I’m relatively new to the whole chicken tortilla soup thing. My first ever bowl was at Kirbey Lane in Austin last September, and it technically wasn’t even my bowl—it was Adam’s. But he had a kidney stone and I helped him finish it…because that’s what you do for people you love. You help finish their meals when they’re in pain.
To be honest, I’m not quite sure why, so suddenly, chicken tortilla soup has been back on my mind but it is. And if you have never made it yourself, now’s the time. Think of a spicy, rich chicken soup filled with roasted peppers, tomatoes and chilies with soft pieces of corn tortilla floating around.
Yep, pretty much heaven in a bowl. And healthy, to boot! Well, it’s healthy until you dump two cups of cheese on top like I do. Yum.
My chicken tortilla soup uses little balls of hominy, which are essentially balls of cornmeal. They can be a little tricky to find, but look for them in the ethnic food section of your grocery store (near the canned chilies). I love the texture of hominy and they make this soup really filling and tasty!
This soup is perfect to take over to sick friend, or make for yourself when you’re a little under the weather. I had cramps so I made it for myself…and then chased it with a cupcake. But that’s just how I roll. But really! It works wonders for colds and sniffles because of the spicy kick.
But then again—it’s really just awesome any time.
If you want, you could leave out the chicken, sub the chicken broth for veggie broth, and make a vegetarian version.
But I highly recommend using chicken. It heals the soul.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (seeds included)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
8 cups chicken broth (2 quarts)
1 4-oz can diced green chilies
1 cup hominy
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes (or Rotel tomatoes and chilies)
4 corn tortillas, cut into strips
juice of 2 limes
shredded monterey jack cheese for serving
chopped cilantro for serving
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and simmer for about 20 minutes, until breasts are cooked through. Drain and set chicken breasts aside to cool. Once cool, chop into cube-sized pieces.
While chicken is cooking, roast the poblano pepper over a burner on a gas range stove or under the broiler. You want the pepper to be very dark and charred—almost black. Set aside on a plate to cool then dice.
Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a dutch oven or very large pot. Once hot, add the diced onion and jalapeno and cook for five minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and diced poblano pepper and cook for another minute. Add the chili powder and cumin and mix until well combined.
Pour in the chicken stock and add the diced tomatoes, hominy, black beans, green chilies, diced cooked chicken and salt. Bring to a boil.
Finally, add the tortilla strips and lime juice and cook until tortillas soften. Serve with chopped cilantro and shredded cheese on the side.
Time:
45 minutes
Alexia @ Dimple Snatcher
March 31, 2011 at 5:31 amNOM NOM NOM because I could use some healing (I is so tired!) right now đ
jessica @ how sweet
March 31, 2011 at 5:39 amWe adore tortilla soup. It also holds a special place in my heart since my grandma used to call it ‘to-rilla’ soup. Pronounced that way too. Then would argue with everything who tried to correct her.
kalli
March 31, 2011 at 5:46 amoh this looks so comforting and good! i must try it…..when it gets cold again đ
mary (sisters running the kitchen)
March 31, 2011 at 5:48 amMy mom loves chicken tortilla soup….I’ll have to make this for her! looks like an awesome recipe!
Mrs. Fish
March 31, 2011 at 5:56 amI must make this before it warms up here!
I love the addition of hominy. đ
Holly @ The Runny Egg
March 31, 2011 at 5:56 amI love tortilla soup — never made my own though!
megan @ whatmegansmaking
March 31, 2011 at 5:58 amI love chicken tortilla soup! It’s still soup weather here for the time being (Michigan), so this may make it on our menu! Beautiful Jenna đ
Justeen @ Blissful Baking
March 31, 2011 at 6:07 amChicken tortilla soup is one of my favorites! I’ve never had homemade though. Yours look absolutely scrumptious!
Lesley Lifting Life
March 31, 2011 at 6:08 amI’ve never made chicken tortilla soup, and in fact, I’m not sure that I’ve even ever eaten it! It looks delicious!
Elizabeth@The Sweet Life
March 31, 2011 at 6:10 amOh wow-this looks amazing!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
March 31, 2011 at 6:16 amI’ve never had chicken tortilla soup before, but this sounds great! I’ve heard of hominy, but have had no idea what it is up until now so thanks for the explanation. đ
Hannah (Culture Connoisseur)
March 31, 2011 at 6:25 amThis looks great. I love hominy, and was saddened to learn it was not a bean at all. :-/ It is my favorite ingredient in a recipe I make called taco soup ( http://tinyurl.com/4kwpjnh )
This looks so good, and I’ll have to give it a try. It’s getting to hot down here in Florida, so I’m not sure I can make it without major complaints from my hubby.
Liz @ Tip Top Shape
March 31, 2011 at 6:26 amLooks like the perfect soup for a cold day!!
Heather@girlyeverafter.com
March 31, 2011 at 6:29 amChicken tortilla soup is so good and it’s a light soup for Spring/Summer weather. I like to make mine with corn kernels too! YUM!
Tasha @ Voracious
March 31, 2011 at 6:31 amI adore chicken tortilla soup. Any soup I can top with slices of avocado, dollops of sour cream, and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese is perfect with me.
I’m not sure hominy is balls of cornmeal, I think it’s actually dried corn kernels. Must investigate!
Gorgeous photos! Now I need soup for dinner…
Baking 'n' Books
March 31, 2011 at 11:38 amI love your way of thinking. It’s all about the toppings!
It sounds spicy though? With the hot peppers?
Oh man – your photos! I have to ask – how do you take the shot of pouring the broth in…with one hand? Does someone else do it? Or it it a camera zoom/lens trick thing?
d.liff @ yelleBELLYboo
March 31, 2011 at 6:34 amI LOVE chicken tortilla soup! I will have to try this. I’d never think to add hominy! I have to leave out the cilantro though – I’m one of those cilantro haters.
Estela @ Weekly Bite
March 31, 2011 at 6:38 amGorgeous pictures!!! The soup looks delicious too đ
Central Restaurant Products
March 31, 2011 at 6:47 amLooks great! I’m intrigued by using hominy in the soup. Not sure why I hadn’t thought of that. I always use corn, but now that you mention it hominy would add a whole different layer! Great idea! I also put a can of beer in mine which gives it a little kick without tasting too beer-y.
Jen @ keepitsimplefoods
March 31, 2011 at 7:14 amLooks delish! I’ll have to try making it without the meat. Yummmm.
Heather @ Heather's Dish
March 31, 2011 at 7:15 amIt’s all about the chicken tortilla soup…it’s amazing 12 months of the year and ne’er gets old đ
Jessica
March 31, 2011 at 7:19 amLove tortilla soup, one of my faves! I tried to make this once with pumpkin to thicken it up, and it was not nearly as good.
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope
March 31, 2011 at 7:23 amLove homemade soups! Awesome recipe! đ
Kelly
March 31, 2011 at 7:38 amKirby Lane is literally 5 miles from my house…love!!! I have never had the Tortilla Soup there before though…I always cave and get breakfast…hello gingerbread pancakes (even in the summer) so good!
Moni'sMeals
March 31, 2011 at 8:18 amthis will make many people, like myself drooling at what…breakfast time. đ
Lisa
March 31, 2011 at 8:51 amLooks fabulous! Can’t wait to try this recipe. By the way, hominy is dried corn kernals that are soaked in a special solution (used to be weak lye solution, not sure if that’s what they use now). Also, have made your greek burgers several times now and they are amazing. I’ve shared the recipe with several other people and they all love it too. Thanks!!
Erin
March 31, 2011 at 9:09 amWow great minds think alike! I made and posted CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP today as well, on my blog
Katie @ Nourishing Flourishing
March 31, 2011 at 9:09 amI have been making tortilla soup for a really long time (family favorite), but I haven’t seen one with hominy in it before, I don’t think! I love the rich but light flavor of tortilla soup’s broth…mmmm đ
Molly
March 31, 2011 at 9:10 amJust bookmarked this recipe. I am thinking next cooking date night I will throw this recipe out there and hopefully my idea to make your recipe wins! Yum looks so so good! I never realized that hominy was used to make chicken tortilla soup. MMM
Maria
March 31, 2011 at 9:11 amTortilla soup is always a hit! Love it!
Lisa
March 31, 2011 at 9:11 amI love tortilla soup. It’s such a quick and easy meal.
I’m also embarrassed to admit that I have no idea what hominy is…….?
Teri
March 31, 2011 at 9:28 amI just wanted to point out that hominy is actually boiled corn kernels. It’s not balls of cornmeal. The recipe sounds tasty. Thanks!
Kat @ Big Apple Little Kitchen
March 31, 2011 at 9:47 amTHANK YOU for the recipe! I’ve been looking for a killer tortilla soup for a while now; it looks absolutely delicious!
Natalia - a side of simple
March 31, 2011 at 9:49 amThe word “hominy” makes me smile every time I see it. It reminds me of Cracker Barrel dates with my mom . I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say it outloud, though! This looks like the perfect soup to give me that extra boost for the rest of the semester!
Andrea
March 31, 2011 at 9:57 amI LOVE tortilla soup! Apart from Pho, it is my ultimate “feel better” dinner (or lunch). Definitely gonna try this recipe soon!
Stacy @ LoveDiscoveryGratitude
March 31, 2011 at 10:03 amI <3 soup, i will definitely make this soon đ
Kristin Eats
March 31, 2011 at 10:12 amFavorite soup ever. It’s fabulous. Ree Drummond has a great recipe for a thicker version, too. Yumm.
Jenna H
March 31, 2011 at 10:26 amI LOVE Kerbey Lane! That have the best pumpkin pancakes ever. And chicken tortilla soup is delicious, I’ll have to try this recipe. Maybe it’s just because I’m a hardcore Texan born and bred, but we really do have some of the best food, don’t we? đ
Jenna H
March 31, 2011 at 10:29 amPS- now that y’all have covered Austin, College Station, and the Hill Country, you and Adam need to visit Fort Worth next! Go Frogs!
Frech Heart
March 31, 2011 at 10:59 amLove the gorgeous color, and lime & cilantro…will make this veggie-style, sounds delish, thanks!
Emily @ Savory and Savage
March 31, 2011 at 11:18 amThis is my favorite soup to order out at a restaurant.
Yours looks even better!
Doc (The Healthy PhD)
March 31, 2011 at 11:53 amThis looks exactly like the bowl I had at this little hole in the wall bar in Iowa City. It was so good and I’m excited to try your recipe!
Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga)
March 31, 2011 at 12:06 pmThe recipe looks fabulous, Jenna! The last time I had tortilla soup was at TGIFriday’s in SC ten years ago. I used to go there with my husband and humor him through football season and nurse a bowl of tortilla soup. And quite a few drinks along with it đ
Your photos look great! Love the 1st one, and then the last one with just the spoon being in focus. And the background blurred. If you were holding that spoon in your L hand and taking a pic with your R, you have steady and strong hands!
Katrina
March 31, 2011 at 12:17 pmYum! I love tortilla soup. This will be great for the upcoming rainy spring days đ
Brooke @ bittersweetb
March 31, 2011 at 12:18 pmThis looks perfect for today, a gross rainy day on the east coast. I just wanna sit in my pajamas and eat this soup!
Chelsa
March 31, 2011 at 12:36 pmthat looks so good I am going to have to make it this week
Shannon
March 31, 2011 at 1:24 pmYum, now I want to make Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Your recipe is very similar to mine, except I have my husband grill some boneless chicken breasts on the grill, along with some some red bell peppers.
In a pan I sautee chopped fresh jalapenos, onions, garlic. then to the pan I add the chicken or veggie broth, can of black beans, diced up grilled chicken, diced up grilled red peppers, roasted frozen corn from Trader joes, and a can of fire roasted tomatoes. I add cumin, salt and pepper. Then I top it with fresh cilantro, diced avacado and either soft corn tortilla strips or I spray the tortilla strips with pam and broil/bake them in the oven.
So easy, and so good.
Jodi
March 31, 2011 at 2:02 pmLove, Love, LOVE chicken tortilla soup. The spice really does help with colds! I made something similar to chicken tortilla soup last night ( I was out of some of the traditional ingredients) but it still was so yummy! Just posted it yesterday on my blog. Thanks for this great recipe and I will be trying it soon đ
Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary)
March 31, 2011 at 3:25 pmI love chicken tortilla soup. Well… I think I love the toppings most HEHE!
Melissa @ Journey to Marvelous
March 31, 2011 at 3:47 pmThe soup looks great! Chicken tortilla is my fave…my grandpa makes the best one I’ve ever had.
Happy When Not Hungry
March 31, 2011 at 6:20 pmThis soup looks delicious! Love all the flavors too!
Meghan
March 31, 2011 at 7:51 pmI was ecstatic to see this recipe, having been fortunate enough to live in Austin for a few years I fell in love with Kerbey Ln tortilla soup, and Kerby queso for that matter, but that is a different story. I cannot wait to make this!
Lauren from Lauren's Latest
March 31, 2011 at 9:14 pmThis is one of my favorite soups. All the colors make it look so refreshing! Yum.
Mary @ Delightful Bitefuls
April 1, 2011 at 12:03 pmI’m going to have to try this ASAP! This looks incredibly delicious!
Great blog!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
Gabby @ GabbysGFree
April 1, 2011 at 1:09 pmI love chicken tortilla soup! I also like to reserve some hominy, dry it out, and toast it until it gets super crispy and top the soup with that. Or you can fry the hominy for a crunchy little treat. Delicious!
Heidi - Apples Under My Bed
April 1, 2011 at 1:25 pmI’m new to this too – so new, I’ve never head of it! It’s a US thing, I suppose. I love the look of the recipe though!
Heidi xo
Rebecca @ How the Cookies Crumble
April 1, 2011 at 4:18 pmI love tortilla soup! Especially topped with cheese, a big dollop of sour cream and avocado!
Laura @FoodSnobSTL
April 2, 2011 at 6:49 amI’m so glad you went to Kirbey Lane cafe. I love that place!! When I lived in Texas we would go to Austin City Limits Festival every year and eat at Kirbey Lane every night after the festival. Their pancakes are to die for.
Helen
April 10, 2011 at 3:43 pmhaving some soup right now–so very tasty!! thanks for always providing such delish recipes đ my husband will be home in a few hours from a bike race and i know he’ll be hungry! although he might want extra tortillas!
Lauren
April 12, 2011 at 11:13 amJenna this was so good! Everyone loved it, even my bro-in-law who said, “this is really good, I have to admit I was skeptical.” đ They all stirred in sour cream too-yum. I told my husband that this was from the same girl with the creamy white chicken chili and he was like “oh yeah, I love that!” So, your recipes are a favorite around here! Thanks girl.
Em
April 15, 2011 at 1:46 pmI made this last week and it was SO GOOD! I also stirred in a bunch of sour cream and everyone loved it. Thanks!
Lisa
April 18, 2011 at 8:02 pmJenna, thank you for sharing this recipe!! My husband used to get chicken tortilla soup from the deli near his office but now I make our lunches to bring to work and we’ve been trying to replicate it for years. I made this tonight and my husband said this is the flavor he’s been looking for! Thank you, thank you!
Blogroll:: « Posh's Black Book
September 6, 2011 at 6:02 am[…] desserts. Jenna obviously shares my intense sweet tooth and I couldnât be happier. Try this Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe likeâŚtonight. Itâs […]
Becky @ Fit Chick on the Fly
September 22, 2011 at 9:04 amI made a version similar to this the other day. I tried to make an extremely LARGE batch so I would have left overs to freeze and bring out at a later time. Well that failed…it was so good we ate it all in two days and I sent some home with my parents (not by choice).
Traci
September 22, 2011 at 9:17 amYou had me at Tortilla Soup!!! I’ve just recently discovered the greatness that is tortilla soup & I can’t get enough!!! LOVE!! Thanks for sharing!
Alyssa @ www.everydaymaven.com
September 22, 2011 at 8:53 pmThis looks so good! I love tortilla soup and have been looking for a cleaner version. I can not wait to make this! thanks đ
Katie
September 27, 2011 at 9:22 amI made this soup last weekend and it’s delicious! I had it for lunch the past three days. Yum. I will definitely be making this again.
Shannon
September 27, 2011 at 2:29 pmI love your Tortilla Soup Recipe, your is pretty similar to mine. I add TJ’s frozen fireroasted corn, diced redbell peppers & jalapenos, sometimes I add Hominy if I am looking for fillers because I usually make soups with what I have on hand đ But Hominy is really maize kernels which that is what cornmeal is made out of.
Hominy reminds me of corn nuts, though not crunchy đ
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April 23, 2012 at 7:21 amGreat recipe! I use pinto beans in my tortilla soup~hominy in my posole! Try adding a can of green enchilada sauce into your tortilla soup-takes it to a fantastic new level! Love soup~and your recipes!
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Erika Torres
November 30, 2012 at 7:34 pmI had never tried Tortilla soup before. It was one of those items on a menu I made a face at. I happened to come across this recipe after my sister requested me to make a tortilla soup, yours sounded most enticing. I have to say it was so delicious and easy, I substituted turkey breast instead of chicken because I had that on hand and I also added corn.
This recipe is a keeper, thanks much! đ
behind the blogger.
December 2, 2012 at 9:50 pm[…] when finals are over and I cannot wait, but this week I’m going to make EatLiveRun’s Chicken Tortilla Soup again. Seriously. Just make it […]
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Michelle
October 18, 2013 at 8:27 amI am able to make this in the crock pot?
Grace
April 3, 2014 at 8:11 amMy fiance is sick so I wanted to make him a soup. I’m not a fan of Chicken Noodle…too basic and blah for me. He wanted this the other day from Qdoba, and I forgot to get it! I stumbled across your recipe a few days ago, and decided yesterday I was going to make it for him. Can I just say how DELICIOUS
Grace
April 3, 2014 at 8:13 amWhoops…accidentally posted before I was finished. Bottomline – this is DELICIOUS! I would’ve had 2 bowls if I wasn’t saving room for dessert. My fiance had 2 bowls of it! He loved it. WAAAAY better than Chili’s Chicken Tortilla soup!!! Never had Qdoba’s , but I’m sure this is better than their’s too. So easy to make, and I love that it’s a fairly healthy recipe. Thanks so much!!!
myers briggs test intj
September 9, 2014 at 11:48 amGood day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after looking at some of the articles I realized it’s new
to me. Anyways, I’m definitely pleased I discovered it and I’ll be
book-marking it and checking back often!
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March 27, 2015 at 9:42 pmChicken soup can be one of your best friends on Paleo because it can come in handy as a light meal, or it can be used as starter to a larger meal. Because itâs so easy to make a Paleo friendly chicken soup you can feel like youâre eating regular food, which helps the brain feel like itâs not being forced into giving anything up. Use these chicken soup recipes whenever you feel the need to be nourished, and to get a taste of good old home cooking if youâve been feeling restricted, or like youâre âon a dietâ.With my best wishes,melissa from http://www.cavediet.com
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Jene'
January 2, 2018 at 9:35 amCan’t wait to try this!
But hominy is not little balls of corn meal. It’s whole kernels of corn…I won’t say the way it’s processed but hominy is used to make grits.
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