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Any-Season Chicken Tortilla Soup

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This incredibly flavorful Chicken Tortilla Soup is delicious any time of year but especially wonderful during those transitional weeks between seasons.

This incredibly flavorful Chicken Tortilla Soup is delicious any time of year but especially wonderful during those transitional weeks between seasons.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Thanks to Aneto Natural for their ongoing sponsorship and providing the broth for this delicious soup. 

I like to think of Chicken Tortilla Soup as the perfect soup for early fall (or late spring). The broth is warm and complex but not nearly as heavy as a chili or chowder. It leaves you satisfied without feeling over-stuffed. And all those toppings make it feel like party food.

Soup Inspiration

Chicken Tortilla Soup brings up some fond memories for me, from the days before Jon and I were married: Our offices were very close to the famous Rick Bayless restaurant, Topolobombo. At the time, the restaurant was next to impossible to get into and absolutely famous for their chicken tortilla soup (which is magical). Lucky for me, Jon knew a secret. If you could get a seat at the bar of his sister restaurant Frontera Grill, you could order the soup. So we did. Often. Especially on rainy fall or spring nights. The soup was so rich and complicated, thanks to the addition of smokey chili peppers, yet still bright and light thanks to a hearty dose of fresh lime juice.

Time Saving Tricks

This incredibly flavorful Chicken Tortilla Soup is delicious any time of year but especially wonderful during those transitional weeks between seasons.

Nowadays, when the weather turns cool and rainy, I reach for my soup pot instead of a bar stool. While its probably impossible to beat anything Rick Bayless creates, I’ve come up with a pretty delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe thats easy to make thanks to a couple of time saving ingredients:

  • Chicken Thighs add so much more flavor than breasts (plus they’re usually quite a bit cheaper)
  • Canned Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce add wonderfully complicated flavor plus the heat and smokiness that sets this soup apart.
  • Canned fire-roasted tomatoes add another layer of smoky flavor
  • Aneto Natural Chicken Broth is as close to homemade as you can get. It adds a richness to the soup that you won’t get with regular boxed broth.
This incredibly flavorful Chicken Tortilla Soup is delicious any time of year but especially wonderful during those transitional weeks between seasons.

Once you’ve got your soup on the simmering on the stovetop, don’t forget the toppings! Quesadilla Cheese is an absolute must, and so is avocado, tortilla chips and finely diced cilantro. My husband also likes to add fresh jalapeño rounds and I like sliced radishes.

This incredibly flavorful Chicken Tortilla Soup is delicious any time of year but especially wonderful during those transitional weeks between seasons.
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This incredibly flavorful Chicken Tortilla Soup is delicious any time of year but especially wonderful during those transitional weeks between seasons.

Any-Season Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • Author: Homemaker’s Habitat
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican
Print Recipe

Description

This incredibly flavorful Chicken Tortilla Soup is delicious any time of year but especially wonderful during those transitional weeks between seasons.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 3 8-inch corn tortillas, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
  • 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped canned chipotle chiles, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
  • 1 carton Aneto Natural Chicken Broth
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 1/2–2 limes), plus 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • Optional Garnishes: Sliced avocado, sliced radish, finely chopped cilantro, tortilla strips, shredded chihuahua cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add chicken thighs and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken thighs to a plate and set aside.
  2. Add tortillas and onion to pot and continue cooking until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for 3 minutes more. 
  3. Add reserved chicken, diced tomatoes, black beans, chipotle chiles with adobo sauce and Aneto Natural Chicken Broth. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low. 
  4. Simmer soup covered for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
  5. Prior to serving, remove chicken pieces to a plate and shred into small pieces using two forks. Return chicken to the pot. Add fresh lime juice and season soup with salt and pepper to taste. 
  6. Serve with suggested garnishes as desired. 

Keywords: Soup, Chicken Thighs, Chicken Tortilla Soup

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