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5 from 2 votes

Chicken Tortilla Soup in 30 Minutes

Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of those easy weeknight dinners that makes amazing left overs and can be made in as little as 30 minutes. A fantastic addition to a lazy day soup or a fun Taco Tuesday twist, fresh limes paired with Mexican spices is light, good and as an added benefit, keto and low carb. There are no heavy creams and chicken lime soup is not thick, so its super easy to eat without feeling too weighted down. The lime flavor isn't overpowering and Mexican soups like this are so easily customizable with adding fresh cilantro leaves, tons of chopped avocado and a dollop of sour cream.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Chicken Recipes, Main Dishes, Soup Recipes
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 -6 people
Calories: 256kcal
Author: Trisha Haas - Salty Side Dish

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken cut into cubes
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 can 14.5 oz. Rotel diced tomatoes OR can of salsa
  • 6 limes

Instructions

  • Add vegetable oil oil, cut up boneless skinless chicken, diced onion and minced garlic to a deep or large stock pot and heat on medium high heat until chicken is completely cooked through and on longer pink.
  • Add 4 cups chicken broth and can of diced tomatoes. In place of tomatoes, it is fine to add an already spiced chunky salsa.
  • Season with dried oregano, salt, dried thyme and pepper and mix well. Optionally, 1 tsp of cumin works great as a variation.
  • Continue to heat soup on medium high until boiling. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Cut one lime into wedges and set aside. Juice the remaining 5 limes into the stockpot.
  • Mix tortilla well and heat for an additional 1-2 minutes.
  • Serve soup with extra fresh squeezed limes, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro and optional sour cream.

Notes

How to save some time in prep: 
Use a pre-made Rotisserie chicken to cut down on cooking up fresh chicken. Picking up deli chicken can save time and effort and turn this 30-minute soup into a 20-minute one. 
Soup Variations
  • Add black beans- Black beans are amazing to add into soups but be sure to RINSE OFF beans before adding to the soup. This makes sure the tomato-based broth doesn't turn a muddy brown. While it won't affect flavor negatively, it doesn't LOOK appetizing if a can of black beans is dumped with all of the creamy sauce it sits in. Rinse and add. 
  • Fresh Herbs Matter: Oregano and thyme are fine dried, but use fresh if available for Cilantro. Cilantro is not only delicious mixed into the soup but makes a gorgeous fresh garnish before serving. 
  • Spice variations that work: This particular recipe relies mainly on onions and garlic as the most significant source of flavor, but I always like to add 1 tsp ground cumin as well. 
  • Load it up: I purposely kept this lime soup with limited ingredients to make for a simple recipe. However, you can change this up with very little work. Add a cup of frozen corn (or drained corn) or rinsed black beans for additional flavors.
How to make Mexican Soup Creamier
  1. Add a can of refried beans - Dump a whole can of refried beans into the mixture, heat, and stir. This not only thickens the soup but provides a much creamier texture overall. 
  2. Pour in a bit of heavy whipping cream OR sour Cream- I love adding a bit of heavy whipping cream to my soups but be careful not to overdo this as it drowns out some of the spices and seasonings. You may need to balance with additional seasonings if you add too much. 
  3. Cornstarch - Add a bit of COLD WATER in a cup and a tablespoon of cornstarch. Stir until liquid, and then pour that into the soup and heat. Cornstarch is the most common way to thicken a soup or roast without altering the overall flavors. 
What toppings to recommend for the ULTIMATE soup!
  • Shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blends
  • Sour Cream
  • Cut up Avocados
  • Black Olives
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Diced Jalapenos
  • serve with crushed up tortilla chips or strips on top or serve with full tortilla chips to dip (this is how our family eats it)

Nutrition

Serving: 1people | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1103mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g