Easy & Flavorful Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe: Your Ultimate Comfort Bowl
Craving a dish that’s both hearty and bursting with vibrant flavors? Look no further than this incredible **Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup**. It’s more than just a meal; it’s comfort in a bowl, designed to warm you from the inside out with every spoonful. Imagine tender shredded chicken swimming in a rich, spicy broth, complemented by fresh vegetables and finished with a zesty squeeze of lime and a generous sprinkling of cheese. This recipe is not only delicious but also remarkably good for you, making it an ideal choice for any day of the week.
Why This Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup Will Become Your Favorite
This isn’t just another soup recipe; it’s a culinary experience that brings together simplicity, health, and unforgettable taste. Here’s what makes our spicy chicken tortilla soup truly special:
- Packed with Fresh, Wholesome Vegetables: We prioritize fresh ingredients to deliver an authentic, vibrant flavor profile. This soup is a nutritional powerhouse, loaded with crisp onions, ripe tomatoes, spicy green chilies, and aromatic garlic. Eating healthy never tasted so good, and the freshness truly makes a difference in the overall depth of flavor.
- Perfectly Spicy, Yet Customizable: While we love a good kick, we understand that everyone’s spice tolerance is different. This recipe offers a delightful level of heat that you can easily adjust. Want it milder? Simply reduce or omit the chili powder and green chilies. For an extra fiery bowl, feel free to add a pinch more cayenne pepper or a spicier chili.
- Ultimate Comfort Food & Fantastic Leftovers: There’s something incredibly soothing about a warm bowl of homemade soup. This chicken tortilla soup embodies comfort, making it perfect for chilly evenings or when you just need a soul-warming meal. The best part? The flavors deepen and meld beautifully overnight, making leftovers even more delicious and a fantastic option for meal prep.
- Incredibly Delicious and Surprisingly Easy to Make: Don’t let the rich flavor fool you; this soup is straightforward to prepare, even for novice cooks. We’ve streamlined the process to ensure you get maximum flavor with minimal effort, proving that gourmet taste doesn’t require hours in the kitchen.
- Crispy Homemade Tortilla Strips: Forget soggy croutons! We take simple corn tortillas and transform them into delightfully crispy, lightly salted strips right at home. These provide that essential crunch and authentic texture that elevates the entire soup experience. While the recipe uses store-bought corn tortillas for the strips, making them fresh adds a special touch.
How to Make This Flavorful Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Creating this delicious soup is a rewarding process. Follow these simple steps for a homemade meal that will impress everyone:
- Sauté the Aromatics: In a large, sturdy skillet, heat some vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add your chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilies, and garlic cloves. Sauté them for 5-7 minutes, until they soften and become fragrant, releasing their incredible aromas. This step is crucial for building the foundational flavors of your soup.
- Blend for Smoothness: Carefully transfer the sautéed vegetables into a blender. Add 1/2 cup of water to aid in blending, then process until the mixture is perfectly smooth and uniform. This creates the silky base for your broth.
- Strain for Velvety Texture: Pass the blended vegetable mixture through a fine-mesh sieve directly into a large soup pot with a drizzle of olive oil. Press down on the solids to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. Discard any remaining veggie scraps—we’re after that smooth, rich liquid.
- Bring to a Boil: Add 10 cups of fresh water to the pot with the strained vegetable base. Stir everything together well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a rapid boil.
- Cook and Shred the Chicken: Once the water is boiling, carefully place the chicken breasts into the pot. Cook them for 15-20 minutes, or until they are thoroughly cooked through and no longer pink. Remove the chicken breasts from the pot, allow them to cool slightly, then shred them using two forks. Return the shredded chicken immediately back into the simmering pot.
- Season and Simmer: Now it’s time to add the heart of the flavor! Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, and season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Give everything a good stir and let the soup simmer for an additional 20 minutes. This allows all the flavors to meld beautifully and intensify.
- Prepare the Tortilla Strips: While your soup is simmering to perfection, prepare your crispy tortilla strips. Cut your corn tortillas into thin strips. In a separate pan, fry these strips in a bit of oil for 1-2 minutes until they are golden brown and wonderfully crisp.
- Season the Tortilla Strips: As soon as the fried tortilla strips come out of the fryer, sprinkle them generously with salt. This enhances their flavor and makes them irresistible.
- Serve and Enjoy!: Ladle your hot, spicy chicken tortilla soup into bowls. Garnish with your favorite toppings: fresh avocado slices, the crispy tortilla chips you just made, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, and a refreshing squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy this flavorful and comforting homemade masterpiece!
Can I Use Canned Vegetables Instead of Fresh Vegetables?
While convenience is tempting, for this particular **Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe**, I strongly advocate for using fresh vegetables. The difference in taste and texture is profound. Fresh onions, tomatoes, green chilies, and garlic contribute a bright, authentic flavor that canned alternatives simply cannot replicate. They provide a more vibrant and nuanced base for the soup. If fresh isn’t an option, canned diced tomatoes are acceptable, and of course, canned corn and beans are standard. However, try to use fresh for the core aromatics to truly capture the intended fresh Mexican-inspired essence of this delightful comfort food.
Do I Have to Blend the Vegetables?
Blending the sautéed vegetables is completely optional, but highly recommended for achieving a specific texture and depth. I personally adore the velvety smooth consistency and rich, even color it imparts to the soup base. It creates a restaurant-quality finish that’s both appealing to the eye and the palate. If you prefer a chunkier, more rustic soup, you can absolutely skip the blending step and simply finely dice your vegetables before sautéing. The soup will still be incredibly flavorful, just with a different mouthfeel. It truly comes down to personal preference for texture.
Can I Use Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken for This Recipe?
Absolutely! Using a store-bought rotisserie chicken is a fantastic shortcut and one I heartily encourage, especially if you’re looking to significantly cut down on your cooking time for this **easy chicken tortilla soup**. Simply shred the meat from the rotisserie chicken and add it to the soup during step 5, after the broth has come to a boil and you’ve added your seasonings. This not only saves you the step of cooking the chicken breasts but also infuses the soup with the delicious, pre-seasoned flavor of the rotisserie chicken, making it an even quicker weeknight meal solution.
What Can I Serve This Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup With?
This versatile **Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup** is delicious on its own, but it truly shines when paired with a variety of toppings and sides that enhance its flavors and textures. Here are some of my favorite serving suggestions:
- Shredded Cheese: A classic choice! Monterey Jack or a Mexican blend melts beautifully and adds a creamy, savory note.
- Fresh Lime Wedges: A squeeze of fresh lime juice brightens the entire soup, adding a zesty tang that cuts through the richness and spice.
- Diced Avocado: Creamy avocado adds a lovely cool contrast to the spicy broth and contributes healthy fats.
- Rice: For a heartier meal, serve a scoop of cooked white or brown rice at the bottom of the bowl before ladling in the soup.
- Noodles: While not traditional for tortilla soup, thin egg noodles or small pasta shapes can be cooked separately and added for a different texture.
- Crispy Tortilla Strips/Chips: Essential for that satisfying crunch!
- Fresh Cilantro: A sprinkle of chopped fresh cilantro adds a burst of herbaceous freshness.
- Green Onions: Thinly sliced green onions provide a mild oniony bite and a pop of color.
- Sour Cream or Mexican Crema: A dollop of these adds a cooling creaminess that balances the spice.
Top Tip for Storage and Meal Prep:
This **flavorful chicken tortilla soup** is fantastic for meal prepping! Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Its flavors tend to deepen overnight, making it even more delicious the next day. For longer storage, this soup freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. To freeze, allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or bags. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Remember to keep the crispy tortilla strips separate and add them just before serving to maintain their crunch.
More Delicious Soup Recipes to Explore:
If you loved this spicy chicken tortilla soup, you’ll surely enjoy these other comforting and easy-to-make soup recipes from our kitchen:
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Tomato Gnocchi Soup
- Cuban Chicken Noodle Soup
Don’t forget to visit our channels for more culinary inspiration! You can find more delicious recipes and cooking tutorial videos on Youtube and Facebook.
Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 onion
- 3 to matoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 green chilies
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 can of corn
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 10 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 corn tortillas
- 1 green onion
- 1 tbsp cilantro
Instructions
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In a large skillet with some vegetable oil over medium-high heat cook the onions, tomatoes, green chilies, and garlic cloves for 5-7 minutes.
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Place the veggies in a blender, add 1/2 cup water, and blend it until smooth.
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Pull the veggie mixture through a sieve and place it in a large soup pot with some olive oil.
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Discard the veggie scraps.
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Add 10 cups of water to the pot and stir.
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Let the water come up to a rapid boil over medium-high heat.
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Place the chicken breasts in the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes.
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Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and shred with 2 forks.
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Place the chicken back into the pot.
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Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, corn, beans, diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
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Let the soup simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
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While the soup simmers, cut the corn tortillas into strips and fry for 1-2 minutes.
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Sprinkle salt over the tortillas as soon as they come out of the fryer.
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Serve the soup with avocado, tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro, green onions, and lime, if desired and enjoy!
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
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