Description
This Fall Chicken Tortilla Soup is a comforting and flavorful Mexican-inspired dish perfect for cozy dinners. It combines tender shredded chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, and sweet corn, simmered with warm spices like cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Topped with crispy corn tortilla strips and optional garnishes like avocado and sour cream, this gluten-free soup is both hearty and healthy.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or leftover)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Toppings
- Corn tortilla strips (store-bought or homemade)
- Optional: avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, extra cilantro, jalapeños
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Peppers and Spices: Add the diced red and orange bell peppers to the pot and cook for another 3–4 minutes until they begin to soften. Stir in the ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and ground coriander, cooking for 30 seconds until the spices become fragrant.
- Add Liquids and Main Ingredients: Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth, then add the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained black beans, frozen corn, and shredded chicken. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Simmer Soup: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Season and Finish: Stir in lime juice and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, mix in the chopped fresh cilantro.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crispy corn tortilla strips and your choice of optional toppings such as avocado slices, sour cream, shredded cheese, extra cilantro, or jalapeños.
Notes
- This soup is ideal for using up leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- For an extra spicy kick, add a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce during the spice addition step.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze leftover soup for up to 3 months; thaw completely before reheating.
