chicken. It all cooks in one pot and takes about 30 minutes from stovetop to dinner table. Top with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla strips for a quick and easy meal that will have your family asking for seconds!

 

You Will Love This

• The broth has the perfect consistency! V8 or your other favorite brand of tomato based vegetable juice is my secret ingredient for getting the perfect broth for this chicken tortilla soup! It’s not quite as loose as a classic chicken broth and it soaks up all the spices and smoky flavor from the chiles in adobo. It also creates a flavorful braising liquid for the chicken and transforms it into perfectly tender, juicy shredded bliss!
• It’s hearty enough to fuel you through the day, but it also feels indulgent. This chicken tortilla soup is loaded with REAL ingredients but has all the feels of a comforting, home cooked meal! It’s got tons of fiber and protein that will fill you up and fuel you through your day but it’s SO warm and cozy that it might just become your new favorite comfort food!
• It’s perfect for meal prep! As with many of my other chili and soup recipes (ie: 20 Minute Instant Pot Taco Soup, Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup, Vegan Black Bean Chili), the flavors of this chicken tortilla soup just get better with time! It reheats beautifully and the more it sits, the more the flavors marry together. Just be sure to season to taste with salt and pepper after you reheat it each time!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Onion & Garlic – The base for all the best soups is onion and garlic and this recipe is no different. I like to use red onion for this soup, but yellow or white onion will work great as well! Feel free to add diced bell pepper or minced jalapeno pepper as well if you want!
• Spices – Cumin and chili powder are the heavy hitters in this chicken tortilla soup recipe. They add a ton of flavor and earthiness to the dish.
• Chiles in Adobo – Chipotles in adobo is the secret ingredient in this chicken soup that gives it that deep, smoky flavor. Canned green chiles will work as a substitute in a pinch but the flavor will be slightly different.
• Black Beans – I like to use black beans for this soup, however, pinto beans or kidney beans would work great as well.
• Corn – You can use frozen or canned corn for this recipe. Frozen fire roasted corn is a fun way to add depth of flavor too!
• Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes – If you can’t find fire roasted diced tomatoes, just regular canned diced tomatoes will work. That fire roasting is just going to add another delicious layer of flavor.
• Chicken Breast – I like to use chicken breast tenders because they cook quickly in the soup. But you could also use regular chicken breasts or even chicken thighs.
• V8 – Tomato juice is the veggie loaded base for this chicken tortilla soup. You can use V8 brand or a generic tomato based vegetable juice.
• Chicken Broth – I like to use chicken broth for this soup, but veggie broth works well too!

Instructions

Saute onion in olive oil.

Add garlic, cumin, chili powder and chiles in adobo and cook for another minute.

Add black beans, corn, tomatoes, V8, and chicken broth along with a few large pinches of salt and pepper.

Nestle chicken into the pot.

Simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot, shred with two forks and return to the pot.  

Add lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with your favorites – I recommend homemade crispy tortilla chips, sliced avocado, and chopped cilantro – and enjoy!

Tips

• Be sure to salt this soup liberally! The flavors in this dish are bold but there are only a couple of spices used, so salt is going to go a long way in boosting everything to the next level. A good rule of thumb is that you should taste just a hint of salt at the end of each bite.
• Everyone likes a different level of saltiness, but a lot of folks enjoy the flavors of their local restaurant more than their own home cooking because they don’t realize how much salt is actually in their favorite dish! Salt is not the enemy – highly processed foods with high sodium levels are! Eat real food and always salt your dish to taste after cooking it!
• You can use regular chicken breasts, but they will likely take a bit longer to cook as they are thicker. That’s why I love to use chicken tenders or cut the chicken breast into smaller pieces so that it cooks quicker.
• A heavy bottom pot or dutch oven is perfect for this recipe. I also like to store my leftover soup right in the pot! I just put the lid on and pop it in the fridge until we are ready to enjoy the leftovers. Then I just heat the pot over medium heat until everything is heated through, salt to taste (of course) and enjoy!

Make-Ahead, Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: This recipe is one of my favorites to make ahead! The flavors just get better with time so I love to make a big batch over the weekend and then I’ve got lunches ready to go for the week!
• Storage: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Freezing: Freeze soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• Reheating: Reheat leftover soup in a saucepan over medium to medium-low heat. Stir frequently until warmed through and season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

FAQ

This is not an Authentic Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

• This is in no way meant to be a classic chicken tortilla soup recipe. This is my Midwestern twist on tortilla soup using ingredients that my family commonly has in our kitchen.
• If you’re looking for some background history on this delicious Mexican dish, here’s a brief summary.
• While tortilla soup originally came from Mexico, the exact origin is actually still unknown. Traditionally, tortilla soup is made with onion, garlic, chicken broth, roasted tomatoes, and fried tortilla strips. If you’re looking for a traditional chicken tortilla soup recipe, here’s a great one!

Try these easy soup recipes next!

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