This delicious and healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is made with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes. It’s easy to throw together and uses basic pantry ingredients.
This is one of my go-to recipes when I want something easy to make that’s healthy but also comfort food. Other favorite healthy comfort foods of mine include these Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas, and Thai Basil Beef, and Chicken Fajita Pasta.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
I’m all about soups this time of year, especially when they’re quick and easy! You can make this chicken tortilla soup in about 30 minutes, or I’ve also included directions to make it in the slow cooker or instant pot so that you can make it in whatever way is most convenient for you. It’s healthy, flavorful, and just plain GOOD!
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup:
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, black beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Cut chicken into a few pieces and add to the pot. Cook for 7-10 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the pot along with the corn and lime juice.
- Serve topped with fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado.
Can I make it in the slow cooker? Yes!
- After sautéing the vegetables in step 1, add them to the slow cooker along with the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chilies, spices, chicken breasts and black beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the soup along with corn and lime juice. Serve with desired toppings.
Can I make it in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker? Yes!
- Heat the Instant Pot to Sauté and add oil. Sauté the vegetables and garlic. Turn the pot off.
- Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chilies, spices, chicken breasts and black beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure.
- Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the soup along with corn and lime juice. Serve with desired toppings.
Substitutions:
This recipe is really forgiving, so substitute things you have on hand, rather than going to the store for a missing ingredient.
- Beans: you can use any kind but pinto beans and garbanzo beans would be great substitutes for black beans in this recipe.
- Bell peppers: use any color, or add another vegetable instead, like chopped zucchini, or even sweet potatoes.
- Diced Tomatoes: Use 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes in place of the 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes.
- Chicken broth: substitute vegetable broth.
- Corn: fresh or frozen corn will work.
To thicken the soup: I enjoy chicken tortilla soup with a thin broth base, but many people enjoy it with a thicker texture. Add a few chopped up corn tortillas, or a spoonful of corn flour to thicken the soup and give it great flavor.
Consider trying one of these classic soup recipes:
- Spicy Chicken Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Taco Soup
- Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Chile Verde Soup
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Recipe
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 bell pepper seeded, diced (any color)
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 4 ounce can mild diced green chilies
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 15 ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed
- 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cups frozen corn
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro , chopped
Topping Ideas:
- fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados, limes, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and saute for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, black beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Cut chicken into a few pieces and add to the pot. Cook for 7-10 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the pot along with the corn and lime juice.
- Serve with desired toppings, like fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado.
Notes
Nutrition
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe January 2015. Updated September 2019.
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I don’t like chicken so I added shredded chicken to individual bowls before I added the soup. I also used fire roasted tomatoes which added a little smoke flavor. I will make this again.
After eating really unhealthy the past few days, this tasted like a health potion! It’s seasoned well and I love the tomato taste in the background. My partner said he would have preferred it with a spicy kick, which would be tasty, but I love the seasonings as is.
An excellent chicken tortilla soup recipe. It was an all around hit with my family! I’ll keep this recipe in my recipe file!
I used smoked paprika instead of plain and added a cup of plain oatmilk with 3 tablespoons flour to thicken it just a bit. The spices were just right. I served it with avocado chunks, cilantro, lime wedges and crunchy thin pita strips.
This was a very good soup. I am allergic to chicken, so I substituted the chicken for turkey and used vegi broth. This was simple and easy to make.
The flavor of this soup was delicious. My husband loved it! I do have a question though. I like it a little thicker. How can I thicken it without losing the flavor?
You could add some corn tortillas, or corn meal. Or you could add a cornstarch slurry (a little cornstarch mixed with water).
This was great! I went for the crockpot version and made it with bone broth I made in my instant pot- yum!! Topped with sour cream guacamole and crushed tortilla chips. Even better the second day! We love all your recipes- thank you!!
Just put this into the IP for supper tonight; will repeat to have on-hand for late Christmas Day when tummies just want a little somethin’! Did you know there’s a typo where it says “1 cups frozen corn”? Hope your Christmas Day is full of warm memories!
Got an instapot 2 weeks ago and it is so amazing !! Made the Chicken Enchilada Soup tonight and it was AWESOME!! Can’t wait till tomorrow so I can have more. Also going to Instapot some ribs tomorrow. Thank you for this fantastic recipe Lauren and thanks for your recipes as well. French onion soup is next on my list.
This was so delicious! I love making things form scratch
This has been one of my staple meals for the last two years. Kids, now 10 and 12, love it. I always double the recipe and freeze some in single batches for lunches. I top it with avocados and put a big bowl of tortilla chips on the table.
Whoa, This looks amazing! Combining amazing things…
I believe my wife will be making this over the weekend. I am definitely pulling for that. Thanks!
Made this yesterday for my family of 6 plus my parents. I doubled the recipe and topped with avocado & tortilla chips and this was a huge hit with everyone! Even my 3 year old said it was good and ate about half his bowl- which is HUGE considering most of the time he refuses to eat more than a bite of his dinner. My 9 year old ate 3 bowls! 🙂 thanks!
YAY! Sounds like a total win and I couldn’t be happier to hear it! Thanks so much for commenting and following TBFS!
Looks wonderful and colorful! A slow cooker in the winter is definitely the best for making your house smell wonderful. Any dish that uses cilantro, too, is great by me.
I Just wanted to let you know that I stumbled onto your site through a friends. I have now made 8 of your recipes. All have turned out perfectly and quickly become family favorites. Your recipes are easy to follow and for someone who used to dread cooking. I have gained a lot of confidence. Thank you for your efforts. Please keep them coming.
Heather, thank you so much for you nice comment! Cooking really isn’t hard huh?! I’m glad you’re gaining confidence–I”m all about yummy, easy meals here. I only hope you keep trying and liking more of them! 🙂 Thanks again, Lauren
Adding the 2 ingredients I don’t already have on hand to my list… can’t wait to try this!
This sounds amazing! I love anything I can make in a crock pot! Plus side..I have been eating a lot of soup lately.
This soups sounds quite delicious! We would love for you to come over and share with us at the Souper Bowl Linky. It’s one week only and you can share up to 7 recipes!