A Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup filled with vegetables, chicken, chipotle peppers and fresh cilantro. This is the best chicken tortilla soup, which I love to top with avocado. A healthy recipe that’s a definite crowd pleaser.
The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
Let’s take a break from all the Christmas foods, shall we?
After all I am a human, not just a blogger. I don’t sit around and eat appetizers, desserts, and sip cocktails all day during the Christmas season! I have to feed the fam just like you all. So here’s an old recipe that’s a classic in our house during the colder months. I made it last week and realized the photos needed a major face lift!
Chicken Tortilla Soup is a favorite. It’s basically the lighter version of chili and a more flavorful version of chicken noodle soup. Ya feel me? And believe me, this version is packed with a whole lot of flavor with veggies that are snuck in!
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup from Scratch:
- Add chicken breasts to a pot filled with broth and cook the chicken through. Remove chicken from broth and shred. Reserve broth.
- To a large dutch oven add onions and garlic. Saute until translucent.
- Add in chipotle peppers and smoked paprika. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Add in diced fire roasted tomatoes, zucchini and squash. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add shredded chicken, reserved chicken broth, corn, lime juice and fresh cilantro.
- Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve. (top with avocado slices and fresh cilantro)
Is Chicken Tortilla Soup Healthy?
The answer is anything can if you are conscious what you’re adding to it. For example, everything added into the soup is “clean”, gluten free and paleo. I topped it with just avocado, sticking with the paleo theme. So honestly this soup is very healthy. However, if you want to top it with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips well… that’s gonna add so more “unhealthy” elements to the soup. All that to say, be conscious of what you’re adding!
Can Chicken Tortilla Soup be Frozen?
Yes. Just allow the soup to cool. Place in a freezer storage bag or air tight container and place in freezer. Should keep up to 2 months. To thaw out, remove from freezer and place in refrigerator for 24 hours.
Ok. So now you’re all set to eat the BEST Chicken Tortilla Soup of your life. I even gave Maddie some of this and she absolutely loved it. Especially the broth, girlfriend knows where the flavors at!
Take a break from all the hustle, bustle and holiday food to indulge on this light healthy soup recipe! You’re gonna savor every bite. I guarantee it!
Bon Appetit friends!
Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10-12 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup filled with vegetables, chicken, chipotle peppers and fresh cilantro. Top this chicken tortilla soup with avocado for a healthy recipe that’s a definite crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
- 6 cups of Low-sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large Chipotle Pepper (from can of Chipotle Pepper in Adobe sauce)
- 1 teaspoon of sauce from Chipotle Pepper can
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 28 oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 large zucchini, diced
- 1 large yellow squash, diced
- 15 oz. can of sweet corn {no salt & sugar added}, drained
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 2 large limes
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- To a medium sauce pan add chicken broth, bay leaf and boneless chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, poach the chicken so it is cooked all the way through, approximately 10-15 minutes. (depending on size of chicken breasts)
- Heat a large stockpot or dutch oven to medium high heat, add coconut oil, diced onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent.
- Then add minced chipotle pepper, chipotle pepper sauce and smoked paprika. Stir and let cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Then add diced fire roasted tomatoes. Stir and let cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add diced zucchini and squash. Season with salt & pepper. Stir and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- By this time the chicken should be done. Remove the chicken from the pot of broth {reserve broth} and shred chicken using two forks. To the dutch oven add, sweet corn {drained}, shredded chicken, lime juice, fresh cilantro and chicken broth.
- Turn heat down to medium low and let simmer for 30 minutes to let all flavors absorb.
- Optional toppings: diced avocado, cheese (Cheddar or Queso Fresco)
- Serve with crunchy bread or with crushed tortilla chips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 372 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
Keywords: chicken tortilla soup, easy chicken tortilla soup, healthy chicken soup, easy soup recipes, healthy comfort food, kid friendly recipes, gluten free soup recipes, gluten free recipes, paleo soup recipes, paleo recipes, easy chicken tortilla soup, best chicken tortilla soup, authentic chicken tortilla soup
Filed Under:
Want More Chicken Soup Recipes?
Crock Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Healthy Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
29 comments on “Easy & Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup”
This sounds amazing! I want to dive into my screen!
★★★★★
SO flavorful! Love all the added veggies, too!
★★★★★
This is the soup season and I love it! This Chicken Tortilla Soup looks so hearty!
★★★★★
Definitely my kind of soup! Your pictures look amazing too!
Exactly what I am craving right now! I need to make this soup soon!
This is such a filling soup! Love all the veggies its so festive and flavorful, can’t wait to try this!
★★★★★
OMG I am seriously in love with the flavors in this soup.
Just made this for dinner tonight. It was DELICIOUS!!! I used 1 lime rather than 2. I added carrots and forgot the corn. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. It’s been a loooong time since I’ve had a good tortilla soup.
Yeah! So glad to hear it Nicole. The carrot addition in that sounds awesome! Carrots are always a great addition into any soup if you have them just lying around. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and letting me know how it turned out, your so sweet!
Hi Krista – glad you had a good vacation!!! Thanks for linking this up to our MM party – I’m pinning and sharing on FB this week!
Thanks Deb! 🙂 Everybody needs to get a way every once in a while and just relax. Hopefully you get one soon too! Thanks for hosting such a great party, and for the pin and facebook love!
Your chicken tortilla soup looks so good! It’s one of my favorite soups to make, and I love how you used the zucchini and squash, I’ll have to add those next time! Looks fabulous!!
Thanks Maria! I just started adding that and love it, more veggies and the texture it adds to the soup is great!
I love chicken tortilla soup! And how great that you got away for your anniversary! My husband and I are wanting to do that next year for our 10th anniversary!
Thanks Kathy, we had a blast and loved every minute of it. You should definitely do it! 10 years is a good reason to 🙂 Where do you want to go?
I’m so jealous of your Mexico vacation! That sounds so nice! My husband I went to two different places in Mexico before we had kids, but we haven’t had a real vacation like that in many years. Maybe we can go back soon!
I LOVE Mexican food, and this tortilla soup looks delicious. I especially love how bright and crisp the photo is. Beautiful! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
You totally should. Mike and I went 2 years ago, found a great deal with flight, hotel, and all-inclusive on orbitz. Do it, the all-inclusive is the best route to go. You don’t have anything to worry about just show up and eat and drink. 🙂
Thanks for the foodie love, tortilla soup is my favorite this time of year. 🙂 Hope you have a great rest of the day Andi!
Happy belated anniversary, Kristin…glad y’all had such a fun trip! And this soup sounds delicious…beautiful pictures, too! 🙂
Thank you Samantha! 🙂 Your so sweet! Thank you for stopping by!
Hi Krista! Hope you have a wonderful trip and a fantastic anniversary! We’re glad that you are back! This soup looks amazing and great photo – pinning! Welcome back!!!
Thanks Cindy your too sweet. We did have a great trip, it was weird and nice unplugging from anything electronic. But back in the swing of things today, missed all you girls so much! 🙂
Looks so yummy, Krista! How was your trip! Missed you!!
Hey Girl! It was absolutely wonderful! We definitely had a blast and made lots of memories. It was nice to be “unplugged” from everything for a while. So glad to be back and playing with my little guy again, missed him alot, and glad to be back in a routine again. 🙂 Thanks so much for asking sweet friend!
Okay- 1—YUM!! 2— how fun & Happy Anniversary & 3– these images are BEAUTIFUL! Hugs!
Okay 1: So YUM!!! 2: Had a blast! and 3: Thanks… your so sweet, means alot coming from a expert like you!!! 🙂
I love that you put squash in this! I don’t think I’ve ever done that with chicken tortilla soup and yet it makes so much sense. I can’t wait to try this!
Thanks Dani! 🙂 I just load it with all the veggies I could, its so much better than just eating broth. haha.. Can’t wait to hear how you like it!
Sounds like you had a great trip. It is always good to take a break 🙂 I love chicken tortilla soup so I will have to try your recipe soon!
It definitely was! I was nice to just unplug from social media, emails, web surfing, and all things electrical to just focus on each other and read some good books. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the soup my friend!