Chicken Tortilla Soup
You know, some people are really organized. They plan, they plot, they write things down and take notes. They prepare ahead of time and they know exactly what they are going to be doing on any given day at any given moment. I know this because I am the daughter of one of them and married to another.
As for me, though, I couldn’t be further from that whole “organization” scenario. I wake up and I think “Hmm, what am I in the mood to write about today?” Posts are never planned or written ahead of time, even though I really should. Sometimes I photograph them ahead of time and then just let the photos sit there until I’m in the mood to write about it. Sometimes I forget I photographed something and end up photographing the entire recipe twice before I actually bring it to you – which just gives me a chance to laugh at myself. You know, you just can’t go wrong having a good laugh at yourself from time to time.
Occasionally I have folks who want to know my blogging schedule or when I plan on running a particular recipe and such, and I guess they just have to live with the same thing my husband has to live with. Eventually people I work with “get” me and come to see that I’ve figured out how to make who I am work. I do feel for them though! The great thing is that it takes all kinds of people to keep the world spinning and just as folks like me would be lost without the organized folks, I think we just might keep things lively for the more structured among us. It is what is and you are who you are. Give yourself a break and enjoy being you!
So today, in my “What do I feel like writing about today” moment, I found myself wanting wanting chicken tortilla soup something fierce. Thankfully, I already had it photographed so I can bring it to you and then head on up to the grocery store and get what I need to make it for supper tonight.
I hope your day is sunny and bright. If not in weather terms, at least in terms of your disposition. Have a great day and if you have a minute, let me know what you’re cooking for supper tonight in the comments section! That’s always a fun conversation that inspires everyone!
Now don’t go running away at how many ingredients this has,
I promise it is going to be VERY easy to make!
You’ll need: Water, Chopped green chilies, enchilada sauce, crushed (or diced) tomatoes, chicken broth, corn, onions, chili powder, minced garlic, ground cumin, and some cilantro.
Whew, that really is a long list but seriously, it’s easy. I’m using frozen corn because it is what I had but canned is just fine. I use crushed tomatoes often because my husband is not so much a fan of tomato pieces in his soups and stews. Just work with this and make it fit your pantry and whatever you have on hand. The one thing you really are gonna need is the seasonings and the enchilada sauce to give it that flavor.
You’ll also need some cooked, shredded chicken and some corn tortillas.
A lot of times when I’m here by myself during the day I’ll run to the grocery store and grab a rotisserie chicken to eat a bit of for lunch. I cut off a little for me and then shred the rest to use in making a recipe like this for supper. A cooked rotisserie cost about the same as an uncooked fryer so it works out to be a pretty good deal!
Now comes the easy part.
We’re gonna dump everything in a pot.
Corn, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chilies…
Cumin
chili powder
cilantro
garlic
also toss in your chicken and your onion and..yeah so you get the idea.
Basically we are throwing everything in but the toppings.
Everything.
Dump it.
In a pot.
See? Easy!
and stir it up.
Place this on medium or medium high heat and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes.
Now we need to have our tortillas cut into strips and I’ve found the easiest way to do this for me is to just stack a few of them up and have at them with my pizza cutter.
We’re using corn tortillas here which some of y’all may remember I don’t particularly care for, but they are very good in this! This and the King Ranch casserole are the only times I go near the things, bless their little vegetable hearts.
Toss those in
and stir again
Now cook for about another ten minutes and it’s ready to serve!
Top with sour cream and cheese if you like (and I like!).
Serve in a pretty Jewel Tea Autumn Leaf bowl (okay, that isn’t a requirement but still..)
Enjoy !
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 14 ounce can chicken broth (or 1 1/2 c water and two bouillon cubes)
- 29 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 11 ounce can enchilada sauce
- 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
- 2-3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded (can use more if you like)
- 2 cups frozen corn (or 2 cans corn, drained)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4-5 six inch corn tortillas
- Toppings: cheese, sour cream, etc for toppings
Instructions
- Dump everything except toppings and corn tortillas in a large pot. Place over medium to medium high heat and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer thirty minutes.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut each tortilla into thin strips. Place in soup and cook ten minutes more before serving.
- Serve soup with desired toppings. Great if made a day or two ahead of time to make get togethers easier!
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Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 14 ounce can chicken broth (or 1 1/2 c water and two bouillon cubes)
- 29 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 11 ounce can enchilada sauce
- 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
- 2-3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded (can use more if you like)
- 2 cups frozen corn (or 2 cans corn, drained)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4-5 six inch corn tortillas
- Toppings: cheese, sour cream, etc for toppings
Instructions
- Dump everything except toppings and corn tortillas in a large pot. Place over medium to medium high heat and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer thirty minutes.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut each tortilla into thin strips. Place in soup and cook ten minutes more before serving.
- Serve soup with desired toppings. Great if made a day or two ahead of time to make get togethers easier!
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Sep 15 2010. Filed under Main Course, Soups and Stews.
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Here is how I make chicken for recipes like this–I put some frozen, yep, frozen chicken breasts in a crockpot with a jar of salsa, any kind, and a pack of taco seasoning. Cook it for about 4-6 hours. Then, shred it. Then, freeze it in smaller packages and pull it out for any recipes–enchiladas, quesadillas, soups, Mex casseroles (like king ranch) or whatever. SO CONVENIENT and yummy!
What a great idea! I use my crockpot a lot. I am always throwing frozen chicken in there with something and have it for dinner.. but never thought to freeze it and save for another recipe later. Going to do this this weekend!
I cook my chicken in big batches in my electric pressure cooker with the spices.Then I freeze it for later use .I can cook chicken in about 15 minutes .I love my cooker .Best thing I have ever bought for my kitchen.I can cook dried beans while my cornbread and maybe vegetables are cooking .
nice idea
I have a pair of wallpaper scissors (they are extra long) just for the kitchen. It is so easy to cut tortillas, sandwiches, cooked chicken or anything that needs cutting. Plan to serve this soup for Kappler Tuesday, the night the whole family comes for supper. Can’t wait. I’m looking for a recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip pie for dessert.
I made this last night and it was SO good. Next time I make it I thinl I will use alittle less corn and a little more chicken but otherwise it was great! Tasted wonderful and was SO easy. Thanks Christy!
I’m not a fan of soup but the pictures and recipe sounded so good I decided to make if for dinner tonight. I dumped everything in the slow cooker, using four chicken breasts since they were on the small side, and cooked all day. We all loved it. This is a wonderful recipe; very flavorful. Thank you for sharing it.
Could you use flour tortillas for this recipe? I don’t like corn tortillas, or do the corn one’s hold up better for the recipe?
So, I searched and searched and SEARCHED variations of chix tort soup and FINALLLLY came to this website. I cant tell you how finding this recipe made my day… i was winner winner chicken dinner.. Anyhow, I did use blacken seasoning on my chicken while I sauteed in the onion and garlic.. then I added cayenne! We love spicy, even my two yr old, thank goodness! I just want to say I love your site and LOVE the fact you are budget friendly. Ever since Wal Mart went to white labels for great value, my kitchen cabinets and frig are WHITE.. LOL
A cold day like today is perfect for this soup! It’s good especially with the extra add-ons! I made it ahead of time and the corn tortillas disintegrated! So next time I’ll add them right before we are ready to eat and probably only cook another couple of minutes.
This recipe is delicious…..I made it this weekend! Luv, Luv, Luv…♥♥
Made this last night.. OMgoodness.. it was so good.. My family loved it. I didn’t have any dried clilanto so I used fresh…still good.. the only thing I did different was I fried up some very skinny tortillas and added them to the top of the soup. It gave some really good flavor and crunch… Yummmm loving your site.. Thanks Christy..
This was so good! I needed something different for a soup recipe, and this one sounded intriguing. Oooh-wee! My family loved it! I got a little heavy handed with the cheese (oops! wink) and it reminded me of one of my favorite dishes, cheese enchiladas. M-m-m-m-m…..
[...] rather than writing for my own. It’s my aunt’s birthday and tonight I’m making Chicken Tortilla Soup from Southern Plate for our family. If anyone has a great jalapeno cornbread recipe I’d love [...]
Love this recipe. I made it for a freezer meal exchange and everyone clamored for the recipe! Thanks Christy. Only change I made was I only put in one 14 oz can of diced tomatoes instead the big can of crushed.
I am so glad to hear it was such a hit!!!
You forgot the jabenero peppers in adobo sauce lol (is that what they’re called?) This is my husband’s favorite soup (from a can Campbell’s select I think it was) so I will def try your recipe
hot and muggy here today though 
This is a great recipe………for the corn tortillas, I cut them as you do except I put them in the oven and bake until crisp. Everyone then adds them to their soup as needed and the crispy chips really make a difference. We also dice or slice up avocados to sprinkle on top when the soup is served.
ok here’s my supper tonight(got out of towners coming in from Georgia)… Swiss Cheese Chicken, fresh green beans, mashed potatoes, fried okra, slaw, pasta salad, sliced tomatoes and cornbread. Sure you don’t want to come join us?
I made loaded potato soup today, but this is definitely one I want to try.
I love this recipe. I omit the tortilla chips and use the lime flavored tostito chips. Let everyone decide how many chips they want. The lime is a great compliment to the soup!
I just made this Thursday night. I absolutely love it.
[...] Chicken Tortilla Soup [...]
Delicious! I followed the recipe exactly except I forgot to drain the corn (oops!) and it was PERFECT! Love this one.
Hello,
Your recipe is VERY good…
FYI
the variety in Texas that the Mex-restaurants, even the Mansion at Turtle Creek serve … drains and washes the diced tomatoes… the soup remains clear chicken broth with the veggies (carrots, small corn on the cob, red/green bell pepper, even zucchini & yellow squash, green onion). cumin, mexican oregano, garlic for spice, (the enchilada sauce, green chilies & chili powder are left out) the soup is then topped with fresh diced avocado, a squeeze of lime or lemon,and Mexican white cheese (mozzarella or Monterrey Jack cheese can be substituted).
The soup looks and sounds really good, but what caught my eye the most was the bowl…my mom had a whole set of those bowls and dishes….thanks for a nice childhood memory of Mr. Kramer, our Jewel man!!!!!
This soup is to die for.
Thanks Christy.
I’ll be making this later this week! So tasty and so easy! Thanks for sharing this, Christy!
Thank you Christy! Your chicken tortilla soup was the best! It sure hit the spot on this cold evening.
I am so glad to hear that you liked it Katrina!! It sure has been cold hasn’t it?!
I had this last night for supper. Wonderful cold weather meal! I bet it tastes even better tonight…
We had this for supper tonight, omitted the water and used 32 oz of chicken broth instead of water, and I cute my corn tortilla’s in strips as Christy said but I fried them in my fryer at 350 degrees and then just used them like crackers…delish! Thanks for such an easy and delicious recipe!
thank you for this fantastic recipe! it was my first time making soup and it turned out just delicious!! I did make a few improvisations….added a can of drained black beans, also I only had one can of fire roasted tomatoes so I added two fresh diced roma tomatoes….and used about a 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro. I also added a few shakes of crushed red pepper. I garnished with cheese, avocado, sour cream and store-bought tortilla chips instead of adding the strips. Next time I may saute my onion and garlic first, but I am THRILLED at how good this turned out and am LOVING IT!! lots left for lunch this week too! thanks for a terrific recipe!!!
I want to tthank you for such an amazing web site… i an now obsessed wth this awsome site…i have now found myway back to the kitchen…my family wants to thank you too….i have enjoyed everything i have made…….lots of love to u from texas city texas…keep u the great work…..
Oh wow, thank you so much! I am so glad you found me and love having you as a part of the Southern Plate family!! Love hearing that you found your way back to the kitchen and am glad to hear that you found some recipes you liked!!
I make it very much the same way, except I leave out the tortillas and just add tortilla chips to the top when served with a glob of sour cream and salsa!
Is this ok in the slow cooker?
Yes ma’am! It’ll be great! Low 7-8 hours or high 3-4
Our tractors crank the same…Christy, you are my kind of girl! I too am the unorganized one who flows with the moment and makes it happen without all the preplanning. I cook the same too – whatever will be, will be!
This is good.. i made it for dinner tonight… only I think next time, I will use half the amount of corn and reduce the amount of tomatoes. In a few bites, it reminded me of your chicken stew which I’m not a big fan of. I also oppsed and used the entire can of 28 oz of enchilada sauce. though, i think that was a winner factor..
This was delicious!!! My boys loved it. Thank you so much!!
Just gotta say how much I love this recipe. It is easy and so yummy. I use chipotle chilli powder and it adds an extra smokiness to the soup. If I do it in the crockpot I just throw the chicken in raw and then pull it apart once it is finished cooking. I have made it several times for meal swaps and I always make sure to make extra for at home. We keep it in the freezer and pull it out for easy dinner! Thank you so much for this one especially! I share it with friends whenever I get the chance!
Have you ever made this in the crock pot? If so, how did it turn out? Thank you!
Sorry I read through the comments and saw that you already addressed that!! haha
Can’t wait to try this tasty sounding recipe….great replacement for chili with rice which is what I cooked in the crockpot saturday for supper after the football game….RTR ;D)
~giggles~ I had to sit here and ponder for a while as to what RTR meant. Then it hit me…LOL! I hope you enjoy the recipe!!
[...] when you get home, it’s bubbling hot. For this entirely awesome chicken tortilla soup, I used Christy Jordan’s recipe for inspiration. I also adapted it for my slow cooker because it’s so crazy awesome to put [...]
[...] when you get home, it’s bubbling hot. For this entirely awesome chicken tortilla soup, I used Christy Jordan’s recipe for inspiration. I also adapted it for my slow cooker because it’s so crazy awesome to put some [...]
Can I use flour tortillas some way ! Want to cook this today but don’t have the corn .wondered about just toasting in the oven.Cut them in strips first to serve with the soup .Gonna try that I think .Have a great day everyone .
Let me know how it turns out Ann! I hope you enjoy!!
If you plan to freezer some of this, would you leave out the tortillas until just before you serve it?
Yes Dianne. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
It’s on the stove now. Planning ahead for Christmas, so I’ll let you know.
I froze the soup minus the tortillas. Heated up fine from the freezer. I added the corn tortilla strips and cooked an additional 10 minutes but they disintegrated. (Read another comment that said the same thing.)
It thickened the soup and still tasted good but wondered if that’s what is supposed to happen. Maybe next time I’ll add tortilla chips on top instead.
Just have to thank you again for this recipe. Everytime I fix a batch of it we swoon all over again. Love it. And it makes a big enough batch that I can freeze some for those days when I do not feel like cooking. Great recipe.
I sometimes use 2 cans of hominy instead of corn or a can of each…….yummmm
I hate cilantro. I hope this recipes tastes good without it.
use parsley instead. i’m one (and maybe you are too)of those rare people that thinks cilantro tastes like soap/metal. it’s supposed to be a genetic thing.
How can anyone a recipe where the directions start with “dump everything….”?
How can anyone resist a recipe where the directions start with “dump everything….”?
How many servings does this soup make? Thanks, Barb
Delicious, made it this afternoon for supper tonite. Thanks for a great recipe.