This easy tortilla soup has been a staple at both of our houses and was in dire need of a makeover so you guys can all see how beautifully delicious it is! This isn’t like the thick chicken tortilla soup that they have at Chili’s; it’s brothier (is that a word?) a la Cafe Rio or Costa Vida. It’s super healthy and low in calories, full of fresh, nutritious ingredients and we actually prefer it to traditional chicken soup at our house when we’re stuffed up because of the garlic, lime, and the spiciness that the jalapenos add, helping clear our heads.
Ingredients Needed
- Taco Chicken
- Chicken breasts or thighs –Boneless, skinless.
- Fresh limes
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh garlic
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Olive oil
- Soup
- Onion
- Fresh jalapeños
- Fresh garlic
- Chicken broth
- Diced tomatoes
- Fresh lime juice
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Toppings – As desired.
- Tortilla strips or chips
- Guacamole or avocado
- Cotija cheese
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Green onions
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
- The directions call for marinating this chicken earlier in the day and then grilling it as you are preparing the soup. I’ve done that lots of times, but I’ve also found that I like this soup even more if I don’t use leftover chicken or bother with thinking ahead to marinade and instead add all the flavors of the chicken marinade right into the soup pot. My trick is to cut up my chicken into bite sized pieces and let it sit in the marinade, which is a flavorful mixture of lime juice and seasonings while you prep other ingredients. I’m going to show you this version.
- So while your chicken is hanging out in those flavors, start by sautéing onion. garlic, and jalapeño. That will cook for just a few minutes and then you add in your chicken that was marinating.
- A quick addition of some canned fire-roasted tomatoes and chicken broth are all you need to finish it up. Let it simmer for a bit for all the flavors to blend together and you’re done! You could easily add additional vegetables if you want, like corn and beans, but simple is totally fine here and it leaves a great canvas for toppings.
- Add some fresh lime juice right before serving and load those bowls with anything you like. We love tortilla strips, cilantro, queso fresco, and avocado. Perfectly easy weeknight meal!
Storing and Other Tips
- A beautifully healthy soup like this is amazing because it leaves so much room for tasty toppings. If you use and love our Taco Chicken recipe, you can easily make that one night and just cook extra to save for this soup.
- Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 3-4 days for best results.
- Feel free to freeze in individual portions for a quick lunch or dinner on busy days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in an electric pressure cooker?
You could if that is your only option, but this soup comes together so fast on the stovetop! If you’re looking for recipes designed for the Instant Pot, check out this Easy Pressure Cooker Tortilla Soup.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Sure! This soup reheats very well.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
A simple and delicious chicken soup packed with Latin flavors and healthy ingredients!
Servings servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Taco Chicken
- 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs boneless, skinless
- 2 limes
- 1 splash red wine vinegar
- 2-3 cloves garlic pressed or coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Soup
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 jalapeños membranes and seeds removed if you don’t want it too spicy
- 6 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 58 ounces chicken broth 4 cans
- 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes we suggest fire roasted
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Toppings:
- tortilla strips or chips
- guacamole or avocado
- cotija cheese
- sour cream
- cilantro
- green onions
Instructions
Choose Your Method: Marinate & Grill or One-Pot Method
Marinate & Grill
- Juice the limes and combine with a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. Add garlic. Pour over chicken. This will not completely cover the chicken; just turn it occasionally as needed. Marinate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 8.
- After marinading, combine salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper in a small bowl. Remove chicken from marinade and rub the spices all over the chicken.
- Right before preparing soup, heat an outdoor grill (you can also use a grill pan inside. Or your broiler in your oven.) Place chicken on lightly oiled grill over medium heat and close the lid. Cook for 7 minutes, then flip the chicken, close the lid, and cook for another 7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from the grill, lightly cover with foil, and allow to stand a few minutes so it doesn’t lose its juiciness. Set aside.
- In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and minced jalapeño and cook a few minutes more until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant.
- Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.
- While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside. Start preparing the toppings as desired.
- Right before serving, add lime juice and chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into the bowls and add desired toppings.
One-Pot Method
- Dice raw chicken into bite-sized pieces and combine in a bowl with marinade ingredients, including all seasonings, but omitting garlic and pepper. Let sit while you prep other ingredients.
- In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and minced jalapeños and cook a few minutes more until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant.
- Push onion mixture to side of pan and transfer chicken to pot, including all juices/marinade. Stir and cook until chicken is mostly cooked through.
- Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.
- While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside. Start preparing the toppings as desired.
- Right before serving, give it a try and adjust the seasonings and lime juice to your own liking. If needed, add lime juice to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into the bowls and add desired toppings.
Notes
- Nutritional information was calculated without the use of any toppings.
- A beautifully healthy soup like this is amazing because it leaves so much room for tasty toppings. If you use and love our Taco Chicken recipe, you can easily make that one night and just cook extra to save for this soup.
- Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 3-4 days for best results.
- Feel free to freeze in individual portions for a quick lunch or dinner on busy days.
Nutrition
Calories: 102kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 1065mg, Potassium: 313mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 147IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 102kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
I'm a BIG fan of tortilla soups at restaurants but haven't been able to find a recipie that is as good- until this one! This soup was "soup"er fabulous. 🙂 We loved the lime and garlic flavors. Seriously, the whole fam loved it and my husband and I fought over the left overs. Thanks!
wow! This soup is divine! I just tried it and am so happy to have this great recipe!
This is one of the soups that you know was made by someone who loves you. Even the kiddies ate it. Thanks for the great recipe. Question though, do you cut up the chicken and stir it into the soup or do you lay it on top? Just wondering how my leftovers will taste since I mixed my in. Thanks!
This is one of my favorite soups so I was really excited for the recipe and it turned out really good! I forgot to wear gloves and wash my hands after cutting up the jalapeno peppers and let’s just say about 12 hours later and a call to poison control I was doing much better and was able to enjoy it. 🙂
kate, i just had to tell you that i made this the other day…sort of. instead of doing a soup, i made it into a salad. i didn’t have the time to marinate the chicken (will definitely try that next time!) but i still used the spices you suggested. and i tried frying up those corn strips too. so yummy! in fact, we made some tortilla chips as well. i started out with a bed of spring mix salad and baby spinach, put on the chicken and avocado with corn strips. for a dressing, we mixed salsa and ranch dressing. thanks for the inspiration!! turned out so yummy.
I did love it! As well as my husband and my kids! I’m so glad there are leftovers for lunch today. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
You guys are awesome!
I’m going to try this for dinner tonight. I am a huge fan of the Tortilla Soup at Cafe Rio, so I’m sure I’ll love this!
oops, that was me, not Eric. Although he is sitting right next to me and he agrees 🙂
Dawn sent along your website to her friends and I’m super impressed! I only wish I could order your food and have it sent to my house or you could come and cook for week 🙂 They all look really great and I enjoy reading your take on getting excited about cooking…maybe you’ll be “the next food network star.”
mmm…this is sounding really good today. I think it may have to be dinner tonight!