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Overhead view of two bowls of tortilla soup topped with avocado and tortilla chips, next to a bowl of chips, a bowl of limes, half an avocado, and parsley.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Katerina | Diethood
This hearty and healthy chicken tortilla soup has all of your favorite southwestern flavors. It's topped with crumbled chips and avocado, and has a nice spicy kick.
Servings : 8
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken:
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Soup:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 large carrot, sliced into thin rounds
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded, ribs removed, and sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin slices
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 6 cups chicken broth
Garnish:
  • crushed tortilla chips, for garnish
  • avocado slices, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375˚F.
  • Place chicken breasts in a large mixing bowl and season with garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, parsley, and olive oil. Mix until well combined.
  • Transfer the chicken breasts to a baking dish in a single layer.
  • Bake for 35 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts.
  • In the meantime, work on the soup; heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot set over medium-low heat.
  • Add the onions, carrots, and parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
  • Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.
  • Stir in the bell peppers, jalapeño, and garlic, and continue to cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or until the peppers are tender.
  • Remove the cooked chicken from the oven; let it rest for a few minutes then cut it into cubes or shred it.
  • Transfer the chicken to the soup pot.
  • Stir in the tomatoes and black beans and season with chili powder, paprika, and cumin. 
  • Add the chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Turn down to a simmer and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Taste for salt and pepper; adjust accordingly.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish it with tortilla chips and avocado slices.
  • Serve.

Notes

  • Chicken: This recipe involves cooking raw chicken breasts, but you can skip that step and use cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked and diced chicken breasts.
  • Chicken Broth: One of my delicious secrets when making soup is to use homemade broth. However, you can use whatever broth you have on hand, including vegetable broth. Also, if you like a brothier soup, add more than the suggested amount of liquid.
  • Spice: I like a kick of spice in my soup, so I added jalapeños and chili powder, but if you want a milder soup, dial back on those ingredients. You can also add more of them if you want extra heat.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 6 months.
  • Reheat on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave on 80% power in 20-second increments. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5 cups | Calories: 256 kcal | Carbohydrates: 17 g | Protein: 20 g | Fat: 13 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g | Trans Fat: 0.1 g | Cholesterol: 44 mg | Sodium: 438 mg | Potassium: 742 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 2503 IU | Vitamin C: 27 mg | Calcium: 64 mg | Iron: 3 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican/Southwest
Keyword: best chicken tortilla soup recipe, chicken taco soup, chicken tortilla soup, healthy chicken tortilla soup