Chicken Tortilla Soup Crispy Strips (Printable)
Comforting Mexican-inspired soup with tender chicken, zesty broth, and crispy tortilla strips.
# What You'll Need:
→ Crispy Tortilla Strips
01 - 6 small corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
02 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Soup
04 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
05 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
08 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
14 - 4 cups chicken broth
15 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached)
16 - 1 can (14 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
17 - 1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels, drained
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
19 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnishes (optional)
20 - 1 avocado, diced
21 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
22 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
23 - 1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
24 - Lime wedges
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss tortilla strips with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway, until golden and crisp. Set aside.
02 - Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, diced jalapeño, and red bell pepper; sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano; cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes and chicken broth, bringing the mixture to a simmer.
04 - Add shredded chicken, black beans, and corn. Simmer for 15 minutes to meld flavors.
05 - Stir in fresh lime juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with crispy tortilla strips and your choice of optional garnishes.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The crispy tortilla strips stay crunchy right until the last spoonful, giving you that textural contrast that makes every bite interesting.
- It comes together in under an hour, but tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
- Everyone at the table can customize their bowl, so even picky eaters find something they love.
02 -
- If you make the tortilla strips too far in advance, they'll lose their crunch by the time you serve, so fry them only 30 minutes or so before eating.
- Don't skip the spice-blooming step—cooking those spices in oil for a minute transforms them from separate ingredients into a unified, complex flavor that carries the entire soup.
- Taste the broth before adding the lime juice, because once that acid goes in, you might need a touch more salt to balance it all out.
03 -
- If you want more heat without overpowering the other flavors, leave a few of the jalapeño seeds in or add just a pinch of cayenne after tasting the broth.
- Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is not cheating—it's smart cooking, and it means you can make this entire soup in the time it would take to poach chicken from scratch.