Classic Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

The hearty, spicy flavors of a classic chicken tortilla soup are enough to warm you up from the inside, out. But you don't have to reserve your soup cravings for the cold winter months. This tortilla soup recipe is the perfect light option for a summer evening, especially when served with fresh avocado, lime, a dollop of sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), and a cold Mexican beer. And the best part about this classic recipe is just how easy it is to make.

"I love that this recipe tastes a lot more complicated than it is...It takes less than 30 minutes to cook, so it's so easy to make," says recipe developer Michelle McGlinn. "This is a very classic chicken tortilla soup recipe — the only ingredient I added to be special was the chipotle seasoning. I love chipotle and the seasoning is super easy to add instead of paprika or cayenne. If you love chipotle, you could actually add a few canned chipotles in adobo sauce to make a truly smoky, spicy soup." So whether it's the dead of winter or the middle of summer, there's a place in your dinner rotation for this simple and tasty soup recipe. As long as you have about 30 minutes to whip up a meal, you can delight your family with spicy, Mexican flavor .

You can make this soup using just one pot by making your tortilla strips in your soup pot before making the actual soup. Simply cut the tortillas into ¼-inch wide strips, about 2-inches long. Heat a small amount of oil in your soup pot (a Dutch oven would work, too) over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tortilla strips and cook them, stirring frequently with a spatula, until they're golden and crispy. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes. Then, transfer the strips to a paper towel-lined plate to let them cool. 

Of course, McGlinn adds that you can save a little time by cooking them in a separate skillet as your soup cooks, but you'd have to dirty a second pan. So it really comes down to whether you want to clean two dishes, or one. Or, if you'd rather not mess with the fuss at all, you can skip the homemade strips and use store-bought chips or strips, instead. "I have used tortilla chips to scoop up my soup and I've used the pre-made tortilla strips in a pinch. Neither are very expensive and can save you time," McGlinn admits. "However, if you have the tortillas on hand — I always do — it's so easy to make your own and you can add salt or flavor them however you'd like. I think sprinkling them with Tajin would be awesome." 

Once the chicken has cooked through, carefully remove the chicken breasts from the pot and set them on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken, but if the chicken doesn't shred easily, return it to the pot to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. "The beauty of making shredded chicken is that it's very easy and so tender. Most chicken tortilla soups will have shredded chicken, likely because the chicken you'd find in tacos is often shredded. It's so tender and flavorful that way, and cooking it whole is really the best way to achieve the shredded quality," McGlinn says. But she adds that if you're looking to save some time, you can simply use a pre-cooked grocery store rotisserie chicken, shred it, and add it to the soup to heat.