Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

This brothy Mexican chicken tortilla soup is richly flavored with a homemade stock packed with healthy ingredients like onion, garlic, fresh vegetables, and fresh herbs. 

We used to have a restaurant here called Chevy’s Fresh Mex and I loved their delicious brothy Mexican chicken tortilla soup recipe, which wasn’t like my go-to recipe which is hearty and thick, this one is a flavorful broth served with chicken, and charred corn and topped with crunchy tortilla strips, avocado, cotija, and cilantro. I’ve been craving the soup lately, so I slow-simmered a Mexican-style chicken stock using the bones from a leftover roasted chicken. I served this soup for dinner on a cold rainy day and my entire family loved it.

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Mexican Style Stock:

• 1 chicken carcass, plus the wing and leg bones!
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 1 small carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded & deveined, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & deveined, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, skins removed, smashed
• Handful of cilantro, stems & all
• Handful of parsley, stems & all
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder, or more to taste
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Juice from 1/2-1 lime, to taste

Tortilla Strips:

• 5 corn tortillas
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil, or more if needed
• Sea salt

Serving:

• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed and charred
• Leftover roasted chicken, chopped into bite-sized cubes (as much as you want)
• 1 avocado
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Cotija cheese, crumbled
• Lime wedges

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Make the Mexican-style stock by placing the chicken carcass, wing, and leg bones in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over low heat along with the onion, green onion, celery, carrot, tomato, poblano, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns, coriander seed, chicken bouillon powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover with water, about 6-7 cups, and simmer with the lid on for 3-4 hours.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Discard the bones and veggies. Pour the stock back into the wiped-out Dutch oven or stockpot and simmer on the stove for about 30 minutes, uncovered to reduce a bit and get a richer flavor, make sure to skim off any fat from the top of the stock.

Taste the stock then season with more chicken bouillon powder, sea salt, or freshly cracked black pepper, if needed.  Add fresh lime juice, to taste

Meanwhile, make the crispy tortilla strips by filling a small skillet with vegetable oil until it is 1/2 inch up the sides. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, about 7-10 minutes. Test the oil by putting the tip of a corn tortilla in the oil, if it bubbles a lot, it’s ready.

Slice the corn tortillas into thin strips.

When the oil is HOT carefully place some of the tortilla strips into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet.  Using tongs, stir them around until crispy and lightly golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the strips from the oil and place them on a paper towel lined plate. Immediately season with some sea salt. Repeat the process with the remaining strips; set aside until needed.

Char the corn by heating a small skillet over high heat. Place the thawed corn on a few paper towels to drain off excess liquid. Pour the corn into the hot skillet and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred.

Serve the soup by ladling the Mexican-style broth into bowls. Add some charred corn, chopped chicken, and diced avocado. Top with the crispy tortilla strips, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy.

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 hours hours

Course: Lunch, Main

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 4

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

• Large Dutch Oven or Stockpot
• Fine Sieve Strainer
• Small skillet

Ingredients

Mexican Style Stock:

• 1 chicken carcass plus the wing and leg bones!
• 1 small onion cut into wedges
• 3 green onions chopped
• 2 celery stalks roughly chopped
• 1 small carrot roughly chopped
• 1 small tomato chopped
• 1 poblano pepper seeded & deveined, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper seeded & deveined, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic skins removed, smashed
• Handful of cilantro stems & all
• Handful of parsley stems & all
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder or more to taste
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• Juice from 1/2-1 lime to taste

Tortilla Strips:

• 5 corn tortillas
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil or more if needed
• Sea salt

Serving:

• 1 cup frozen corn thawed and charred
• Leftover roasted chicken chopped into bite-sized cubes (as much as you want)
• 1 avocado
• Fresh cilantro chopped
• Cotija cheese crumbled
• Lime wedges

Instructions

• Make the Mexican-style stock by placing the chicken carcass, wing, and leg bones in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over low heat along with the onion, green onion, celery, carrot, tomato, poblano, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns, coriander seed, chicken bouillon powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover with water, about 6-7 cups, and simmer with the lid on, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 hours.
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Discard the bones and veggies. Pour the stock back into the wiped-out Dutch oven or stockpot and simmer on the stove for about 30 minutes, uncovered to reduce a bit and get a richer flavor, make sure to skim off any fat from the top of the stock.
• Taste the stock then season with more chicken bouillon powder, sea salt, or freshly cracked black pepper, if needed.  Add fresh lime juice, to taste
• Meanwhile, make the crispy tortilla strips by filling a small skillet with vegetable oil until it is 1/2 inch up the sides. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, about 7-10 minutes. Test the oil by putting the tip of a corn tortilla in the oil, if it bubbles a lot, it’s ready.
• Slice the corn tortillas into thin strips.
• When the oil is HOT carefully place some of the tortilla strips into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet.  Using tongs, stir them around until crispy and lightly golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the strips from the oil and place them on a paper towel lined plate. Immediately season with some sea salt. Repeat the process with the remaining strips; set aside until needed.
• Char the corn by heating a small skillet over high heat. Place the thawed corn on a few paper towels to drain off excess liquid. Pour the corn into the hot skillet and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred.
• Serve the soup by ladling the Mexican-style broth into bowls. Add some charred corn, chopped chicken, and diced avocado. Top with the crispy tortilla strips, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy.

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