Chicken Tortilla Soup
A cozy, 30-minute chicken tortilla soup with tender chicken thighs, carrots, and sweet onion in a chili-cumin tomato broth. Served with homemade fried corn tortilla chips, Monterey Jack, avocado, cilantro, and lime. A viewer-submitted family favorite from Stephanie.
Ingredients
Soup
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 sweet onion small, like Vidalia, chopped
- 4 carrots washed and sliced into thin rounds
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (1/2 tablespoon)
- 6 cups chicken broth (1 1/2 quarts)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt divided; start with 1 teaspoon
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 28 oz. petite diced tomatoes 1 can, with juice
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size cubes
Homemade Tortilla Chips
- 4 corn tortillas
- vegetable oil about 1/2 inch in the skillet, for frying
- kosher salt to taste
Toppings
- Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- fresh cilantro roughly chopped, stems removed
Instructions
Make the Soup
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Drizzle the bottom with olive oil, then add the onion and carrots. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
- Sprinkle the chili powder and cumin over the vegetables and stir. Cook 1 minute to let the spices bloom before adding any liquid.
- Add the chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice.
- Cover and bring to a boil, turning the heat up slightly if needed.
- Carefully add the cubed chicken. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook about 7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, adding up to 1/2 teaspoon more salt as needed.
Make the Tortilla Chips
- While the soup cooks, heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges.
- Test the oil with one wedge. It should sizzle immediately. Fry the wedges in batches without crowding, stirring and turning, until crisp and golden.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, spread out, and sprinkle with kosher salt while hot.
Serve
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with Monterey Jack, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Tuck a few tortilla chips into the side of each bowl and serve.
Notes
- Chicken swap: Chicken breast works in place of thighs. Cook just until done.
- Bloom the spices: Cooking the chili powder and cumin for 1 minute before adding broth deepens the flavor.
- Restaurant-style: Stir cooked Mexican rice into each bowl for a heartier soup.
- Short on time? Store-bought tortilla chips or strips work in a pinch.
- Storage: Refrigerate the soup (without toppings) up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Keep chips separate.
- From Your Kitchen to Ours: This recipe was submitted by viewer Stephanie.