Tortilla soup (Mexican chicken tortilla soup)
Smoky, comforting Mexican tortilla soup with shredded chicken, tangy tomato broth and crisp corn tortilla strips, finished with avocado and lime.
This tortilla soup is the sort of bowl that makes you forgive cold weather, long days and whatever else life threw at you. Smoky spices and bright lime keep it lively; shredded chicken and crisp tortilla strips make it satisfyingly moreish.
It’s perfect for midweek suppers or a relaxed weekend dinner — quick to make from store-cupboard staples but fancy enough to serve friends. Make the tortilla strips just before serving so they stay delectably crisp.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken thigh fillets — boneless, skinless
- 1 l chicken stock — preferably low-salt if available
- 60 ml vegetable oil — total amount; used for sautéing and frying
- 1 brown onion — large, finely diced (about 200 g)
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 800 g tinned plum tomatoes — use the tin's juice
- 30 ml tomato purée
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground coriander
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 ml sea salt — add more to taste at the end
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 4 corn tortillas — large; cut into 1 cm strips
- 1 ripe avocado — sliced for serving
- 2 limes — one for juice, one for wedges
- 15 g fresh coriander — leaves picked and chopped
- 100 g soured cream — for dolloping on each bowl
Equipment
- stick blender or blender
Instructions
Prep: peel and finely dice the brown onion, crush the garlic cloves, slice the ripe avocado, pick and roughly chop the fresh coriander. Cut the corn tortillas into 1 cm strips and set aside on kitchen paper.
Warm 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the diced brown onion and sauté until soft and just golden, about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic cloves, ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, dried oregano and tomato purée. Fry, stirring, for 1 minute until aromatic.
Stir in the tinned plum tomatoes with their juice, pour in the chicken stock, add the bay leaf, sea salt and black pepper, then nestle the chicken thigh fillets into the liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Lift the chicken out onto a board. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the pan and discard the bay leaf.
Use a stick blender to pulse the soup directly in the pan until the texture is slightly thickened but still chunky — about 20–30 seconds total. If using a countertop blender, cool a little first and blend in batches with the lid vented.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the corn tortilla strips in batches until crisp and golden, 2–3 minutes per batch; drain on kitchen paper.
Season the soup to taste with extra sea salt and black pepper if needed, then simmer gently for 2 minutes to marry the flavours.
To serve: ladle the soup into bowls, top each with shredded chicken and a generous handful of crisp tortilla strips. Add avocado slices, a dollop of soured cream, scatter with fresh coriander and squeeze over lime juice. Serve remaining lime wedges at the table.
Tips
- If you’re short on time use leftover roast chicken — stir it into the hot soup just to heat through (stays-close).
- Keep the fried tortilla strips on kitchen paper and only add them to bowls at the last moment; they will go soggy if left in the pot.
- When blending hot soup, use a stick blender directly in the pan to avoid splatter from a full countertop blender; vent the lid if you must use the latter.
- Make the soup a day ahead — the flavours deepen overnight. Reheat gently and crisp fresh tortilla strips to serve.
- If you want more body, remove a ladleful of the soup, blend until smooth and return it to the pan to thicken without adding starch.
Substitutions
chicken thigh fillets → leftover roast chicken, shredded and added at the end
Stays closecorn tortillas → ready-made tortilla chips or baked corn crisp strips
Noticeably differentsoured cream → natural yoghurt (full-fat) in the same quantity
Stays closesmoked paprika → 1 small chopped chipotle chilli in adobo (reduce quantity to taste)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 530
- Calories
- 27 g
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — replace the chicken with large white beans or shredded jackfruit, use vegetable stock and omit the soured cream or use a plant-based alternative.
How should I store leftovers?
Keep soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store extra tortilla strips separately and add fresh before serving so they stay crisp.
Can I freeze the soup?
Freeze the soup (without avocado and tortilla strips) in portions for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently.
Why is my soup bland?
Tomatoes and stock vary; always taste before serving and adjust with sea salt, a squeeze of lime and extra smoked paprika if needed.
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