Easy and healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup made with fresh tomatoes and topped with avocado and crispy tortilla strips.
It’s cold outside! So I’m thinking about snuggling up by the fire with a warm bowl of comfort food.
Bright and vibrant in both color and taste, this flavor-packed bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup is both light and healthy!
One of the things I love most about this soup, is that it uses fresh tomatoes. So many recipes use canned, and while some brands are excellent, I really love the fresh taste of ripened tomatoes.
Something else I love… using roasted chicken. If I’m making a dish that calls for shredded chicken, my favorite thing to do is pick up a whole roasted chicken from the grocery store. They’re often tender, juicy, and totally affordable. And anything that you can use to cut time in the kitchen without sacrificing flavor is always a winner in my book.
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more if you like spicier)
- 3 - 4 cups good quality, low sodium chicken stock
- 10 very ripe Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 roasted chicken, shredded
- 1 teaspoons Kosher salt
- Garnish
- 1 cup cooking oil
- 4 (6 inch) corn tortillas, cut into ¼-inch strips
- 1 avocado, diced
- cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- In a 6 quart pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and garlic sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Then add the spices and stir to coat.
- Raise the heat to high and add 2 cups of the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce for about 10 minutes.
- Add another cup of chicken stock, the tomatoes and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the bay leaves and using a hand blender or in a food processor, puree the soup until smooth. (If you desire a thinner soup, add the remaining cup of chicken stock until you reach the desired consistency, and bring back to simmer). Add the ½ cup of cilantro, shredded chicken, and salt. Stir and taste. Add more salt, if needed. Turn off the heat and cover while you work on the tortilla strips.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tortilla strips and fry for 45 seconds to a minute (the more you fry at one time, the longer it will take). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
- Divide up the soup among the bowls and garnish with avocado, tortilla strips, cilantro, and a lime wedge. Serve and enjoy!
happy holidays, kathleen!!! yes, it has been an eternity. i had a delusion i was spiderman whilst rock climbing and injured my stupid self. i have since been snacking from the hands of others aka take-out. since i live urban, the list of what to gorge upon is w-a-a-a-y crazy amazing, but i missed playing in the kitchen. i also ran out of salt-cured eggs two weeks back. ohhhhhhhhh, the tragedy of it all has been almost unbearable!!!! and you? how are you and all those you love? and the blog? i see i have sooooo much to catch up on here. i also see you are pushing a newsletter and ebook; i am ready to dive into it all 🙂 speaking of diving in… since i freak for tex-mex, i believe this is where i will re-begin my walk with you, sweet kathleen. i cannot believe from all the tortilla soups i have made and had love affairs with, i am thinking fresh tomatoes have never come into play. i missed you and your ways with recipes more than freshly baked still-warm banana bread and a stupid large mug of coffee on a cold snowy sunday morning wearing socks and wrapped up in a blanket with my furry four-legged shadow, jimi!!! lol @ how i just kept typing things that make me squeal. i will resume my dance with the kitchen by cooking up my weekly roast chicken and chicken stock, an awesome brioche doughnut recipe i grabbed from “butter and brioche” just now, and your chicken tortilla soup. look at the number of exclamation marks throughout this comment; each is sincere and sent with loads of love and hugs and kisses. thinking of how much i also adored playing around the teton range and beautiful yellowstone as i sign off here.
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you as well! I was thinking about you recently – it’s so great to hear from you again! Yikes, a rock climbing incident?! I hope you’re ok and are on the mend! I’m certain you have some pretty amazing food up your way and easy access to it, but I know what you mean about missing getting your hands dirty in the kitchen. Things here are going well. Our baby girl is due in 3 weeks… yikes! We’re super excited and just a bit nervous. Ok, really nervous. I have no clue what I’m doing, but fortunately hubby gets 4 weeks of paternity leave to help. I’m looking forward to the day when she can help me experiment in the kitchen 🙂
It was so great to hear from you and I hope you’re feeling better! Wishing you nothing by happiness in the New Year!
Love the use of fresh tomatoes in this soup! Looks warm and cozy and perfect for this fall. Hope you are doing well little mama…
this looks so good that i’ve just tossed my dinner plans and am making this tonight! i have all the ingredients handy. can’t wait!
update…made it for dinner. HUGE hit with the husband, kids and me! this is a keeper!
I love Jackson Hole, WY! It’s so gorgeous there, and the people are so friendly. I have a lot of good memories from my trip to WY. Hope Mr. HNN enjoys it just as much as you have <3 This soup is right up my ally too. I've been looking for a chicken tortilla soup recipe, and now I've got it! <3
Looks delicious, I have not tried chicken tortilla soup yet, but it has all the flavours I love so much so I will be giving this recipe a try soon.
I love using fresh tomatoes in a soup. I have never made tortilla soup and now I have this delicious recipe. Enjoy your trip to Jackson Hole.
Hi Kathleen. No, I’ve never heard of a baby-moon either, but now you’re giving me ideas! I must admit we’ve started doing things like going to the movies more often, because we know we soon won’t be able to any more!
The soup sounds incredible – definitely something I’d order if I saw it in a restaurant. I especially love the sound of those wonderful toppings. Soups, curries and stews are all taken from good to excellent with great toppings, in my humble opinion!
So glad you are getting away for a Babymoon, Kathleen! Rebecca and Brian did as well and it was a wonderful break for them. (They had a boy, Zachary Joseph, Sept. 7. He’s beyond adorable, says Grammalane!) And I love Tortilla Soup but have yet to make it from scratch. Now I have no excuses!
Well a big congratulations to you and your family, Marlene! That’s such wonderful news!
Definitely love this!!!! And I am with you…I love showing people new places, shows, songs or recipes anything really…. I just love watching people’s reactions to that stuff 🙂 And this soup! I AM SOOOO loving it… like really. I love that creamy aspect. But you know I am going to totally make this without the chicken right 🙂 Funny enough I have only used fresh tomatoes on accident once when I didn’t have the canned stuff and I did really like it! Have fun baby mooning honey!
Definitely giving this a go and love all the toppings. Besides looking ridiculously creamy and comforting, I love this spices. Enjoy WY with Mr. HNN, cheers!