Chicken Tortilla Soup cooked on the stove using shredded rotisserie chicken and topped with homemade tortilla strips, fresh avocado and shredded jack cheese.
My Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is full of delicious flavors and reminds me of the tortilla soup I used to order at Islands Restaurants! If you haven't had it, trust me it's amazing! You can serve this soup as a main dish, an appetizer, or as a side dish.
We like to serve this soup with a fresh salad or soft homemade tortillas. This recipe serves about 4 people, so if you are cooking for a large crowd, you can easily double the recipe. Store leftovers completely cooled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Ingredients you need to make Chicken Tortilla Soup from scratch:
Rotisserie chicken (3 cups shredded) - If you don't have a rotisserie chicken, try my super easy Mexican Shredded Chicken recipe.
Red Bell Pepper
Hatch Chile Pepper - Or you can use regular green bell pepper.
Onion - Yellow, white, sweet or red onion all work great in this recipe.
Garlic Cloves- Fresh garlic is best in this recipe.
Carrot
Chicken Broth - I used low sodium chicken broth in this recipe.
Water
Lime- Fresh lime juice works best in this recipe.
Salt- I almost always use sea salt in my recipes, but you can use any salt you have on hand.
Black Pepper - Fresh cracked or ground both work great in this recipe.
Oil - olive, canola, or avocado oil.
Cayenne Pepper - Adds some nice heat to the soup.
Chili Powder
Cilantro - Fresh chopped cilantro adds delicious flavor - you don't want to skip.
Toppings:
Corn tortillas - For the tortilla strips, you can also use flour tortillas.
Fresh Avocado (optional topping)
Jack Cheese (optional topping)
These are the tools you need to make this recipe:
- Dutch Oven or Stockpot - To cook your soup in.
- Wooden Spoon or Cooking Spoon - For stirring while your soup is cooking.
- Chef Knife - To prepare your veggies.
- Measuring Spoons and Cups - For properly measuring all of your ingredients.
- Cutting Board - To chop and prepare your veggies.
- Liquid Measuring Cup - To measure the liquids.
How to make the best homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup:
Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add peppers, onions, carrots, salt, pepper, cayenne and chili powder. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, make tortilla strips by tossing the strips into a large skillet over medium heat. Stir strips around for about 1-2 minutes until lightly crisp and golden on both sides. Remove from pan and set on a paper towel to cool.
Once soup is done simmering, remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Serve your chicken tortilla soup with tortilla strips, chunks of avocado and jack cheese(optional). Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this recipe, here are a few more soup/chili recipes I think you'll love!
Creamy Chicken Taco Soup - Easiest taco soup recipe cooked on the stovetop with shredded chicken, pinto beans, tomato and corn in a creamy flavor packed soup finished with cilantro and lime juice.
Slow Cooker Ground Beef Chili - Hearty ground beef and bean chili cooked low and slow in a slow cooker/crockpot. Serve with chopped green onions and a dollop of sour cream!
Crockpot Creamy White Chicken Chili - Easy, creamy and absolutely delicious white chicken chili recipe cooked low and slow in your crockpot! If you are looking for a super easy and healthy dinner recipe to kick off the new year, this is it! This chili is loaded with chicken, beans, veggies, herbs, peppers and broth with a hint of cream cheese.
Minestrone Soup - Warm and delicious Minestrone Soup made with veggies, beans and noodles in a delicious tomato based broth. This minestrone soup is super easy to make and really hits the spot! I love making this soup during the cooler months of the year, but it’s also excellent year round!
Slow Cooker Pork Roast Chili - Pork roast pinto bean chili cooked low and slow in a crockpot/slow cooker. This is the easiest, most delicious pork chili ever and it more than exceeded my expectations!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1-½ lb. rotisserie chicken 3 cups shredded
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- 1 hatch chile pepper diced
- 1 white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 carrot peeled and finely diced
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 lime juiced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
toppings:
- 2 corn tortillas sliced in thin strips
- 1-2 avocados cut into ½" chunks
- ½ cup jack cheese shredded, optional
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add peppers, onions, carrots, salt, pepper, cayenne and chili powder. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, make tortilla strips by tossing the strips into a large skillet over medium heat. Stir strips around for about 1-2 minutes until lightly crisp and golden on both sides. Remove from pan and set on a paper towel to cool.
- Once soup is done simmering, remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Serve your chicken tortilla soup with tortilla strips, chunks of avocado and jack cheese(optional). Enjoy!
Lori
I agree with another comment. Next time I would use all chicken broth and no water. It needs a little more flavor
Tami
This soup was absolutely delicious, winner winner! I purposely wanted a recipe without tomatoes and this soup delivered! My only change was to use my homemade stock and omitted the water.