Chicken tortilla soup is a smoky tomato broth full of tender shredded chicken, black beans and corn, finished with lime and piled with crisp tortilla strips. This version is sized for two: one small chicken breast simmers right in the pot, a single can of tomatoes goes in whole, and the whole thing fits in a medium saucepan. Instead of frying the strips, they bake in the oven while you start the soup, so the kitchen stays easy to manage and everything is ready together. I kept the spices to chili powder and cumin so the flavor comes from toasted spices, fire-roasted tomatoes and a squeeze of lime.
Why you’ll like it
- Two big bowls: the recipe makes just enough for two generous servings, not a pot you eat all week.
- One pot for the soup: the chicken cooks in the broth, then shreds back into it, so there is no separate pan for the meat.
- Pantry-friendly: canned tomatoes, beans, corn and broth carry most of the work.
- Crisp and creamy toppings: baked tortilla strips and cool avocado give every spoonful a contrast.
- Fast enough for a weeknight: about 15 minutes of prep and a mostly hands-off simmer.
What makes it work
Fire-roasted tomatoes. They bring a gentle smokiness that makes the broth taste like it has simmered much longer than it has.
Toasted spices. Stirring the chili powder and cumin into the hot onion and garlic for a minute wakes them up before the liquid goes in. The soup tastes rounder than if the spices were simply stirred into the broth.
Chicken cooked in the soup. The breast simmers in the broth, so it picks up flavor and gives some of its own back. Shredding it at the end makes it tender and lets it soak up the soup.
Lime at the end. Acid added off the heat tastes bright and fresh. Cooked for long, it turns flat, so the lime and cilantro go in last.
Strips baked apart. The tortilla strips stay crisp because they never touch the soup until they are in your bowl.
How it’s sized for two
Popular chicken tortilla soup recipes serve six or more, with a pound of chicken and two large cans. This one scales that down to about a third: 2 cups of broth, one 14.5-ounce can of tomatoes, 8 ounces of chicken, 1/2 cup of corn and 3/4 cup of beans. That makes two generous bowls.
A medium saucepan or small Dutch oven is the right size. A pot that is too wide lets the broth evaporate before the chicken is cooked, while a medium one keeps the chicken mostly under the liquid. The tomatoes go in as a whole small can, so nothing sits half-used in the refrigerator. The only leftover is a little of the can of beans, which you can keep in the refrigerator in a covered container for another meal.
Ingredients for chicken tortilla soup
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below. Here is what each one does and how to choose it.
- Chicken breast: one small boneless, skinless breast, about 8 ounces, cooks through in the simmering broth. A thicker breast needs a few more minutes, so rely on a thermometer.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: look for the can labeled fire-roasted for the smoky flavor. Regular diced tomatoes work, but the soup tastes less deep.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: it lets you control the salt, since canned tomatoes and beans bring their own.
- Black beans and corn: canned beans, drained and rinsed, and frozen or canned corn keep the prep short.
- Jalapeño: seeded for gentle heat. Leave a few seeds in if you like it hotter.
- Chili powder and cumin: the core of the flavor. Taste your chili powder first, since blends vary in heat and salt.
- Corn tortillas: six-inch tortillas are easy to cut into thin strips and bake until crisp.
- Lime, cilantro and avocado: the fresh finish. Cut the avocado right before serving so it stays green.
How to make chicken tortilla soup
- Bake the tortilla strips at 375°F for 10 minutes, until golden.
- Cook the onion and jalapeño for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in the garlic and spices for 1 minute.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, corn, beans and chicken breast and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer partly covered for 15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Shred the chicken, return it to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the lime juice and cilantro, then top each bowl with the strips and avocado.
Step-by-step notes
Baking the strips. Cut the tortillas into thin strips, toss them with the olive oil and a pinch of salt, and spread them out so they bake instead of steam. Stir them once during the 10 minutes. They should look golden and feel slightly flexible when they come out; they crisp as they cool.
Building the base. Cook the onion and jalapeño for 5 minutes until they soften and turn translucent, then add the garlic and spices for 1 minute. The garlic should smell sweet, not browned.
Cooking the chicken. Nestle the whole breast into the pot so most of it is covered by the liquid. Keep the heat low enough for a gentle simmer; a hard boil toughens the meat. After 15 minutes, check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer. It should read 165°F, and the meat should shred easily with a fork. If it is not there yet, simmer a few more minutes and check again.
Shredding. Move the chicken to a plate and pull it apart with two forks. Returning it to the pot for 5 minutes lets the shreds soak up the broth, which makes them juicier than if they were simply stirred in at the end.
Finishing. Take the pot off the heat before adding the lime juice and cilantro. Taste, then add a pinch of salt only if it needs it; the broth and tomatoes already carry some.
Tips for the best chicken tortilla soup
- Use a thermometer. It is the only sure way to know the chicken is done at 165°F without overcooking it.
- Keep the strips separate. Add them to each bowl just before eating so they stay crisp.
- Season at the end. Canned tomatoes and broth differ in salt, so taste before adding more.
- Slice the avocado last. Cutting it right before serving keeps it bright green.
- Thicken it your way. For a heartier soup, mash a few spoonfuls of the beans against the side of the pot, or stir the soup with an immersion blender for a few seconds.
Variations
- Rotisserie chicken: use the same weight of shredded cooked chicken, about 8 ounces, instead of the raw breast. Add it with the beans and simmer for only 10 minutes.
- More heat: leave some jalapeño seeds in or add a pinch of cayenne.
- Vegetarian: leave out the chicken, use vegetable broth and add extra beans.
- Fried strips: if you prefer fried tortilla strips, shallow-fry them in a little oil until golden and drain them on paper towels; the baked version just needs less oil.
What to serve with chicken tortilla soup
The soup is a full meal on its own, but a few toppings and sides make it feel special.
- Toppings: avocado, lime wedges, extra cilantro, a few sliced radishes or a handful of shredded cheese.
- A simple salad: a crisp green salad with lime dressing balances the warm soup.
- Quesadillas: a quick cheese quesadilla cut into wedges makes a hearty pairing.
- Another soup night: if you enjoy small-batch soups, our chicken noodle soup for two and marry me chicken gnocchi soup for two are sized the same way.
Ladle it into two deep bowls and let everyone add their own toppings at the table.
Storage and reheating
Let leftover soup cool a little, then refrigerate it, without toppings, in an airtight container within 2 hours. It keeps for 3 to 4 days. Store the tortilla strips separately at room temperature.
You can also freeze the soup alone, without the strips or avocado, for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stove, adding a splash of broth if needed because the beans absorb liquid, until it reaches 165°F.
Warm, smoky and topped with something crunchy, this is a soup that feels like a small celebration on an ordinary night. Ladle it out, squeeze on the lime and enjoy it together.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use raw chicken instead of rotisserie?
Yes. This recipe is written for raw chicken: simmer one small breast in the soup for 15 minutes, until it reaches 165°F, then shred it and return it to the pot.
Do I have to fry my own tortilla strips?
No. Baking them at 375°F for 10 minutes gives crisp, golden strips with much less oil, and you can also top the soup with store-bought tortilla chips.
How do I thicken the soup?
Mash a few spoonfuls of the beans against the side of the pot, or blend a small amount of the soup and stir it back in. Both make it heartier without adding anything extra.
How long does chicken tortilla soup keep?
Up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator without toppings, or up to 2 months in the freezer. Reheat it until it reaches 165°F.
Print
Chicken Tortilla Soup for Two
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2 bowls
Description
A smoky tomato broth with shredded chicken, black beans and corn, topped with crisp baked tortilla strips and avocado, sized for two.
Ingredients
- 3 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into thin strips
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, for the tortilla strips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- one 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup frozen or canned corn
- 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (1 small breast)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 ripe avocado, diced
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss the tortilla strips with the 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt on a small sheet pan, spread them out and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp. Set aside.
- Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in the broth and add the tomatoes, corn and beans. Nestle in the whole chicken breast and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, partly cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
- Move the chicken to a plate and shred it with two forks. Return it to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Ladle the soup into two bowls and top with the tortilla strips, avocado and lime wedges.
Notes
Equipment: medium saucepan or small Dutch oven, small sheet pan, instant-read thermometer, two forks
- Cut the avocado just before serving so it stays green.
- Keep the tortilla strips out of the soup until serving so they stay crisp.
- For more heat, leave a few jalapeño seeds in or add a pinch of cayenne.
- Canned tomatoes and broth vary in salt; taste before adding more salt at the end.
- Rotisserie chicken works: use about 8 ounces shredded and add it with the beans, then simmer only for 10 minutes.
- Doneness: The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part and the meat shreds easily.
- Doneness: The tortilla strips are done when they are golden and crisp; they firm up further as they cool.
- Refrigerate leftover soup, without toppings, in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Freeze the soup only (not the strips or avocado) for up to 2 months and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove, adding a splash of broth if needed, until it reaches 165°F.
- Cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F (USDA FSIS).
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
- Wash hands, the cutting board and tools after handling raw chicken.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
