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Chicken Tortilla Soup
I bought a cheap cast iron pan at a thrift store three years ago and never bothered to season it properly. The first time I made Chicken Tortilla Soup in it, the corn tortillas fried into golden shards that stuck stubbornly to the bottom. I scraped them out with a wooden spoon and tossed them back in anyway — they added a crunch you just can't get from store-bought chips. That's when I realized this soup was worth making again.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Toast the spices with the onions for 30 seconds — they'll become fragrant but don't let them brown.
- Pour in chicken broth and salsa, then add black beans and corn. Bring to a simmer.
- Add shredded chicken and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in lime juice and season with salt to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro, cheese if using, and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Nutrition
Notes
The recipe came together from ingredients I already keep on hand: rotisserie chicken, canned black beans, corn, and whatever salsa is sitting open in the fridge. What elevates it beyond a quick dump-and-simmer dish is toasting the spices before adding liquid — just thirty seconds in oil unlocks cumin and chili powder in ways that make your kitchen smell like a taqueria.
I serve this with lime wedges and crumbled cotija because the acid and salt cut through the richness of the broth. A drizzle of hot sauce on top is optional but highly recommended, especially if you've got picky eaters who prefer their soup milder underneath.
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