Simple, healthy, and delicious, this best ever chicken tortilla soup can be made on the stovetop, in the pressure cooker or with a slow cooker. Awesome!
We have a few more days of holiday break before the insanity of Real Life begins anew.
Plus, we’re getting back from a quick trip to see Brian’s parents, which means I’m buried in laundry (and an extra leaky ceiling that decided to continue its inside raining talents while we were out of town), so I’m extra grateful for super simple, amazingly delicious meals like today’s recipe (not to mention it’s going to be in the single digits here all week and my heart is going to be longing for soup every single meal of every single day).
Chicken Tortilla Soup is both amazing and delicious.
It is one of my favorite soups in all the world. There’s something about piling all those toppings on top of the soup and relishing the 1001 flavors that just gets me.
I’ve been wanting a killer version of chicken tortilla soup for a while, and not only does this fit the bill for tremendous flavor and tastiness, it also gets major bonus points for versatility.
Make it in the Instant Pot, on the stovetop or in the slow cooker.
I know. The options. They are glorious and wonderful.
I’ve included directions for all three cooking methods, and it really is delicious however you choose to make it.
If I had to commit, I’d say my preference is definitely making it in the pressure cooker, because I’m madly in love with my Instant Pot…just like half the world is also after Black Friday and Christmas.
I swear, I had at least 43 friends pick up an Instant Pot between November and December.
Actually, that’s a lie. I don’t have 43 friends.
However, I’m fairly confident at least a bazillion people bought one in the last couple months (how’s that for an accurate scientific analysis of Instant Pot sales?).
Did you get one?
I feel a little bit like an Instant Pot grandma since I’ve been using one for a while now. But it really is a fantastic machine. I have tons of new pressure cooker recipes to share with you this year.
For now, I hope you’re putting this chicken tortilla soup on your menu plan as soon as possible.
It’s healthy and simple and delicious and really quite perfect. Plus, with all the cooking options, you really don’t have a lot of excuses not to make it.
A Quick Bit of Business: I took the last two Fridays off from sending out a weekly newsletter (hello, holidays) but I’ll be back at it this Friday! In December, I gave you an exclusive recipe every Friday to celebrate the holidays. Starting this month and throughout the year, I’ll be sending out one exclusive recipe each month with the newsletter. If you haven’t subscribed to the weekly newsletters, you can do that here!
One Year Ago: Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps {20-Minute Meal}
Two Years Ago: Korean Beef and Rice {Or Quinoa}: Simple 20-Minute Meal
Three Years Ago: Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup {Instant Pot, Stovetop, Slow Cooker}
Let’s talk about those corn tortillas for a second. I like adding the chopped corn tortillas while the soup is cooking – they soften and dissolve a little bit in the soup adding a yummy texture, and they thicken the soup slightly. You don’t have to add them if you don’t want, or you can substitute them with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of masa harina (I haven’t tried it with regular cornmeal, but I’m guessing it would work).
Ingredients
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 1 medium red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds (about 3 medium) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 3 to 4 corn tortillas, chopped (see note above)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, avocados, crispy tortilla strips or chips, and other desired toppings, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Pressure cooker: Using the saute function, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.
- Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure.
- Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
- Stovetop: In a 4- or 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Stir.
- Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the chicken and chopped tortillas; cook for 8-10 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
- Slow Cooker: In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker (you can skip this pre-cooking step, but I like to do it since I find that sometimes the onions don’t soften all the way when cooking).
- Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.
- Cook for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 on high. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
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Printed from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
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