crispy chicken tortilla soup

This Crispy Chicken Tortilla Soup is as cozy and comforting as any other you've ever had, but with a yummy twist! Instead of having soggy tortilla pieces inside, this soup is topped with crispy strips for a delicious contrast of textures.

New year's resolutions are now in full swing, which calls for some healthy eats around here! As I'm sure you've realized, I love tasty food, and I don't think good for you has to equal bland or boring. Enter, this Crispy Chicken Tortilla Soup! This delicious, filling soup has lean chicken breast and tons of veggies, but the real star is the crispy tortilla strips you top it with. Instead of having limp, soggy tortilla pieces in the soup, you quickly fry some corn tortilla strips and throw those in instead. Texture heaven.

I have to admit that I haven't had too much chicken tortilla soup in my day, but I think part of the reason is because I'm so picky. And I don't like the aforementioned soggy tortilla pieces. But, much like tomato soup, I realized I actually loved this once I tried making it myself! The other advantage of making this yourself is, of course, you can make it as healthy as you want, and you know exactly what goes in it! I'm back on the calorie-counting train after all of the goodies I enjoyed over Christmas break, so I tried to keep this on the lighter side. Can't say it tastes healthy, though!

Onto other, non-food related things... school starts again Monday and I.am.not.ready. UGH. Like, yes I had 4 weeks off, but 4 weeks of break after going literally 4 months without a break longer than a weekend goes by reaaaaalllly fast. The good news is that I was able to make lots of new recipes for y'all, so even if school gets crazy busy {which I know it will}, I will still have yummy things to share with you! I've been trying to come up with some healthy-but-still-delicious recipes, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Like I said, I'm sure I'm not the only one trying to count calories around here. 😉 This chicken tortilla soup is a great start!

If you're looking for more yummy homemade soup recipes, look no further! Check out my Slow-Cooker French Onion Soup, Green Pea Soup with Crispy Prosciutto, Chicken Mushroom Orzo Soup, and Baked Potato Soup! There's lots more if you just type "soup" in the search bar on the top right 🙂

Print Recipe

crispy chicken tortilla soup

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Meat &amp, Seafood

Servings: 6

Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into chunks
• 2 stalks celery
• ½ cup diced onion
• ½ cup diced carrot
• 1 cup diced bell pepper
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• salt & pepper as needed
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• *for the crispy tortilla strips*
• 4-5 thin corn tortillas
• 2-3 cups vegetable oil for frying
• *to serve*
• shredded Mexican blend cheese
• sour cream
• diced avocado
• lime slices

Instructions

• In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
• Add in the pieces of chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned on all sides.
• Add in the celery, onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Sprinkle in the paprika, turmeric, garlic powder, and onion powder, and mix everything together. Continue to cook until veggies are soft and fragrant, 5-6 minutes.
• Add in the can of diced tomatoes. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and cornstarch, and add that into the pot as well. Finally, add enough water to the pot to just cover all the veggies and chicken.
• Cover, and allow soup to cook for at least one hour.
• Meanwhile, you can prepare the crispy tortilla strips. First, cut your corn tortillas into strips.
• In a small pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high. My pro-tip is to have a toothpick floating in the oil... once you see small bubbles forming all around the toothpick, it means your oil is hot enough!
• Add in the tortilla strips a handful at a time, making sure to not crowd the pan. Cook until lightly golden brown, then transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt and set aside until needed.
• When ready to serve, pour some soup into a bowl. Top with tortilla strips, shredded Mexican blend cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, and a squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy!