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A bowl of chicken tortilla soup topped with sour cream, minced red onions, pickled jalapeños, and tortilla chips.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Quick weeknight chicken tortilla soup made with canned blacked beans, cooked chicken, and topped with store-bought tortilla chips.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced, about one cup (diced: 6 ounces; 168 grams)
  • 1 large green bell pepper (diced, about one cup (diced: 4 ½ ounces; 126 grams)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press (about one tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 (15 ounces each) cans low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (10 ounce can) tomatoes and green chilies (Ro Tel original suggested)
  • ¼ cup tomato paste 2 ounces; 60 grams
  • 6 cups (32 ounce carton) low sodium chicken stock or water
  • 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon base, optional
  • 3 cups cooked, cubed or shredded chicken breast (from about three chicken breasts)

Toppings

  • tortilla chips
  • sour cream
  • chopped red onions
  • chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Soup: Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over high heat until the oil shimmers but doesn’t smoke. Add the green peppers and onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until green peppers are tender, about three minutes.

  2. Add the garlic and chili powder. Stir and cook for an additional minute.

  3. Add the tomatoes, black beans, and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and chicken bouillon base, if using.

  4. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat and allow soup to simmer (bubbling occasionally) for 30 minutes. Stir in the chicken, cook for an additional 10 minutes.

  5. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with a handful of crushed tortilla chips and your favorite toppings.