Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup with Crispy Tortilla Strips and Fresh Toppings Recipe
This Chicken Tortilla Soup is inspired by the renowned Cafe Terra Cotta from Tucson, AZ, delivering a perfectly balanced blend of smoky, spicy, and savory flavors. Featuring a smooth yet chunky soup base enriched with fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken, black beans, corn, and a medley of warm spices, it’s topped with crispy tortilla strips and fresh garnishes for an authentic Mexican-Tex Mex experience. Ideal for lunch or dinner, this hearty soup is simple to prepare and sure to become a family favorite.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex, Southwestern
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
- 1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes and green chiles
- 3 cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup black beans
- ¾ cup frozen corn
- 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
Toppings
- Shredded cheese (Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack – your choice)
- Quartered limes
- Cubed avocado
- Cilantro
- Sliced green onions
- 2 small corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
- Sliced jalapenos
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the roughly chopped onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent and the jalapeno softens, about 5 minutes. Season with kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, dried oregano, cumin, and ground chipotle pepper. Stir to combine and toast the spices for 1-2 minutes to develop deeper flavor.
- Simmer Soup Base: Add the can of fire-roasted tomatoes and green chiles to the saucepan along with the 3 cups of chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Blend Soup: Using a cordless rechargeable stainless steel immersion blender, carefully blend the soup until smooth, creating a creamy base. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed to balance the flavors.
- Add Beans, Corn, and Chicken: Stir in the black beans, frozen corn, and shredded rotisserie chicken into the blended soup. Heat through until warmed evenly.
- Make Tortilla Strips: In a small skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tortilla strips in a single layer and fry quickly for 30-45 seconds, flipping once to crisp both sides. Remove the strips with tongs and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil and cool.
- Serve and Garnish: Divide the soup evenly into 4 bowls. Top each with shredded cheese, cubed avocado, cilantro, sliced green onions, sliced jalapenos if desired, and a handful of crisp tortilla strips. Serve with quartered limes for extra brightness and freshness. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Use a stand mixer to shred chicken quickly if shredding your own; it saves time and effort.
- Sweat the onions and jalapeños properly at the start to develop the base flavors for the soup.
- Blending the soup base provides a smooth texture, balancing the chunky additions of chicken, corn, and beans.
- Black beans can be substituted with pinto beans for variation.
- Any shredded poultry works well; leftover turkey is a great alternative.
- To make this soup vegetarian, substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock and omit the chicken.
