Today we bring you a spicy Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup from south of the border, down Mexico way. This zesty soup has some serious flavors mixed with a generous measure of chicken for a comforting and hearty soup. Crisp tortilla strips slightly thicken the soup, giving it a unique flavor. And…these crisp, strips are better than crackers!
This is a full-meal soup, and it is easy to prepare using rotisserie chicken. Top each serving of this comforting chicken tortilla soup with crisp and crunchy tortilla strips, avocado chunks and Cotija cheese.
If you are looking for a flavor-packed one-pot meal to put together quickly for your family, this is it! They will want a second helping of this good stuff! Thirty minutes and you can be noshing down a bowl of this chipotle chicken tortilla soup.
Quick and Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup:
This hearty soup is spicy and loaded with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, spices and chicken broth. We added homemade crunchy tortilla strips to thicken the soup. The tortilla strips are a perfect choice for this chipotle chicken tortilla soup and better suited than crackers or bread.
How to make crispy tortilla strips for the chipotle chicken tortilla soup:
These are easy to make and they are addictive so plan on making a lot of them. Here’s how to do it:
- First, stack up about four corn tortillas and slice them into 1/4-inch strips. We used an entire package of 12, 6-inch tortillas but you just might want to make more for nibbling on.
- Next, add about a quarter cup of vegetable oil to a skillet and when it is hot add a handful of strips. As they turn crisp and light brown, remove them and let them drain on paper towels.
- Repeat with the remaining tortilla strips adding more oil if necessary.
- After cooking all the tortilla strips, set them aside while making the soup.
Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup:
This makes a good size batch of soup so use a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
- Heat two tablespoons of oil and cook the chopped onion until it is soft. Then add the garlic and cook just until it gives off a nice fragrance.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the tomatoes, salt, the mashed chipotle and some of the sauce.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup for five-minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove two cups of the mixture and add to a blender or food processor with one-third of the crisp tortilla strips. Blend until smooth then return the mixture to the soup pot, stirring to combine.
- Add the corn, beans, spices and seasonings.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and simmer the soup for 10 to 15 minutes to heat the chicken.
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
We love a good chicken dinner. Whether you’re looking for a classic roasted chicken with veggies or something more adventurous like Moroccan chicken stew, you will find something here. From a comforting chicken and black bean soup to a whole smoked chicken, these delicious dinners will satisfy everyone at the table.
- Olive Garden chicken Parmesan
- Mexican chicken casserole
- chicken mushroom pizza
- smoked beer can chicken
- honey lemon pepper wings
What exactly is chipotle?
Chipotle peppers are jalapeños. It is a medium-size pepper that has stayed on the vine to full maturity and turned a bright red color. After harvesting they are dried and smoked in a closed smoking chamber fired by wood. It will take several days to remove the moisture from the peppers. Another interesting fact is that it takes as much as ten pounds of jalapeños to make one pound of dried chipotle.
Chipotles add a smoky taste to foods, they are HOT and a little goes a long way. In our chipotle chicken tortilla soup we used chipotle chilis canned in adobo sauce.
This chipotle chicken tortilla soup is a one-pot meal. Ladle the soup into bowls garnish with some of the tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro, Cotija and lime wedges.
More Recipes You Will Love
- Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Chive Blossoms: The delicate flavor of leek is a perfect match for potatoes in this Creamy Potato Leek Soup. Chive blossoms elevate this soup to a beautiful and sophisticated meal and makes a stunning appearance on your table.
- Italian Lentil Soup with Sausage: Italian Lentil Soup with Sausage is thick and hearty with lentils, Italian sausage, vegetables and spices in a rich broth.
- Split Pea and Ham Soup: Thick with split peas, chunks of smoky ham and lots of vegetables. Top with crisp bacon crumbles and serve with chunks of crusty bread.
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Check out our soup cookbook. It is filled with wholesome and hearty soups. Each soup recipe is from scratch with real ingredients and filling enough to be enjoyed as a main-course meal.
Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
For the Crisp Tortilla Strips:
- 12 corn tortillas 6-inch size
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
For the Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 10 cups chicken broth homemade if possible
- 2 cans 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce mashed
- 10- oz. whole kernel corn frozen/thawed
- 1 can 14.5 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoky paprika powder
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken shredded
For Garnishes
- 1 ripe avocado cubed
- ½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
- 3-4 green onions chopped (green parts)
- Fresh cilantro sprigs
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- ½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
Instructions
For the tortilla strips:
- Stack the tortillas about 4 tortillas per stack and slice them into strips of 1/4-inch wide.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the tortilla strips in the oil until lightly browned and crisp. Transfer each batch of the tortilla strips to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
For the Chipotle Chicken Soup:
- Add the chopped onions to a large pot over medium heat, cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth and add the tomatoes, salt and mashed chipotle peppers, stir to blend; then bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5-minutes.
- Remove 2-cups of the mixture and place in a blender or food processor with 1/3 of the fried tortilla strips. Process until smooth, then stir back into the soup mixture.
- Add the corn, black beans and the seasonings. Stir in the shredded chicken and continue simmering on low for 15 minutes, stirring frequently until the chicken is heated through.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with tortilla strips, cilantro leaves, avocado chunks, Cotija cheese and lime wedges.
Notes
- Watch the tortilla strips carefully as they fry up really fast.
- There should be about 2 tablespoons of oil left in the pot to sauté the onions and garlic. If not, add a little more olive oil.
- Chipotle peppers are very spicy, be cautions and add according to taste
- Substitute chipotle powder if you do not have the canned adobo chipotle peppers, use 1/4 teaspoon per pepper.
- Blending tortilla strips to the soup increases the tortilla flavor and thickens the soup slightly.
- Rotisserie chicken shreds easily when hot/warm. If it is cold, place it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes to reheat, then shred and add to the soup pot.
