Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does chicken tortilla soup contain? ›

Chicken tortilla soup is a Mexican-inspired soup that has a tomato and chicken broth base. It is spiced with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and has a little kick from the jalapeño. It also has hearty ingredients like beans, corn, and of course the shredded chicken.

Add Umami: Add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, mushroom powder, or a few dashes of fish sauce for an ultra-satisfying, umami-packed soup. Add More Veggies: Swirl in fresh spinach or kale at the end of cooking for more of a vegetable-heavy soup.

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Cold-poaching the chicken breasts, then removing them until the end of the cooking process, guarantees a perfectly tender and juicy texture. Using stock reinforces the flavor of the broth, creating a more deeply flavorful soup.

The white stuff coming out of chicken as it cooks is simply extra protein that dissolves in water and is forced out of the meat by heat. Food scientist Topher McNeil, PhD, explains, “The [chicken] muscles themselves actually contract and squeeze out the liquid that's in between muscle cells.”

Add peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, poultry seasoning, basil, and parsley.

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

To season it, we recommend starting with our Vegetable Soup Mix. It contains celery salt, parsley flakes, garlic powder, sea salt, summer savory, marjoram, thyme, black pepper, turmeric and sage, which are all excellent with root vegetables, so you can incorporate things like carrots or potatoes into the soup.

Keep Simmering. Sometimes all your soup needs is a little more time on the stove. Allow your chicken tortilla soup to simmer uncovered for an extended period. The heat will help evaporate some of the liquid, naturally thickening the soup.

Mexican migas can be made with stale tortillas, or tortilla chips or nachos. If using whole tortillas, tear them into bite-sized strips, then fry until crisp before adding the other ingredients; if you're working with nachos, just crush them a little in the pan before adding the eggs.

How do you thin soup without losing Flavour? ›

Ok, this may be a little obvious, but just adding water is going to make your soup go a little further. If you stick to a 50/50 ratio between water and whatever flavoured liquid you're using in your soup (be it tomatoes, a stock type, or a cream), you're unlikely to dilute it to the point of making it unpalatable.

Place the chicken in a 6- to 7-quart soup pot and add the water (it should cover chicken). Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce to a bare simmer and skim foam as it rises to the surface.

You can cook the chicken at a high-enough temperature to kill bacteria by turning up the heat on the broth, but for a much safer and tastier method, brown your chicken first. Browning or searing the chicken in a separate pan is not only far more foolproof, but adds richness and extra umami to your soup.

Don't BOIL, only ever a slow gentle simmer - Not just Chicken all Meat. If you insist on putting your Chicken in there at the start of cooking you make be better off with boneless thighs as they contain slightly more fat and sinew (good for keeping meat moist).

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

It's loaded with veggies and protein, plus it's naturally gluten free and dairy free!

Traditional / "Sopa Azteca"

Traditional tortilla soup is made of fried corn tortilla pieces, submerged into a broth of tomato, garlic, onion, and epazote. It is served with pieces of pasilla chiles, chicharrón, avocado, queso panela, lime, and Mexican crema.

Chicken soup is a soup made from chicken, simmered in water, usually with various other ingredients. The classic chicken soup consists of a clear chicken broth, often with pieces of chicken or vegetables; common additions are pasta, noodles, dumplings, or carrots, and grains such as rice and barley.

Chicken tortilla soup is a protein-rich dish, thanks to the inclusion of chicken as the main ingredient. A serving typically provides around 15-20 grams of protein, which is essential for muscle growth and repair.