Chicken Tortilla Soup

The best Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is made with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes. It’s healthy, easy to throw together, and uses basic pantry ingredients.

Want more soup recipes? Try my Potato Leek Soup, Creamy Tortellini Soup, Chicken and Dumplings, or Pozole Verde!

Why we love this Chicken Tortilla Soup:

• Quick – Ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes! The perfect cozy weeknight meal!
• Stove, Slow Cooker or Instant Pot – Make it quick on the stove or instant pot, or let it simmer four hours in the slow cooker.
• Crowd-Pleasing – Everyone loves a hot bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup, and everyone has fun adding their own toppings! Try serving it in a homemade bread bowl!

How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup:

Sauté Veggies: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

Add Broth and Seasonings: Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, black beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Cook Chicken: Cut chicken into a few pieces and add to the pot. Cook for 7-10 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Shred Chicken: Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the pot along with the corn and lime juice.

Serve this easy chicken tortilla soup topped with fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado.

Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Instructions:

Slow Cooker:

• After sautéing the vegetables in step 1, add them to the slow cooker along with the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chilies, spices, chicken breasts and black beans.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
• Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the soup along with corn and lime juice. Serve with desired toppings.

Instant Pot Instructions:

• Heat the Instant Pot to Sauté and add oil. Sauté the vegetables and garlic. Turn the pot off.
• Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chilies, spices, chicken breasts and black beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure.
• Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the soup along with corn and lime juice. Serve with desired toppings.

Recipe Variations:

This recipe is really forgiving, so substitute things you have on hand, rather than going to the store for a missing ingredient.

• Beans: you can use any kind but pinto beans and garbanzo beans would be great substitutes for black beans in this recipe.
• Bell peppers: use any color, or add other vegetables like chopped zucchini, or even sweet potatoes.
• Diced Tomatoes: Use 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes in place of the 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes.
• Chicken broth: substitute vegetable broth.
• Corn: fresh or frozen corn will work.
• Vegetarian: Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, leave out the chicken and add extra vegetables instead, like more bell peppers, chopped zucchini and sweet potatoes.
• To Thicken the Soup: I enjoy chicken tortilla soup with a thin broth base, but many people enjoy it as a creamy chicken tortilla soup with a thicker texture. Add a few chopped up corn tortillas, or a spoonful of corn flour to thicken the soup and give it great flavor.

Recipe

5 from 66 votes

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The best Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is made with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes. It's healthy, easy to throw together, and uses basic pantry ingredients.

Print Pin Review

Author Lauren Allen

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 5

Calories 318

Cost 10

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 bell pepper seeded, diced (any color)
• ▢ 1 yellow onion , diced
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic , minced
• ▢ 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• ▢ 4 ounce can diced green chilies , mild
• ▢ 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• ▢ salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
• ▢ 15 ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ 1 cups frozen corn
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh cilantro , chopped

Topping Ideas:

• ▢ fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados, limes, tortilla chips

Instructions

 

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and saute for 3-5 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
• Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes, green chilies, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, black beans, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
• Cut chicken into a few pieces and add to the pot. Cook for 7-10 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. (Or sub cooked rotisserie chicken, adding it in the next step).
• Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the pot along with the corn and lime juice.
• Serve with desired toppings, like fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado.

Notes

To Use Cooked Rotisserie Chicken: Add it at near the eed, when you add the corn.

Slow Cooker Instructions: After sautéing the vegetables in step 1, add them to the slow cooker along with the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chilies, spices, chicken breasts and black beans.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the soup along with corn and lime juice.  Serve with desired toppings.

Instant Pot Instructions: Heat Instant Pot to Sauté and add oil. Sauté the vegetables and garlic. Turn the pot off. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chilies, spices, chicken breasts and black beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure. Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the soup along with corn and lime juice. Serve with desired toppings.

Variations:

• Beans: you can use any kind but pinto beans and garbanzo beans would be great substitutes for black beans in this recipe.
• Bell peppers: use any color, or add another vegetable instead, like chopped zucchini, or even sweet potatoes.
• Diced Tomatoes: Use 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes in place of the 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes.
• Chicken broth: substitute vegetable broth.
• Corn: fresh or frozen corn will work.
• Vegetarian: Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, leave out the chicken and add extra vegetables instead, like more bell peppers, chopped zucchini and sweet potatoes.

To Thicken the Soup: I enjoy chicken tortilla soup with a thin broth base, but many people enjoy it with a thicker texture. Add a few chopped up corn tortillas, or a spoonful of corn flour to thicken the soup and give it great flavor.

 

Macros Recipe Adaptation

Extra toppings: cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and avocado are not included in the macros.

Per Serving Amount

699.8 grams

Macros

Calories: 318kcal, Protein: 32g, Carbs: 34g, Fat: 6g (serves 5) | MFP: Chicken Tortilla Soup (TBFS Macros)

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 32gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 442mgPotassium: 908mgFiber: 8gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1539IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 5mg

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I originally shared this recipe January 2015. Updated September 2019 and February 2023.

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