Soul-Warming Chicken Tortilla Soup
My homemade chicken tortilla soup can be made in the instant pot or the stove top! It’s a rich tomato based soup base and you can make this with shredded chicken or go with black beans to make it vegetarian! Top it with chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, and avocados.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Chicken Tortilla Soup
- 2 dried ancho peppers
- 1 28.5-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon EACH: dried oregano AND adobo seasoning
- 12 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3-4 tablespoons lime juice
Toppings:
- cooked shredded chicken diced avocados, shredded or cotija cheese, tortilla chips or strips, lime wedges, chopped cilantro
Instructions
- SOAK: Trim the tops off the peppers, open up the peppers and remove and discard all the seeds and ribs. Using kitchen shears, snip the peppers into 10-12 pieces and add them to a bowl. Pour 1 cup hot water on top. Allow the peppers to rehydrate for 10 minutes.
- BLEND: Add the peppers with the water to a blender along with the tomatoes, onion, oregano, adobo seasoning, and garlic. Blend until it’s smooth.
COOK:
- STOVE TOP: Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the prepared pepper mixture and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce heats through and thickens a bit. Add the chicken stock and 1 cup water and let the soup simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust salt as desired.
- OR INSTANT POT: Add the oil, and the prepared pepper mixture and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Then add the chicken stock and 1 cup water, cover, and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. I usually let it sit for 5 minutes before doing a quick release. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust salt as desired.
- SERVE: Ladle soup into bowls and top with desired toppings!
