I've been pretty loyal to my old Austin Junior League tortilla soup recipe, but with the hot weather this recipe made with enchilada sauce has won me over. Not only is it quicker, but it tastes just as good thanks to the concentrated flavor of red enchilada sauce.
At first I thought enchilada sauce was kind of a redundant ingredient in tortilla soup since the recipe also calls for broth, chili, and tomatoes, but the smooth texture of the canned sauce does seem to add something. Maybe it improves the texture? I don't know, but we liked it. A little half & half added at the end rounded everything out.
What Type of Cooked Chicken To Use
This soup works with leftover cooked chicken you've saved from another meal or pre-cooked chicken from the grocery store. If you keep your air fryer out, you can quickly air fry a couple of chicken tenderloins, chop them up and toss them in at the end. Or use rotisserie chicken.
Small Batch Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Old El Paso brand red enchilada sauce is vegetarian and vegan so you can easily make this soup vegan by using vegetarian broth and leaving out the chicken. An interesting addition to vegan tortilla soup is drained canned or frozen artichokes! Just drain, rinse, and chop.
Slow Cooker Version
You can skip the stove altogether and make this in a slow cooker. If making in a slow cooker, omit the oil and just dump in everything but the beans and chicken and heat for about 3 hours. Add beans (if using) and cooked chicken toward the end. If making the slow cooker version, you also have the option of using uncooked chicken breast chunks. Just add it at the beginning and the soup is done when the chicken is cooked through. Depending on your slow cooker and type of chicken, this should be less than 3 hours.
Recipe
The Easiest Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons oil
- ¾ cup chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 can red enchilada sauce (10 oz)
- 2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes, drained (14 oz each)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons chili powder, the Tex Mex blend type**
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 ¾ cups chicken broth, reduced sodium type
- 1 cup frozen corn, like Trader Joe's Mexicorn
- 1 can black beans, drained (optional)
- ¼ cup half & half or a mixture of milk and cream
- 1 pound cooked chicken breasts, cut into cubes or shredded
Topping
- Sour cream, cilantro, lime for serving Chopped cilantro, for serving Sliced lime, for serving
- 1 cup sliced corn tortillas, air fried, or store-bought chips
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and cook until soft, then add garlic and cook for about 1 or 2 minutes.
- Add all of the other ingredients except for the cream, beans and chicken and and heat until warm and bubbly. Stir in the beans and then the cream. At this point you can add the chicken, or leave the chicken out. Put the chicken in serving bowls and pour the soup over the chicken in the bowl.
- Serve in bowls topped with tortilla chips or air-fried corn tortilla strips plus cheese, cilantro (if you like it) and sour cream.
noble pig says
Looks good...I love those little soup packets!
Cass Ward says
Just had to say my daughter loves Shark Boy and Lava Girl, have fun