It's no secret I love soup. I'll eat it no matter the weather (I'm the person who eats soup during 90° Tennessee summer days!) It's also one of my favorite ways to prep for the week - having a big pot of soup ready for an easy, filling, and nutritious lunch every day is a gift that keeps on giving all week.
This chicken tortilla soup is really simple to pull together and adding the black beans and corn give the soup some extra body and certainly some extra nutrients that will keep you full through the afternoon slump. You can make it as spicy or not spicy as you want (see my recipe notes) and it freezes really well to keep a comforting meal at the ready whenever you need it.
If you're trying to make it through some chilly fall and winter days, this soup is sure to warm you up and make you smile. If you make this recipe (or any of my recipes), please snap a photo and share it to instagram or tiktok, being sure to tag me @slo_cooker. Thanks, y'all!
Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup
Makes ~ 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 1 hourClick the file below to download and print the recipe
**This recipe may include affiliate links for which I may be paid a commissions for purchases made through the link.**
I recommend reading the recipe all the way through, including the recipe notes at the bottom, before you start cooking.
Ingredients:
1-1.5lbs chicken breast*
1 medium onion (diced)
1 jalapeño (small dice)**
1 poblano (diced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1.5 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. chipotle powder (or cayenne)
1 15 oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes***
5 C. chicken broth (or 4 C. + 1 C. water)
1 15 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15 oz. can corn (drained)****
1 lime, juiced
Optional toppings:
Chopped cilantro
Crushed tortilla chips
Cheddar cheese
Avocado
Hot sauce
Directions:
Heat a large, high-sided pan over medium heat (I like using this one). Season chicken breast(s) with salt and pepper and cook in pan with a little olive oil until cooked through (flipping halfway through). Remove chicken to a cutting board to rest.
To the same pan, add onions and poblano (and more olive oil if needed) and cook until beginning to soften and onions are becoming translucent. Turn down the heat if they are browning. Add the jalapeño and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cumin, chili powder, paprika, and chipotle powder then stir and cook 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes (and their juices), chicken broth, and drained and rinsed black beans and bring to a low simmer. While waiting for the soup to simmer, shred or dice the chicken then add it back to the pan.
Bring everything to a low simmer and continue to cook for 30 minutes. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed. Add the drained corn and lime juice and cook an additional 5 minutes.
Serve with your desired toppings and enjoy!
*Recipe notes + Variations*
*You’ll want to end up with about 2-2.5 cups of chicken once it’s cooked and diced/shredded. A little more or a little less is fine. I used 1 very large chicken breast that probably weighed about a pound.
**For less heat, leave out the jalapeño and chipotle powder. For even less heat, swap the poblano for a bell pepper.
***Regular diced tomatoes work fine too
****You can swap frozen corn kernels for the canned. Add about 1-1.5 cups of frozen corn.
This freezes really well!