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Soups · Mexican

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Smoky chipotle broth, tender chicken and crunchy oven-baked tortilla strips, on the table in half an hour.

Hands-on
30 min
Total
30 min
Makes
4 servings
Serves
4

The oven heats while you shred the chicken and chop the pepper, and the tortilla strips bake while the pepper browns, so nothing here is truly hands-off. Total = 30 min of active work.

Oven 230 °C · 210 °C fan (450 °F)

  • easy
  • weeknight
  • 30-minute
  • leftover-chicken
  • freezer-friendly

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Chicken Tortilla Soup
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: rimmed baking sheet · Dutch oven or large heavy pot · cutting board and knife · wooden spoon · ladle · oven mitts

Contains: none of the 9 major allergens in the listed ingredients

Method

  1. Heat the oven, prep

    Put an oven rack in the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 230°C (210°C fan, 450°F). Meanwhile cut the 4 corn tortillas in half, then crosswise into 1 cm (1/2 in) strips. Chop the red bell pepper and shred the meat from the rotisserie chicken (about 3 cups).

    Ready when: The oven has finished heating before the strips go in.

  2. Bake the tortilla strips

    Spread the tortilla strips in one layer on the rimmed baking sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Start the next step while they bake.

    Ready when: The strips are crisp and snap when you bend one; take them out before the edges turn dark brown.

    Otto tried this firstOtto forgets the strips in the oven while he admires his browned pepper. They come out dark and bitter. He bakes a fresh batch and sets a timer this time.

  3. Brown the pepper

    Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chopped pepper and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring now and then.

    Ready when: The pepper pieces are soft with plenty of dark brown spots.

  4. Simmer the soup

    Add 950 ml (4 cups) chicken broth, the shredded chicken, the 227 g (8 oz) jar of picante sauce and 1 tbsp minced chipotle. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes.

    Ready when: The soup is simmering and steaming all over, and the chicken is hot right through: at least 74°C (165°F) if you check with a thermometer.

  5. Finish and serve

    Take the pot off the heat. Stir in 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp lime juice and the tortilla strips, season with salt and pepper and serve right away.

    Ready when: Off the heat: the soup is still steaming hot and the strips are just starting to soften at the edges.

Swaps

  • Instead of rotisserie chicken: about 3 cups of chopped or shredded leftover cooked chicken Make sure it's heated through to 74°C (165°F) in the simmering soup.
  • Instead of 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo: less chipotle for a milder pot The chipotle carries most of the heat and the smoky flavour; start small, taste, and add more.
  • Instead of strips baked at 230°C (450°F): thin tortilla strips baked at 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F) for about 15 minutes, tossed often A gentler bake that takes longer; they're ready when crisp and starting to brown.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
Make the soup up to the point of adding the cilantro, lime and strips, cool it and refrigerate it. The tortilla strips and any toppings are best made on the day you serve.
Storage
Cool the soup and refrigerate it within 2 hours. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; frozen, it keeps best quality for 2 to 3 months. Store tortilla strips separately so they stay crisp.
Reheat
Reheat the soup until it simmers and reaches 74°C (165°F) all the way through, then add fresh strips.

If something goes wrong

  • Soggy strips Why: They sat in the hot soup too long, or were crowded on the baking sheet.
    Bake them in a single layer, and stir them in (or scatter them over each bowl) just before eating.
  • Soup too spicy Why: Too much chipotle for your taste.
    Use less next time, and serve with cool toppings such as diced avocado, crumbled cheese or sour cream.

Good to know

  • Good toppings: lime wedges, diced avocado, crumbled cotija or Monterey Jack, and Mexican crema or sour cream.
  • Low-sodium broth leaves room for the salty picante sauce; season only at the end.

Safety

  • Rotisserie and leftover chicken must be piping hot in the soup: at least 74°C (165°F).
  • Chipotles are hot. Wash your hands after mincing them and keep them away from your eyes.
  • The oven is very hot at 230°C (450°F). Use oven mitts; kids should let an adult take the baking sheet out.
  • Picante sauce, broth and rotisserie-chicken seasoning vary: check the labels for allergens. Cheese or crema toppings add milk.