Start to Finish:
25 minutes
Servings:
4
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
Tortilla soup makes a satisfying meal in itself when you add chicken as well as beans. Serve a green salad with orange segments and radishes alongside for a cool contrast to both the flavor and temperature of the soup. Fresh-baked cornbread, while not traditional in Mexican cuisine, also works well to round out the meal.
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- 2 cans black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
- 1 tablespoon pureed chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- Juice from 2 limes
Garnishes
- 2 avocados, cubed
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups toasted corn tortilla strips or slightly smashed tortilla chips
Directions
Cook the onion in the oil over medium heat in a soup pot until it softens and turns translucent, about six minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes, beans, chicken stock, cumin and salt. Cook these ingredients on a low simmer until the flavors blend, about 15 minutes.
Add the chicken, chipotle chiles and lime juice, and heat the soup until it's steaming hot.
Divide the avocado among the soup bowls and ladle the soup on top. Sprinkle an equal amount of cilantro over each bowl.
Let each diner add a spoonful of sour cream and a handful of tortilla strips to the soup throughout the meal.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of using chicken, substitute cooked and crumbled sausage or ground beef.
- Make a vegetarian version of tortilla soup by omitting the chicken and using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Add cubed or crumbled Mexican cheese such as queso fresco, or any other soft farmer's cheese as a garnish.
Related Articles
Easy Chow Mein Recipe

How to Slow Cook Brown Rice & Chicken
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe
Easy Tortilla Soup Recipe
How to Make Celery Soup
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

How Many Calories in Chopped Antipasto ...

How to: Crock-Pot Lima Bean Soup

How to Make Potato Hamburger Soup

How to Make Sinigang

How to Make Crab Bisque

Calories in a Pint of Egg Drop Soup

How to Make Soup Out of Pulp From ...

Calories in Sweet Potato Soup

How to Cook Yakamein
How to Make Pho Soup

How to Cook Moose Meat

How to Make Mexican Chicken Tortilla ...
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe
Writer Bio
Susan Lundman began writing about her love of cooking, ingredient choices, menu planning and healthy eating after working for 20 years on children's issues at a nonprofit organization. She has written about food online professionally for ten years on numerous websites, and has provided family and friends with homemade recipes and stories about culinary adventures. Lundman received her M.A. from Stanford University.