Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have a new kitchen!!!! 

Well, not really new, more like a new-ish kitchen. Check out those brand spankin' new cabinets and countertops! 

For our first meal together, I decided to tackle Chicken Tortilla Soup! I've been hopping around lunch spots in town and had Chicken Tortilla Soup at Brazo's, Revolutionary Soup, and basically anywhere that will serve chicken and tortilla strips in a soup.

I'm still chasing a memory of the greatest version of this soup I've ever had - about 10 years ago, but this one is worth repeating. It's got the right amount of heat and is a tomato-base. 

Check out the original recipe HERE for 30-Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup from AverieCooks and my tweaks below!

You Will Need:

For the Tortilla Strips:

10 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch wide strip

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

For the Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and diced small

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes - juice and all!

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce canned whole-kernel corn

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

juice from 1 lime (about 3 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional and to taste

1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced

diced avocado, for serving

shredded cheese, for serving

sour cream, for serving

For the tortilla strips, preheat oven to 375-degrees, line a baking sheet with foil and loosely scatter the tortilla strips, evenly drizzle with olive oil, evenly sprinkle with salt, toss to coat evenly, and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until crisp and lightly golden brown. Set aside while preparing the soup.

For the Soup, to a large dutch oven or stockpot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.

Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Stir gently and season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, black beans, corn, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil. Allow mixture to boil gently for aboutt 5-7 minutes. You can add water or broth if you like it thinner. I prefer mine thicker so I made a little slurry to thicken - (1 teaspoon of corn starch + 3-ish tablespoons of cold water, whisk with a fork and dump into soup to help thicken) but it's not necessary. 

Add the cooked chicken and taste, adding additional salt if necessary. Serve soup topped with tortilla strips and garnish with avocado, cheese, and/or sour cream; serving immediately.

Soup will keep airtight in fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer up to 6 months.

Yum Yum!

And as of all soups, but especially true of this one - it tastes so much better the next day! I've portioned them out into mason jars for the freezer for an easy lunch. Just pack the tortilla strips, avocado and cilantro separately and be the envy of everyone at lunchtime!