I honestly don’t even know if I have ever ordered a chicken tortilla soup at a restaurant, so I just had a vague idea of the ingredients when I started this recipe. But after I got started, I realized it was pretty easy to bring it all together.

Once you try it, I promise it will become one of your go-to recipes for a quick meal that’s hearty, comforting, and healthy. It is loaded with protein (Yes, even the vegetarian version.), fiber, and so many other vitamins and minerals. It has vitamin C, an essential nutrient and antioxidant, potassium that is good for heart disease prevention and blood pressure control, and magnesium; A mineral crucial to body’s function. Like potassium, it keeps blood pressure normal, and also keeps bones strong and heart rhythm steady.

The best part about this recipe is that it’s mostly made with canned goods from your pantry. For ideas on how to have a well-stocked pantry check out my list.

You can watch the full step-by-step video here. Or you can follow the instructions below.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 can of chopped, pureed, or whole tomatoes
• 3 cans of chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained, but not rinsed
• about 1.5 cups shredded chicken
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed
• for garnish: tortilla chips or strips, avocado, sour cream, sliced green onions, jalapeños, cilantro, lime wedges

Instructions:

Heat a large stock pot on medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot enough that you can barely touch the sides, add the olive oil.

Add the chopped onions and garlic and sauté until translucent.

Note: I didn’t use fresh garlic in this demo because the jarred tomatoes I was using already had garlic.

Add the cumin and sauté for another minute. Add the tomatoes with the juices from the can, the chicken or vegetable stock, and cook until it comes to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil, turn down the heat to medium-low and using an emersion blender or a Vitamix, puree the soup until smooth and no chunks are left behind.

Turn up the heat back to medium-high and add the corn, black beans, and shredded chicken.

Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. You may not need to add any salt since most of the ingredients are from cans and the pre-roasted chicken is already seasoned.

Adjust seasoning as necessary. Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve immediately.

Variations:

• Make it vegetarian by using vegetable stock and not adding the shredded chicken.
• When tomatoes are in season – July to September – use fresh instead of canned
• Add other favorite canned beans like pinto or garbanzo beans
• Although not traditional, you can make it creamy by adding 1/4 cup of whipping cream or creme fraiche.
• Make it into a tomato-basil soup! After pureeing, add some pesto sauce. Start with 1 tablespoon. You can always add more. Omit the corn and the beans. Add chicken and garnish with small fresh mozzarella balls.

Do Ahead:

This recipe is easy and quick enough that there is not really a need for do ahead tips. But if you do have leftovers, I can tell you that it will taste even better the next day. It also freezes very well.

If you are making the soup before you intend to eat it, I would leave it at the pureed stage and not add the rest of the ingredients. When ready to eat, bring the pureed soup to a boil, then add the corn, beans, and chicken. Adjust seasoning and enjoy!