Community recipe
Chicken Tortilla Soup with Crispy Strips and Lime
A warmly spiced tomato-and-chicken soup with tender white beans and sweet corn, finished with oven-crisp tortilla strips, cool avocado, lime, cilantro, and sour cream.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
Get ready
Ingredients
- 4 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 0.25 tsp fine salt
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 0.75 tsp fine salt
- 400 g diced tomatoes, with juices
- 750 ml low-sodium chicken broths
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 400 g cannellini beans, canned, drained and rinsed; drained weight
- 150 g corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 15 g fresh cilantros, washed, dried and chopped
- 1 lime, washed and halved
- 1 avocado, halved, pitted and diced
- 120 g sour creams
Make it
Instructions
- 01
Crisp the tortilla strips
Set an oven rack in the middle, heat the oven to 400°F (200°C), and line a baking sheet with parchment. Cut 4 corn tortillas into thin strips. Toss them on the sheet with 1 tbsp olive oil and 0.25 tsp fine salt, spreading them in one layer. Once the oven reaches temperature, bake for 10–12 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and crisp. Set the sheet aside to cool; the strips will crisp further as they cool. | Why: Baking makes a crunchy topping without deep-frying, and cooling preserves the crunch.
- 02
Soften the aromatics and bloom the spices
While the strips bake, peel and dice 1 yellow onion and peel and mince 3 garlic cloves. Put a large pot on the stove over medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the diced aromatics and cook, stirring often, for 5–6 minutes until the pieces are soft and translucent but not browned. Stir in the minced aromatics, 1 tsp ground cumin, 0.5 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chili powder, and 0.75 tsp fine salt; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds until fragrant. | Why: Softening the base builds sweetness, while briefly heating the seasonings brings out their aroma.
- 03
Simmer the chicken in the tomato broth
Pour 400 g diced tomatoes with their juices and 750 ml low-sodium chicken broth into the pot; stir and scrape up any flavorful bits. Lower 600 g boneless skinless chicken breast into the liquid in a single layer. Bring just to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low, partially cover, and cook for 15–18 minutes, turning halfway, until the thickest part registers 165°F (74°C). Avoid a rolling boil to keep the meat tender. | Why: A gentle simmer cooks the meat safely without drying it out and flavors the liquid at the same time.
- 04
Shred the chicken and add beans and corn
While the pot simmers, drain and rinse 400 g cannellini beans (weight after draining), and measure 150 g corn kernels; if frozen, they can go in frozen. When the meat reaches temperature, transfer it to a clean plate, let it rest for 3 minutes, and shred with two forks. Stir the beans and kernels into the pot and simmer uncovered for 4–5 minutes until hot throughout and the broth is lightly thickened. Return the shreds to the pot and warm for 1 minute; taste and adjust seasoning if needed. | Why: Resting makes shredding easier, and adding the beans near the end keeps them intact.
- 05
Finish with lime and serve
Wash and dry 15 g fresh cilantro and 1 lime. Chop the leaves and tender stems; cut the fruit in half and squeeze one half into the pot, then cut the other half into 4 wedges. Halve and pit 1 avocado, scoop out the flesh, and dice it. Ladle the hot soup into 4 bowls. Divide 120 g sour cream, the diced topping, chopped herbs, and cooled crisp strips among the bowls. Serve immediately with a wedge for each bowl. | Why: Fresh, cool toppings and citrus brighten the warm soup; adding the strips last keeps them crisp.
