Tortilla Soup is a comforting, hearty meal perfect for cold weather. Top it with your favorite tortilla chips and taco-style garnishes for a bowl you’ll crave.
Now that the holidays are behind us I’m ready for spring, but the weather isn’t cooperating. I don’t mind the cold so much as the long gray days. I’ve been considering a daylight therapy lamp to brighten the mornings—has anyone tried one? I’d love to hear your experience.
I’m also always on the lookout for easy weeknight dinners, so if you have a go-to quick meal, share it—I’m trying to expand our weekly rotation.
EASY TORTILLA SOUP
These days, easy is essential. When the temperature drops, soup is my automatic choice: toss ingredients in a pot, let them simmer, and dinner is ready. This Tortilla Soup is especially simple and full of flavor.
The recipe combines blended tomatoes and enchilada sauce with onion, green chiles, garlic, broth and spices. It’s loaded with potatoes, corn, black beans and shredded chicken for a satisfying, flavorful bowl.
For convenience I often buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it, but any cooked shredded chicken works well. Although the soup simmers for a couple of hours, hands-on prep is minimal—this is a very forgiving, mostly hands-off recipe. If you prefer, you can cook it in a slow cooker on low instead of simmering on the stove.
This version gets much of its depth from the enchilada sauce and a few warming spices like cumin and chili powder. Corn adds sweetness and texture, black beans bring protein and fiber, and russet potatoes make the broth hearty and satisfying.
HOW TO SERVE TORTILLA SOUP
Everyone likes their bowl a little different. Tortilla chips are a must for crunch, and toppings make the soup customizable: shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, or hot sauce are all excellent.
Other great options include diced avocado, fresh or pickled jalapeños, and lime wedges to brighten the flavors. If you’re serving a group, arrange toppings in small bowls so everyone can build their own bowl.
If you prefer a bread option instead of chips, a crusty baguette is also lovely alongside this soup.
IS TORTILLA SOUP GLUTEN FREE?
This soup can easily be made gluten-free. The base doesn’t rely on wheat-based thickeners, so just check that any store-bought ingredients—enchilada sauce, hot sauce, or broth—are labeled gluten-free. Use gluten-free tortilla chips for topping to keep the whole dish safe for gluten-free diets.
Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes 15 ounces, blended until smooth
- 1 can red enchilada sauce 10 ounces
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 can chopped green chiles 4 ounces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups water
- 1 can chicken broth 14.5 ounces
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- red pepper flakes to taste
- hot sauce to taste
- 10 ounces frozen corn
- 1 can black beans 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
- 2 russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 rotisserie chicken de-boned and shredded
Optional Ingredients for Toppings
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
- tortilla chips
- avocado
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
-
Blend the canned tomatoes until smooth.
-
Combine the blended tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chopped onion, green chiles and minced garlic in a large pot. Add water and chicken broth, then season with cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, hot sauce and a bay leaf. Stir in the frozen corn.
-
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
-
Add the peeled, cubed potatoes, drained black beans and shredded chicken to the pot.
-
Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, about another hour.
-
Serve topped with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips, or offer a crusty baguette on the side.
Notes
Adapted from Allrecipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Photography updates by Smells Like Home