I LOVE chicken tortilla soup!
Love, love, love it!
The first time I had this glorious dish was in California & it just brings me back to that sunny place every time I eat it.
Chicken Tortilla Soup is something special – it’s one-of-a-kind. The only soup that is ALL. ABOUT. THE TOPPINGS. Yes, it’s crucial to get a good base soup that’s thick, savoury and delicious…but you make it a whole other experience with the toppings, and the more the better!
I promise, when you make this, because you will, you will love it forever and ever!
It’s easy, super versatile, healthy, quick, delicious, allergy-friendly depending on what you want on top and again, extremely delicious! You really can’t go wrong with this soup, that’s the beauty of it!
The only downside is we NEVER have leftovers… I’ll have to make a double batch next time!
If you are craving something different for your weeknight meal. This soup is it!
If you are looking for a healthy alternative that isn’t boring. This soup is it!
If you are having guests over and want to impress them without being scared of epically failing on a meal. This soup is it!
If the sky is blue and you are hungry. This soup is it!
You get the idea 🙂 Let me show you how to create bliss in a bowl.
Seasoning
First I want to break down the seasoning mix I use.
Traditional tortilla soups use a mix of seasonings like cumin, chili pepper, garlic etc. Which you can totally do! But we love cajun seasoning for our tortilla soup! It’s a bit different, but we find it really brings out the rest of the ingredients! We use this Cajun seasoning for our fajitas, tacos and most Mexican-Spanish inspired meals we cook. I am all about getting ingredients that you can use in a bunch of different meals, this seasoning is no exception!
The essential
Another essential part of this soup is my Milo cast-iron pot. I have made this soup in a stainless steel pot & an instant cooker, both never truly giving me the browned goodness of my veggies that come with a cast-iron pot. I can make a beautiful, big batch of soup in my Milo and it’s only $95 USD!
I cannot stress enough how differently a cast-iron pot cooks food…it’s almost unbelievable how different a meal can taste being cooked in one! These pots are typically SUPER expensive and a HUGE investment to make into your kitchen, but Milo gives you the quality & cuts out the middle-man so you can pay less!
Head on over to my Instagram because I am holding a GIVEAWAY for one right now! (ends 07/13/2018)
Okay, back to the soup!
The base
This tomato base is so so simple to create, especially if you have some leftover rotisserie chicken or make shredded chicken to put in your freezer – but honestly, you can cook up a couple chicken breasts in the oven while you prep the rest of the meal within 20 minutes!
Let the soup do it’s thing on the stove for about 45 minutes, stirring now and then, adding salt as needed. If tomatoes had a BAE, it would be salt. You don’t want to disappoint your soup, or yourself, by undersalting!
Prep all your toppings while this baby simmers.
Give me alllll the toppings!
Chop some onions, slice some avocado, shred the cheese…all that fun stuff! This is a good time to taste test your toppings…you know, just to make sure they are good! You can also add some salsa, I’ve heard of people adding a bit of queso, chopped jalapenos! Whatever your heart desires!
For the tortilla chips, since they are what makes a tortilla soup legit…we just use regular tortilla chips and break ’em apart a bit. You can definitely go seriously authentic and crisp up some corn tortillas and cut them into strips!
Side note: I am obsessed with what my Milo looks like mid-cooking. You can see how much the soup has cooked down, it’s all colorful and pretty around the sides – I love when pots look cooked in and used…having white enamel inside helps haha! I feel like it just makes your dish look so much yummier!
Once your soup is done let it rest for 20 minutes, then a few minutes before eating ladle it into bowls and toss in your tortilla chips and let them soften a little!
Have you ever seen anything so simple + delicious!? I PROMISE this will become a staple in your home! My kids adore it! I blended a bowl for my 1-year-old and he ate every bite!
Here’s the recipe, I would love to know how you like it!! Come back and tell me!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 whole Chicken Breasts skinless, boneless
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Onion diced
- 1/2 cup Yellow Bell Pepper diced
- 1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper diced
- 3 Garlic cloves Minced
- 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
- 4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
- 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 4 cups Hot Water
- 1 19 oz. can Black Beans Rinsed & drained
Toppings
- Tortilla chips
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Diced Avocado
- Diced green onions
- Grated Cheddar Cheese
- Cilantro
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees
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Mix 1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning and 1/2 tsp salt
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Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a generous amount of spice mix on both sides.
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Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done.
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Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.
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Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, yellow pepper and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix.
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Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.
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Using your hand, squish each tomato into the pot. I know it’s messy…but hey, from scratch recipes usually are 🙂 Pour in the rest of the tomato juices.
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Add chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.
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Check seasonings and add more if needed. Don’t under-salt!
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Cook for another 30 minutes.
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Turn off heat and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile prep the toppings!
This is one of my very favorite soups! I have never made it at home but I’m going to use your delicious sounding recipe and make it soon. It would be perfect on a rainy day like today! Oh, my, yum!
I loved this Soup but hadn’t ever thought of making it for myself, so I can’t wait to go grocery shopping to get the ingredients so I can make this for my lunches.
I am not a soup person however something just came over me and made me really want this soup – minus the tortilla strips – It just seems so comforting!
I’ve never had tortilla soup before. This soup looks so savory and yummy and the perfect comfort food.
A seasoned cast iron pan is a must for anyone who loves to cook. This soup looks so tasty and looks like it packs a whole lotta flavor.
For some reason I have never made this soup. I always have chicken on hand and this just sounds like a great filling comfort food soup.
Oh my gosh, this looks so delicious. I haven’t had a good chicken tortilla soup in ages. I’ll be making this soon!
What an awesome comfort dish that people will definitely enjoy! I think it’s something that I can make for dinner over and over again. It looks so good and packed with flavor! I am craving!
Been looking for some new recipes to try out and I am so glad I stumble upon your website. Now I have a new recipe to try on my own. Probably making this one soon over the weekend.
This looks great – and I love the idea of the fresh avocado on top. I haven’t had a soup like this before, and it sounds delicious.
I’ve only had broth based tortilla soup. This tomato based version looks BEYOND tasty! Can’t wait to try it!
What an awesome soup idea. I don’t eat chicken anymore, but my husband would probably love this.
The soup looks so delicious. I can’t wait to try the recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I can’t wait to try this soup out, my husband and I had chicken tortilla soup on our first meeting together by accident – this really made me smile!
That added avocado is very interesting. I would love to have a bow like this in front of me, I could gobble it up in no time lol.
I am yet to try tortilla soups, but this looks really tempting and great for a cold night in since it winter over here. I like that it is so simple to prepare.
I love anything-mex recipes, and this soup looks sooooo good. I’ll have to give it a try!
I love the way your soup turned out. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. I might try to make this next week. It looks delish!
I have not tried Tortilla soup yet. I’m not typically a spicy person – but this looks so good, I may just have to try it!
So good! Thanks for the awesome recipe. Totally delicious!
I love this- would the seasoning need to be altered at all if i take out the chicken? i know that would mess with the flavor but luckily not the base of the soup.
I have never tried chicken tortilla soup but this sounds great! I will definitely need to make this for my family!
this looks and sounds delicious. my daughters school menu said today was chicken tortilla soup day, and this post really makes me want some for myself. you think a 5 year old will mind eating the same soup twice in one week? haha
Oh my, this sounds delicious! I’ve never had chicken tortilla soup before but I am bookmarking this. I want to make it next time we have people over as it looks like something great for a crowd.
This Chicken Tortilla Soup looks yummy perfect for rainy weather! Thanks for sharing the ingredients I’ll try to make mine 🙂
Omg, I love Chick Fil-A’s tortilla soup–this reminds me so much of it! Makes me want to go make some right now!!
You and I are totally on the same page, Mama! The only reason we ever have leftovers of the two versions I make of this soup = because I always double or triple the batch so I can freeze some! Will have to give your version a try sometime, too! 🙂
This looks super delicious. I love chicken tortilla soup!! I will definitely have to make this!
I LOVE anything with Mexican ( I think it’s the cheese). This looks like something my kids would really enjoy as well. We’ll have to look at making this later this week for them.
I love the seasoning, this looks like a real winner you have here. We struggle with the same issue that we don’t know what is left over soup…… then it just means the whole family loves it. Awesome work on the total recipe and layout.
This looks so delicious! I need to make this for my husband and kiddos!
We have opened soup season at home (yes, this mama doesn’t cook soup in Summer because it is so hot I could have the stove on for so long!) So this recipe is totally new for us and it looks delicious !
I have heard about chicken tortilla soup before, but have never made it. It really does look delicious and it’s probably about time to make it.