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Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

This zesty chipotle chicken tortilla soup is easy to prepare with rotisserie chicken and will be on the table in 30-minutes. Crisp tortilla strips slightly thicken the soup, giving it a unique flavor.  Top each serving of this comforting chicken tortilla soup with crisp and crunchy tortilla strips, avocado chunks and Cotija cheese.  
4.84 from 12 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 295kcal
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Crisp Tortilla Strips:

  • 12 corn tortillas 6-inch size
  • 1/4 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
  • 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
  • 3-4 green onions chopped (green parts)
  • Fresh cilantro sprigs
  • 2 limes cut into wedges
  • 1/2 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. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1-1/2 Cups | Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 1115mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g