Warm and cozy chicken tortilla soup with black beans, corn, and bell pepper. Topped with sliced avocado, cheese, and sour cream this soup is a delicious make-ahead soup that keeps on giving throughout the week.
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Just like a favorite pair yoga pants, a fuzzy fleece, and a woolly blanket a cozy bowl of soup does wonders to ward off the chill and warm the soul. I find Sunday afternoons are a great time to simmer a pot of something delicious and this chicken tortilla soup is a great contender – it takes just an hour start to finish leaving plenty of time to cozy up and enjoy the day.
Make-Ahead Chicken Tortilla Soup
And, because you enjoyed a Sunday simmering soup, there are lunch and dinner options for the rest of the week. You know, for those harried and hectic days that can only be soothed by a bowl of cozy chicken soup that takes no more effort than a quick reheat in the microwave. An hour on Sunday = so much lunch and dinner happiness during the week.
- Once you’ve made the chicken tortilla soup, store it in individual containers and it will keep well in the refrigerator for three to four days.
- Or, you can freeze the soup. Cool the soup to room temperature and freeze it in air-tight containers. It will keep well in the freezer for up to three months.
- Rewarm the soup on the stove or in the microwave and then top it with your garnishes before serving.
Some Ingredients You’ll Need
- One bone-in, skin-on chicken breast is first browned in the pot and then simmered in the soup adding tons of flavor that you can’t get from boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Onion, garlic, and bell pepper cook in all the delicious browned bits left behind by the chicken breasts.
- Black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes simmer with all the other veggies.
- A packet of taco seasoning makes things easy – check the ingredients to ensure you’re buying an actual spice mix and not a bunch of chemicals. Things like cumin, chili powder, and onion/garlic powder should be the first ingredients listed.
- Corn tortilla strips are stirred into the hot soup and sort of melt into it giving it a bit more body.
Don’t Forget the Garnishes!
In my world, a soup without a garnish is like a sundae without a cherry – will the world end without it? Probably, so it’s best to adorn your chicken tortilla soup in all the good stuff:
- Sliced avocado
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of
- Chopped fresh cilantro.
So go ahead and give your soup some delicious bling – you won’t regret it, I promise.
Happy soup-making,
More Cozy Soup Recipes
I ❤ soup! Here are a few more favorite soup recipes I love to make:
- Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Bisque | This creamy soup is garnished with homemade croutons and tangy blue cheese crumbles.
- Broccoli Cheese Soup | This cheesy soup will warm you up on the coldest winter days!
- French Onion Soup | Using your slow cooker to caramelize onions makes French onion soup totally doable on a weeknight. The caramelized onion soup is topped with toasted bread and melted Gruyere cheese.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Warm and cozy chicken tortilla soup with black beans, corn, and bell pepper. Topped with an avocado, cheese, and sour cream garnish this soup is a delicious Sunday project that keeps on giving throughout the week.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (1 pound) bone in skin on chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ¼ cup taco seasoning
- 1 (14.5 ounce) canned diced tomatoes with the juice
- 1 tablespoon cilantro
- 1 (32-ounce) box chicken stock
- 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained
- 6 small corn tortillas, sliced into ½ inch strips
- Kosher salt, to taste
For the Garnishes
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Sliced avocado
- Cilantro
- cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Place the chicken breast skin side down and cook it until it’s nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the chicken breast from the pot and set it aside.
- Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper and corn to the pan. Cook the vegetables for about five minutes, scraping up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan while stirring. Add the taco seasoning and stir until the vegetables are coated in the spices.
- Add the tomatoes, cilantro and chicken stock and stir. Carefully place the chicken breast in the soup. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the black beans and simmer the soup with the chicken for twenty minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Uncover the soup and remove the chicken. Discard the skin, shred the meat, and return it back to the soup. Add the tortilla strips to the soup and let it all simmer for another couple of minutes. At this point, check the seasoning and add additional salt as needed.
- To serve: Top each bowl with a tablespoon each of the grated cheddar cheese and sour cream. Top each with a few slices of avocado and sprinkle a little cilantro over the top.
Notes
This soup will keep well in the refridgerator for three to four days or in the freezer for up to three months. If making it ahead hold off on the garnishes until you are ready to serve it.
The nutrition estimate does not include the garnishes. Also, depending on the type of chicken stock you use the salt content will vary.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 451
- Sugar: 11.7g
- Sodium: 1221.2mg
- Fat: 12.2g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 62.8g
- Fiber: 13.2g
- Protein: 26.1g
- Cholesterol: 34.6mg
Keywords: chicken tortilla soup, chicken and black bean soup
Bridget says
this soup is delicious and warming and is giving me the best leftovers this week. yum, thanks! You’re right, the garnish is everything!
★★★★★
April Anderson says
So glad you liked it!
Brittney McCants says
How do i make it a little thicker
April Anderson says
Hi Brittney, you can try adding 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour at the same time you add the taco seasoning. Hope that helps!
Nicole Stephan says
The recipe above is missing the black beans. I figured it out, but may want to update. thanks!
★★★★
April says
Oh, thank you for pointing that out – I updated the recipe!