Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is my "it's cold outside and I want something that fights back" soup. Chicken tortilla soup has warmth and attitude — smoky chipotle, fire-roasted tomatoes, cumin, and enough spice to make your nose run slightly, which is exactly what you need when it's minus-ten in Chicago and your body is questioning all of your life choices.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast or thighs
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 14oz
- 1 can black beans, drained 14oz
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper
Toppings
- Crispy tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, jalapeno slices
Method
Stovetop Method
- Heat oil in a large pot. Sauté onion 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cumin, chilli powder, and smoked paprika — cook 1 minute until the spices bloom and the kitchen smells incredible. Add fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, and chicken broth. Nestle the chicken into the liquid. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Remove chicken, shred with two forks, and return to the pot. Add black beans, corn, and lime juice. Simmer 5 more minutes.
Crockpot Method
- Add everything except the beans, corn, and lime juice to the crockpot. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours. Shred the chicken in the pot. Add beans, corn, and lime in the last 30 minutes.
Serve
- Ladle into bowls. Load with toppings: crispy tortilla strips (store-bought or bake your own), diced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. The toppings are not optional — they transform a good soup into a complete, textured, extraordinary meal. The crispy strips add crunch, the avocado adds creaminess, and the lime brightens everything. Skipping toppings on tortilla soup is like eating pierogi without sour cream — technically food, emotionally incomplete.
Notes
Both are tomato-based soups. Both are comfort food staples. Zupa pomidorowa is mild, creamy, served with little star pasta — pure gentle warmth. Chicken tortilla soup is bold, smoky, spicy — warmth with attitude. I make zupa pomidorowa when the kids need gentle comfort. I make tortilla soup when I need aggressive comfort. Different moods, different soups, same healing function. Both go into heavy rotation from October through March, because Chicago winters are long and soup is the only reasonable response.