Chicken Tortilla Soup is a restaurant favorite, and so easy to make at home! Like any soup, the recipe is pretty flexible, depending on what is in the pantry. The recipe states tomato paste, but you could use canned tomatoes instead. You could substitute pinto beans for the kidney beans and black beans, or use a combination.
I like to make it with the meat from a rotisserie chicken, which already has a lot of flavor to it and only gets more tender with a little simmering. However, canned chicken works just fine, too.
With so many colorful vegetables and beans, Chicken Tortilla Soup is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach! Having an assortment of toppings available lets everyone fix their bowl of soup to their liking. It’s important to remember that the toppings are the main source of fat and concentrated calories for a soup like this. Portion control of the cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc., will keep your plate in the healthy range, but still let you have enough extras to enhance the flavor!
Place all ingredients in a 5-qt. saucepan with a lid. Bring to a low boil and simmer, loosely covered, for 45 min.
Check salt and pepper seasoning. Serve by placing a small handful of tortilla chips (6-8 chips) in the bottom of a bowl. Ladle the soup on top.
Top with additional ingredients of your choice, such as: shredded colby-jack cheese, lite sour cream, guacamole, green onions, etc.