Best Chicken Tortilla Soup

My neighbor Maria showed up at my door one rainy afternoon with a thermos of something that smelled like pure comfort—her abuela's chicken tortilla soup. She left it with barely an explanation, just a knowing smile. That first spoonful, with the lime cutting through the warmth and those tortilla strips catching on my spoon, made me understand why she'd driven across town. Now I make it whenever someone needs feeding, and it's become my own kind of showing up.

I made this soup the night before a big work presentation, needing something to do with my hands that wasn't refreshing my email. My partner came home, smelled it simmering, and just sat at the counter without saying anything—sometimes that's all the encouragement you need. We ate it in our pajamas at nine p.m., and somehow I showed up the next day less terrified and more ready.

Ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2, about 400 g): These cook gently in the broth and shred into tender pieces; don't skip simmering time or they'll be dry.
• Yellow onion (1 medium, diced): The foundation of flavor—it's worth taking a minute to dice it properly so it softens evenly.
• Garlic (2 cloves, minced): Add this after the onions have sweetened, otherwise it can turn bitter and ruin the whole mood.
• Red bell pepper (1, diced): It adds both sweetness and structure, keeping the soup from tasting one-note.
• Frozen or canned corn (1 cup, drained): Fresh corn is wonderful in season, but frozen works just as well and honestly tastes better in winter.
• Jalapeño (1, seeded and finely chopped, optional): Remove the seeds if you want heat without overwhelming everything else; leave them in only if you love a serious kick.
• Lime (1, juiced): This is non-negotiable—it's what makes the soup sing instead of just sit there.
• Fresh cilantro (1/4 cup, chopped): Some people hate it, and that's okay; if you're one of them, use fresh parsley instead and don't feel guilty about it.
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes (1 can, 400 g): The charred flavor in canned tomatoes is actually better than fresh here; they add depth without extra work.
• Low-sodium chicken broth (1 liter): Taste your broth first—some brands are saltier than others, which changes everything.
• Bay leaf (1): Don't forget to fish this out before serving, or just tell people it's an optional challenge.
• Chili powder (1 1/2 teaspoons): This is your main spice, so use one you actually like; cheap chili powder tastes cheap.
• Dried oregano (1 teaspoon): Mexican oregano is slightly different and a tiny bit better, but regular works fine.
• Ground cumin (1/2 teaspoon): Toast it gently in the pot before adding liquid to wake up its flavor.
• Smoked paprika (1/2 teaspoon): This gives you a campfire whisper of smoke without needing actual fire.
• Salt and black pepper (to taste): Taste as you go and adjust at the end; your palate will thank you.
• Corn tortillas (4, cut into thin strips): Fresh tortillas work, but slightly older ones crisp up better in the oven.
• Olive oil (1 tablespoon for tortilla strips, plus 1 for the pot): Don't use your best oil for the tortillas—regular olive oil is fine and won't waste something special.

Instructions

Transfer liquids, oils, and dry ingredients cleanly into bottles and jars while cooking or baking.

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Get those tortilla strips golden:

Preheat your oven to 180°C and toss the tortilla strips with a tablespoon of oil, spreading them on a baking sheet. Watch them around the 10-minute mark because they can go from golden to bitter in what feels like a second; flip them once and pull them out when they're actually crispy, not just warm.

Build your flavor base:

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño if using. Let them soften for four to five minutes while you listen to them sizzle, then add the garlic and cook it for just a minute until it stops smelling raw and starts smelling alive.

Wake up the spices:

Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pot. Stir it all together for about thirty seconds so the spices bloom in the hot oil and release their actual flavor instead of staying flat and one-dimensional.

Let the chicken simmer:

Add the chicken breasts, tomatoes with their juice, corn, bay leaf, and chicken broth, then bring everything to a boil before turning the heat down. Simmer uncovered for twenty minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender; you'll know it's done when you can pull a piece apart with a spoon.

Shred and finish:

Pull out the chicken breasts, shred them gently with two forks until they're in bite-sized pieces, and return them to the pot. Squeeze in the lime juice, scatter the cilantro over everything, taste it carefully, and adjust the seasoning if it needs more salt, acid, or heat.

Serve with intention:

Fish out the bay leaf, ladle the soup into bowls, and top each one with a handful of crispy tortilla strips and whatever toppings you've gathered. The beauty of this soup is that everyone can make it exactly what they need it to be.

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A friend who usually orders delivery stopped by after I posted a photo of this soup, and she ate three bowls. She asked for the recipe right there at the table, which was its own kind of compliment. Now when she makes it, she sends me a photo, and somehow that feels like the whole point of cooking.

The Tortilla Strip Trick

The difference between good tortilla strips and great ones comes down to one thing: they need space on the baking sheet. Crowded strips steam instead of crisp, and steamed tortilla strips are basically just sad chips. Give them room, flip them halfway through, and pull them out while they still bend slightly—they'll keep crisping as they cool, which is when the magic happens. Store them in an airtight container and they'll stay crispy for a day, which means you can make them ahead if you're the type of person who plans things.

When You Need It to Be Faster

Buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred it while it's still warm, and skip the simmering step entirely—just warm everything else through and add the chicken at the end. This changes your cooking time from forty-five minutes to about twenty, which is the move when you're tired or hungry or both. The soup won't have quite the same deep flavor from slow cooking, but it'll still taste like someone who cares made it, and sometimes that's enough.

Variations That Actually Work

This soup is flexible in the way good food should be. If you love heat, leave the seeds in the jalapeño and add a pinch of cayenne near the end. For vegetarian versions, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and add a can of black beans for protein, then let it all simmer together. You can even add a diced zucchini or a handful of spinach in the last few minutes, and it'll only make the soup feel more like a complete meal.

• Substitute lime with fresh lemon if that's what you have, and the soup will taste different but still true to itself.
• Use smoked paprika generously—it's the ingredient that makes this taste Mexican-inspired rather than generic.
• Serve with warm tortillas or crusty bread to soak up the broth, because every spoonful matters.

Keeps spoons and utensils off counters while cooking, catching drips and keeping your stovetop clean.

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Save

This soup has become the thing I make when I'm not sure what else to say, and somehow it always says exactly what needs saying. It's warm, it's generous, and it never apologizes for being simple.

Recipe Questions

→ Can I make this soup spicier?

Yes, leave the seeds in the jalapeño or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to increase the heat level to your preference.

→ Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken breasts?

Absolutely. Use shredded rotisserie chicken and add it during the last 5-10 minutes of simmering to heat through.

→ How do I make this vegetarian?

Omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth. Add black beans or extra corn for protein.

→ Can I freeze this soup?

Yes, freeze the soup without the tortilla strips. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop.

→ How long do the tortilla strips stay crispy?

The strips stay crispy for several hours at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container and add them just before serving.