How to make Chicken Tortilla Soup from scratch
This is our version of the tried and true Chicken Tortilla Soup and it is so easy. All you have to do is put everything in your dutch oven or slow cooker and you will come back to a perfectly delicious and cozy bowl of tortilla soup. It doesn’t get any better than that. Follow along as I show you How to make Chicken Tortilla Soup from scratch.
Why this soup is one of our favorites
Every week I roast a chicken. Chicken Tortilla Soup is a great way to use up the leftover chicken AND I usually have leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup that makes for a hearty lunch.
When I make my soup I like to use fire-roasted tomatoes and add in a can of diced, mild chili peppers. The chili peppers add a nice kick. Go with mild or medium! If you like a little extra spice, you can try chipotle peppers in adobo.
This soup can be made the afternoon you plan to serve it or if you want the flavors to really come out, I’d recommend cooking it early in the day and allow it to sit for a few hours prior to reheating and serving. I like this soup because, unlike many soaps and stews that require soaking beans or cooking stew meat, I can put this together fairly quickly. You’ll love the rich flavor of chicken tortilla soup, I promise!
How to make Chicken Tortilla Soup
There’s a couple ways to go about getting your chicken ready. I usually purchase a ready-to-eat organic chicken from my natural foods market. Alternatively you can purchase a thigh and breast meat pieces and grill them. If you happen to have leftover chicken in the refrigerator, add that in too! Once you’ve got your chicken cooked, put your onion and garlic in a dutch oven with a little coconut oil, salt, and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent. Add the rest of your ingredients and simmer for a few minutes. Add a little water if needed. After everything has cooked sufficiently to get the flavors blended, add your chicken or bone broth. If you’d like to learn how to make bone broth it’s easy. Head over to this blog post to read all the details. Add the chicken last and then allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
Don’t forget about the condiments! For us, that’s the best part. We like to add sliced avocado and lots of cilantro. You can also add green onion and corn for something a little different. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does!
Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is our version of the tried and true Chicken Tortilla Soup and it is so easy. All you have to do is put everything in your Dutch oven or slow cooker and you will come back to a perfectly delicious and cozy bowl of tortilla soup. It doesn’t get any better than that. Follow along as I show you How to make Chicken Tortilla Soup from scratch.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic, chopped
- 3/4 Tablespoon of ground Cumin
- 14 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups or more of beef, chicken, or bone broth plus water if more liquid is needed
- 4 to 6 ounce can of Ortega Chilies
- 1/2 Tablespoon of Chili Powder
- 14 ounce can of black beans
- 1 cup Hominy (made from cornmeal)
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked, or whatever chicken you have leftover
- 1 avocado
- Cilantro
- Tortilla chips
- Sour Cream
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
1. In a medium stock pot or Dutch oven, add olive oil and heat until it's sizzling.
2. Add diced onion and salt. Stir for a couple minutes until onion is translucent. Add chopped garlic and spices. Saute for another minute or so.
3. Stir in tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes
4. .Add Ortega Chili, beans, and hominy. Add enough broth to cover ingredients and simmer for a few minutes.
5. The final step is to add the cooked chicken. I use left over chicken from my roast that was prepared a few days prior. The pieces are cut up into small cubes or pieces.
6. Allow soup to simmer for 20 minutes or enough time for all the flavors to blend.
7. Serve with crushed or whole tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, and shredded cheese.
Notes
This is a quick evening meal so I like to make it during the week. It's also a great way to use up leftover chicken.
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Ingredients not listed
Hi Mary,
Looks like ingredients were replaced by process when my update was made. Thank you for letting me know. I have updated the post so you will see the ingredients now.
Leslie