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A warm bowl of homemade easy one-pot chicken tortilla soup topped with crispy tortilla strips, diced avocado, and a lime wedge.

Easy One-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This easy One-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is the ultimate comfort food hug in a bowl! Packed with tender shredded chicken, black beans, sweet corn, and smoky Mexican spices, it's topped with homemade crispy corn tortilla strips. A healthy, flavorful 45-minute weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: dinner, Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup Base
  • 2 tablespoons Light olive oil
  • 1 large Yellow onion chopped
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 Jalapeño peppers seeded and diced
  • 32 ounces Chicken broth high quality
  • 28 ounces Crushed tomatoes 1 can
  • 1 pound Chicken breasts fresh
  • 15 ounces Corn 1 can, drained and rinsed
  • 15 ounces Black beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
  • 1.5 teaspoons Chili powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons Ground cumin
  • Salt to taste
  • 0.33 cup Fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1.5 tablespoons Fresh lime juice
Crispy Tortilla Strips
  • 0.25 cup Olive oil for frying
  • 8 six-inch Corn tortillas cut into thin strips
Toppings
  • 1 large Avocado diced
  • 1 Lime cut into wedges
  • Sour cream optional
  • Shredded Monterey Jack cheese optional

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
  2. Sauté the chopped onion, minced garlic, and diced jalapeños for about 5 minutes until soft and fragrant.
  3. Pour in the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes, stirring well to combine.
  4. Add the fresh chicken breasts, corn, black beans, chili powder, cumin, and salt to the pot.
  5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  6. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred it with two forks, then return it to the pot to simmer for another 5 minutes.
  7. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh cilantro and lime juice.
  8. In a separate small skillet, heat 0.25 cup of olive oil and fry the tortilla strips in batches until golden brown and crispy, then drain on paper towels.
  9. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top generously with the homemade crispy tortilla strips, diced avocado, and extra cilantro.

Notes

  • For a creamy twist, swirl in a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt just before serving.
  • Make-Ahead Tip: Store the soup base in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Store tortilla strips separately at room temperature to keep them crunchy.
 
  • Time-Saving Shortcut: You can easily swap the fresh chicken breasts for 2 to 3 cups of shredded leftover rotisserie chicken.Just skip the chicken cooking time in step 3, and add the rotisserie chicken in at step 4 to warm through for 5 minutes
 
  • Spice Control: To keep the soup family-friendly and mild, completely remove the seeds and white ribs from the jalapeños before dicing. If you love a fiery kick, leave the seeds in or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the spice blend.