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All your favorite Mexican flavors and taste, in soup form! This quick and easy chicken tortilla soup is loaded with veggies and is perfect for those cooler fall nights. It can be made both on the stove and in your crockpot, and leftovers are even better the next day!
SOUP. SEASON. IS. HERE. Fellow soup lovers, where you at?! If you’re a fellow soup lover, you should also check out my easy pumpkin chili and butternut squash soup!
Don’t get me wrong, I love the fresh produce that summer brings. But, the warmth and comfort of a steaming bowl of soup on cold evening is one of my favorite feelings. Even better if that bowl of soup is eaten on the couch under a fuzzy blanket (… anyone else forever eating dinner on their couch…?).
Making a big pot of soup on a Sunday afternoon is now part of my regular fall/winter routine. I love how quickly soups come together, and they can simmer on the stove top or in the slow cooker (or my new favorite InstantPot!) while I do other things around the house. Or watch football or Netflix … which is probably more likely.
This easy chicken tortilla soup is the perfect meal in a bowl. The combination of authentic spices like chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cayenne (optional, but necessary if you love spice like me!) make this soup especially warming. It’s loaded with protein from the chicken breasts and black beans and healthy! And, the best part, it’s the perfect vessel for all your favorite toppings.
The recipe makes about 10 cups, so it’s perfect for your weekly meal prep, dinner parties, or to feed your family. Tom and I ate this soup all week and both loved it. So much so that we fought over the last bowl. Definitely add this recipe to your menu ASAP!
Ingredients in easy chicken tortilla soup recipe
Not only is this recipe loaded with both protein and vegetables, it is made with many pantry staples you likely already have on hand. The bulk of the ingredients include:
- Chicken: I used two large, boneless skinless chicken breasts here (probably ~1 – 1.5 lbs chicken). Feel free to use chicken thighs or shredded rotisserie chickens here if you prefer!
- Black Beans: Ups the protein content of this soup to keep you feeling full all day. Also loaded with fiber. Want to add some pinto beans, too? Go right ahead!
- Corn: I love how the sweetness of the corn contrasts with the spices in this soup. I used 1 can of corn, but you could easily sub frozen or even fresh corn (if you can still find it ) here.
- Fire roasted tomatoes: Using diced tomatoes here brings so much flavor to the broth! You’ll need two, 14.5oz cans
- Chicken broth: Forms the base of the broth. Vegetable broth will also work if that’s all you have on hand.
- Chopped green chilies: You can typically find these in a small can in the Mexican food aisle. They come in both spicy and mild form (the mild ones are actually kind of sweet). You can also use a chopped jalapeno if you’re a big fan of spice!
- Cilantro: I love the flavor that cilantro adds to the broth. I know some people are very anti-cilantro, so feel free to leave this out, but you’ll be missing some of the flavor.
- Spices: The spice profile in this soup is pretty similar to a Mexican dish or chili – cumin, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne.
The best part about this soup is that you basically throw everything into a dutch oven or other soup pan, turn the flame to medium-high heat, and let everything simmer. The prep time is minimal and there is barely any cook time, although you could let it simmer for a while if you want all of the flavors to melt together!
How to serve chicken tortilla soup
So… if I’m being completely honest, the toppings are everything to me when it comes to this soup. Similar to chili, I love to prepare a variety of different toppings and add them to my soup when serving. Give me alllllllll the toppings.
This is also a fun way to let people customize their meals if you’re serving this to a group. Line up the toppings and let people build their bowls, similar to a taco bar!
I LOVE to serve this soup with homemade tortilla strips. They’re super easy to make. All you have to do is cut corn tortillas into thin strips, toss in a little olive oil and bake for ~10 minutes.
Aside from the crispy tortilla strips, some of my favorite toppings are:
- Plain Greek yogurt (as a sub for sour cream)
- Avocado
- Additional cilantro
- Chopped red or green onion
- Cheddar cheese
- Hot sauce
- Lime wedges
- Green chiles
I’ve even stirred leftover quinoa or brown rice into similar soups before if I’m really hungry! What other toppings do you all like?!
Can I freeze my soup?
Yes! This soup should stay good in the fridge for 4-5 days. If you want to keep it longer, it can definitely be frozen.
Separate the soup into individual, freezer safe containers or bags to freeze. Leftovers are good in the freezer for about three months. Just thaw the night before in the fridge!
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
This Mexican-inspired chicken tortilla soup will be your favorite soup this fall. It’s easy, healthy, and protein packed. And the best part – it can be made on the stove top or in your crock pot!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 large chicken breasts (1 – 1.5 lbs)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 14.5 oz cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can corn
- 1 can green chilies (optional – or 1 jalapeno diced)
- 1 small lime, juiced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 3 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional for heat)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- Avocado, Greek yogurt, cheese, hot sauce, cilantro for garnish
Homemade tortilla chips:
- 6 small corn tortillas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat
- Add in onions, garlic, and cilantro and saute until fragrant
- Add chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, corn, chilies and lime juice and stir
- Add in remaining spices and then add in chicken breasts
- Bring to a boil
- Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer for 10 minutes
- Remove chicken breasts from soup and let rest for 10 minutes, then shred with fork
- Put shredded chicken back in soup and let simmer an additional 10 minutes
Tortilla Chips:
- Cut corn tortillas into thin strips. We like them very thin for extra crisp!
- Toss with olive oil and salt to coat
- Bake in 400F oven for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown
For crockpot: Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Shred chicken with fork and place back into crockpot for serving.
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Jordan says
Soup season demands this! Kid friendly, absolute staple in our house, flavors are insane this recipe is perfect
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jordan, so glad you and your kids loved it! 🙂
Carolyn says
The best tortilla soup I’ve made! So good and easy to make.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Carolyn, I am so glad you enjoyed the soup!!
Sami says
LOVE the chicken tortilla soup! SO easy to make, simple ingredients, simply delicious! I think it tastes even better heated up the next day.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Sami, so glad you loved it!! 🙂
Tiffany says
Delicious !
Instead of fire roasted tomatoes I used rotel diced green chilies and tomatoes one can and then half a small can of tomato sauce : it came out so good
I topped it with cheese , tortilla chips , cilantro avocado and sour cream .
We are all sick right now and this made me feel a lot better !
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Tiffany, so happy you loved it and hope everyone feels better soon!!
Alyssa says
Ok I am blown away with how amazing this taste! The flavor is spot on and it’s unlike anything I’ve had before. Definitely adding to the rotation!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Alyssa, so happy you loved the soup!!
Katie S says
THIS STUFF IS ADDICTING!! This soup is amazing and is still perfect in the summer. It tastes like a taco, especially if you dip your tortilla chips in it. Will be making again!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Katie, so glad you liked the soup!! 🙂
Brooke Woodbeck says
Erin omg this is the best tortilla soup I’ve ever had! I’ve been testing and trying multiple recipes and been so disappointed. This one is our new go-to! It’s flavorful, filling, and even my daughter scarfed it down (picky eater over here!)
Thank you for this!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Brooke, so glad you loved it so much! 🙂
Sabrins says
Better than take out soup from my local restaurant. I used regular petite diced tomatoes and sodium free broth, but ended up adding 3 chicken buillion cubes to cut through the acidity of the tomato. Will use regular broth in future. My only complaint is the soup was a bit chunky instead of brothy. I’ll probably go back and add more liquid. Flavor is definitely there, and I am saving this recipe for another day.
★★★★
Erin says
Hi Sabrins, so glad you liked it and yeah you can always add more liquid if you want!
Jill says
Loved this – super tasty (reminiscent of a taco soup mixed with minestrone). Great for meal prep – leftovers even more delicious!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jill, so glad you enjoyed it!!
Suze says
I’m an ELW stan for baked goods and desserts, but I’m so glad I made this savory soup – it’s amazing! I topped mine with avocado and cilantro for a dairy free dinner and it was so satisfying.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Suze, thanks for all your support and happy you tried a savory recipe!
Lisa L. says
Can’t wait to make this for lunches this week 😍
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Lisa, let me know how it comes out!
Olivia says
This is probably a top favorite recipe of mine. I made it when I was home for my mom and she absolutely loved it. She now makes it a least once a week! Such an easy recipe that yields such delicious results! Thanks Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Olivia, so happy you both love the soup! 🙂
Molly says
Delicious! The tortilla chip crisps really take it to the next level.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Molly, so glad you enjoyed it!!
Madison Stark says
Oh my gosh, you need to make this soup! Probably one of the best chicken tortilla soups I’ve ever had. It’s so easy to make and I love that you can taste every single flavor in each bite. My fiancé said this was the best soup he’s ever had! I’ll definitely be making this again. Thank you so much for the recipe, Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Madison, I am so happy you both enjoyed it! 🙂
Daniela says
This has become a staple in our house lol! So easy to make and SO delicious! My husband requests it from me every week ha!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Daniela, thanks for sharing! Love hearing that!
Amanda says
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. Do you need to drain all the liquids from the canned food?
Erin says
Hi Amanda, for the beans and corn, yes drain them. Let me know how it comes out!
Bridget says
Wow! Great recipe.. only change was we used sour cream because I forgot greek yogurt, but other than that it was delicious!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Bridget, so glad you liked it and made it your own!
Caroline says
SUCH A GOOD ONE! so easy, so quick, but flavor is incredible nonetheless. I added rotisserie chicken instead of the breasts and used half chicken broth and half water. Turned out amazing!! Will make again.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Caroline, I am so happy you enjoyed it!
Judy says
Have this going in the crockpot for tonight! I literally can’t wait! It already smells incredible!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Judy, yay and let me know how it came out!
Camille says
Made this for my family and it was soo amazing and easy! I doubled the recipe so that we could have leftovers for a few days and it was gone by the next day! really recommend this recipe for a delicious yet convenient meal!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Camille, I am so glad everyone enjoyed the soup! Thanks for sharing!!
Emma says
We’ve made this for dinner twice already and it’s so good!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Emma, thank you for sharing!