Soups & stews / Chicken, noodle & dumpling soups
Chicken Tortilla Soup with Charred Chile Broth
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Charred onion, garlic and jalapeño give the broth a deep, smoky backbone. Set out crisp tortilla strips, avocado, cheese and lime, and let everyone build a bowl, even the cousin who only wants cheese.
The short version
Char onion, garlic and jalapeño in a dry skillet, blend with fire-roasted tomatoes, and cook the puree in oil until dark. Add broth, spices and chicken, poach 15 to 20 minutes, shred, and serve over baked tortilla strips with avocado, cheese and lime.
What makes ours better
small changes, very loud compliments
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Char the aromatics in a dry skillet. Ten minutes of blistering turns raw onion, garlic and jalapeño sweet and smoky. It's the difference between a tomato soup with chicken and a tortilla soup.
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Fry the puree before adding the broth. Cooking the blended puree in hot oil until it darkens deepens the flavor and gives the broth its brick-red color.
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Poach the chicken right in the soup. The chicken flavors the broth as it cooks and stays juicy. Shred it once it's done and you have no second pot to wash.
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Bake the tortilla strips. Oven-crisp strips take 8 minutes, use almost no oil, and stay crunchy on top of the soup far longer than store-bought chips.
What you need
check the pantry before you promise anyone
- Yellow onion1 large
- Jalapeños2 medium
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes1 can
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts1½ pounds
- Limes1 medium
- Corn tortillas6 medium
- Ripe avocados2 medium
- Shredded Monterey Jack or crumbled queso fresco1 cup
Broth
Tortilla strips
To serve
yes, all of the butter
Steps
go slow. the good part can’t be rushed.
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Heat the oven, bake the strips
Heat the oven to 400°F. Toss the tortilla strips with the oil and salt on a sheet pan and spread them out. Bake, stirring once, until golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. They crisp more as they cool.
About 9 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Char the aromatics
Heat a dry cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion quarters, unpeeled garlic and jalapeños and cook, turning, until blistered and blackened in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. The garlic should feel soft. Cool a few minutes, then peel the garlic and stem the jalapeños (seed them for less heat).
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Blend the base
Put the charred onion, garlic, jalapeños and the tomatoes with their juice in a blender and blend until smooth.
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Fry the puree
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pour in the puree carefully, since it will spit. Add the cumin, chili powder and oregano and cook, stirring, until the puree has darkened and thickened, about 5 minutes.
About 5 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Add broth and chicken
Stir in the broth and salt and add the chicken. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F in the center, 15 to 20 minutes.
Keep it at a gentle simmer. A hard boil will toughen the chicken.
About 18 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Shred the chicken
Lift the chicken onto a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Return it to the pot and stir in the lime juice. Taste and add salt.
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Serve with toppings
Put a handful of tortilla strips in each bowl, ladle the soup over, and top with avocado, cheese, cilantro and a lime wedge.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- Thighs stay moister than breasts, especially if the soup is reheated.
- Leftover rotisserie chicken works too. Skip the poaching, add 3 cups of shredded chicken for the last 5 minutes, and use the full 6 cups of broth.
- For more heat, leave the jalapeño seeds in or add a pinch of cayenne. For a smoky heat, stir in 1 chopped chipotle in adobo.
- Keep the tortilla strips and toppings separate from the soup until you serve it.
- Storage. Fridge 4 days, without toppings. Freezer 3 months, without the avocado, cheese and strips. Reheat gently and add the lime juice at the end.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Can I use canned tomatoes if I can't find fire-roasted?
Yes. Use regular diced tomatoes. The charred onion and jalapeño bring plenty of smoke, and a pinch of smoked paprika makes up the rest.
Can I use rotisserie chicken in tortilla soup?
Yes. Simmer the broth base for 10 minutes, then add 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken for the last 5 minutes. You skip the poaching step.
Can I make chicken tortilla soup in a slow cooker?
Yes. Char and blend the base, fry the puree, then put it in the slow cooker with the broth, chicken and salt. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, shred the chicken, and finish with the lime.
How do I keep the tortilla strips crisp?
Add them to the bowl just before serving, not to the pot. Baked strips stay crisp for a few minutes in the broth, and storing them separately keeps them crisp for days.
How spicy is this chicken tortilla soup?
Mild to medium. Seeding the jalapeños keeps it gentle. Leave the seeds in or add a pinch of cayenne for more heat.
Can I freeze chicken tortilla soup?
Yes, for up to 3 months, without the toppings. Add the tortilla strips, avocado, cheese and lime fresh when you serve it.
From the table
Made it? Tell me everything. Especially if somebody said it was better than their mother’s. I’ll keep your secret.
Made it?
tell me the truth, then tell me who had thirds
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Published October 28, 2026.