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Chicken Tortilla Soup topped with homemade salty lime tortilla strips.
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5 from 3 votes

30 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup

This 30 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup is the perfect cozy bowl on a cold winter day! It starts with lots of veggies, bold Mexican flavors, made hearty with chicken, beans and rice and oh, the toppings! Piled high with cheese, avocado, yogurt, cilantro, and salty lime crispy tortilla strips! It's delicious one-pot comfort food and cooks entirely on the stovetop in just 30 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 6
Calories: 350kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 to 10 corn tortillas, cut into strips olive oil, salt, lime juice
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 2 cups fresh tomato diced (3 Roma or any tomatoes)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 grinds fresh black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup uncooked white rice
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 15oz can white beans
  • 1 15oz can pinto beans
  • 2 cups cooked chicken shredded (leftover or rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus more for serving
  • a squeeze of fresh lime juice to taste
  • Toppings - shredded white cheddar cheese, avocado, cilantro, jalapeno, lime wedges, plain yogurt or sour cream, and your homemade tortilla strips

Instructions

For the Tortilla Strips

  • Preheat oven to 425°. Cut 8 to 10 corn tortillas into strips. Toss on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake 15 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Check on them and toss them with tongs every 5 minutes or so, especially towards the end. If you love lime, add a squeeze when they are hot from the oven!

For the Soup

  • Preheat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. Saute onion and bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes.
  • Add tomato, season with salt, pepper and cumin and cook 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
  • Add garlic and stir to cook slightly. Add rice and stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, then COVER, lower the heat to medium low and simmer about 10 minutes or until rice is nearly cooked through. Give it an occasional stir to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom.
  • Add beans, corn, and chicken and continue to simmer 3 to 5 more minutes. If you soup ever seems too thick, just add water or more stock to thin it out.
  • Finish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice to taste. Add toppings and serve.

Notes

  • Store soup in the fridge for up to 3 days.  Because of the rice, this soup does not freeze well.  Soup can be frozen but the texture of the rice may be different when thawed.
  • If the soup gets a little too thick, just add a bit of water or stock.  It thickens as it cools so you may need to add water when reheating. 
  • You can also use store bought tortilla chips as a topping if you want to skip the homemade tortilla strips.

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 677mg | Potassium: 734mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1365IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg