Our Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe Makes For A Restaurant-Worthy Lunch

Chicken tortilla soup is one of those hearty, comforting, and easy-to-make soups that just make sense for a weeknight dinner. Recipe developer Katie Rosenhouse has crafted a chicken tortilla soup recipe that's both restaurant-worthy and fit for a cozy night in. Featuring all of the classic goodies one might expect from such a soup — a tomatoey, chicken broth base,  bright sweet corn, earthy beans, shredded chicken, and crispy tortilla strips for the perfect textural upgrade — this classic recipe hits all the right savory notes while still being fresh and bright.

If you're anything like Rosenhouse, you'll be making this soup to feed the whole family — luckily, it's just about guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. "This soup is quick, easy, and satisfying for the whole family, so that makes it a win-win in my house," Rosenhouse says. As delicious as the soup itself is, the real joy might be in topping it: The soup is the star of the show, but Rosenhouse gives a shoutout to the toppings for carrying significant weight here. "The toppings are where this dish really shines," she says. "Similar to a taco bar, you can lay out a range of fun toppings (including the homemade tortilla crisps), and everyone can create the exact bowl they love."

To start, you'll need either corn or flour tortillas, olive oil, and salt to make the tortilla crisps. Then, to build the soup, you'll need more olive oil and salt along with yellow onion, jalapeño, garlic, a can of crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, canned black beans, pepper, chili powder, cumin, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and frozen corn. Optionally, you can add a bit of cornstarch to the soup to thicken it.

The toppings (aside from the tortilla crisps) are technically optional, but Rosenhouse has plenty of suggestions to really round out your bowl. Fresh lime juice, cilantro, avocado, jalapeño slices, sour cream, hot sauce, and shredded cheese are all great serving options to take your soup from great to even greater.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

To prepare the tortilla crisps, slice the tortillas into thin strips.

Transfer them to a baking sheet and toss to coat them with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.

Bake the strips for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Set them aside.

In a large pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.

Add the onion and jalapeño, and cook, stirring, until translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Add the crushed tomatoes, stirring up browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the broth, beans, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin, and bring to a simmer.

Add the chicken, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 F, for about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pot and rest it for 5-10 minutes before shredding it.

Thicken the soup with a mixture of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water, if desired, then add the chicken back to the pot, along with the frozen corn.

Heat through, season to taste if needed, then portion into bowls.

Serve with toppings, as desired.

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To any soup lover who happens to be incredibly busy, the only thing better than a good soup recipe is one you can prep ahead or make in advance. Luckily, this chicken tortilla soup recipe presents plenty of make-ahead opportunity, and it all starts with those tortilla crisps. "Prepare the tortilla crisps up to five days ahead, and store them in a sealed airtight container at room temperature until ready to use," Rosenhouse advises. Alternatively, you can make them the same day you make the soup, but keep leftovers on stand-by to garnish any leftover bowls that you heat up in coming days.

And, speaking of heating up leftover bowls, this soup reheats quite well, making it a good candidate to make in advance. To do so, simply prepare the soup as written, let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Refrain from adding any tortilla crisps or garnishes until you plan to serve the soup. When you do want to serve, simply reheat the soup (or a portion of it) on the stovetop until warmed through, then garnish and enjoy.

Freezing is also a viable option with this soup, and in fact, it'll keep for upwards of three months. When you want to eat the soup, transfer it to the fridge the night before to thaw, then reheat on the stovetop.

The beauty of making soup from-scratch — as opposed to eating it at a restaurant or opting for a store-bought version — is that it's totally customizable. Most chicken tortilla soup recipes follow a similar formula, but there are easy swaps that will help elevate or expand on the flavors already present in the dish. For example, opting for fire-roasted tomatoes would add a smoky depth to the soup with no added effort. Otherwise, Rosenhouse recommends adding chipotles in adobo sauce to achieve that smoky flavor profile.

While the word chicken may be in the name, you aren't strictly bound to such a protein, and grilled shrimp, shredded turkey, or pork would all work here. If you don't feel like cooking chicken breasts, simply shred up some rotisserie chicken meat and toss it in. Leave out the meat entirely for a vegetarian take, in which case consider adding in extra beans to bulk up the soup.

If you prefer your soups more on the creamy side, you can easily add a splash of heavy cream towards the end of the cooking process. Or, simply dollop on a spoonful of sour cream for a tangier approach. 

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