Pair it with homemade focaccia bread or garlic knots and make your dinner time special with a soup that delivers deliciousness with every bite.
This tortilla soup is one of those lick-your-bowl-clean kinds of soups that everyone loves and always asks for seconds.
A flavorful base – onion, garlic, and tomatoes Main ingredients – Chicken Spices and fresh herbs Starch – black beans Vegetables – corn and red bell pepper – it’s like a fiesta of flavors in a bowl. Homemade stock Garnishes – crunchy tortilla strips and avocado slices.
And extra brownie points if the soup is cooked in the Instant Pot.
Why in Instant Pot?
Whether it be Roasted butternut squash and lentil soup, Instant Pot tomato shorba ( spiced Indian soup), or Instant pot red bell pepper and lentil soup, I love the convenience of cooking my soups in the Instant Pot. Simply press the buttons, saute and combine all your ingredients and let the Instant pot do all the cooking while taking care of other things around the house. » Easy and straightforward – no fancy steps, a comfortable and manageable weeknight recipe. Simply chop, dice, sauté, and ten minutes of pressure cooking followed by shredding the chicken. That’s all you have to do. » Simple ingredient list – that delivers fantastic flavor. This tortilla soup has ingredients that you most probably have in your pantry and fridge. You don’t have to head out for grocery shopping. » Customizable – It’s a flexible soup; feel free to add or subtract ingredients to your liking. Add the veggies of your choice, pump up the spice level, skip the beans, or skip cilantro; it’s totally up to you. Your soup will not suffer from any of these adjustments. » Ready in minutes – Do you have 40 minutes to spare? Well, that’s the time you need to make this chicken tortilla soup from start to finish, including all the chopping and dicing. Without much delay, let’s have a look at all those amazing ingredients that work together to create this soup.
» Olive Oil – to sauté all the raw ingredients. » Bay leaves – intensely aromatic and infuse our soup with a woodsy flavor. » Onion and Garlic – the essentials that require just a few minutes of sauteeing but adds so much flavor to any soup. » Tomatoes – I have used canned tomatoes for the soup because canned tomatoes include both the tomatoes and their juices, giving our soup a great texture and color. » Corn + black beans – You can use canned or frozen. Frozen corn will work great too. » Seasonings – Chili flakes (for spice), cumin powder (adds a deep smoky flavor), and salt. That’s all you need to flavor chicken tortilla soup. » Sriracha – It lends a nice, spicy touch. Not a fan of sriracha, add chopped jalapeno instead- seeds removed. » Enchilada sauce – Adds depth of flavor. You can use mild or spicy enchilada sauce to suit your taste buds. » Chicken Broth – gives more flavor to the soup. If using store-bought, always opt for low sodium chicken broth. » Chicken Breasts – I have used boneless and skinless breast for this recipe but feel free to substitute chicken breasts for chicken thighs. Cooking time will vary as chicken thighs need to cook longer. You can use rotisserie chicken too. » Cilantro leaves – use fresh. Just a tablespoon goes a long way and adds tons of flavor. » Red bell pepper – For extra crunch and added nutrition. » Monterey Jack Cheese – adds a creamy touch and thickens the soup. You can use shredded cheddar cheese too. 2. Add minced garlic and sauté for a minute. 3. Add chopped onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions are soft and fragrant. 4. Stir in canned tomatoes. Mix until blended.
Add black beans and corn kernels.
Add cumin seeds, chili flakes, and salt.
Now, add sriracha sauce.
Give a good stir.
Pour in chicken stock. Mix to combine.
Now, place chicken breasts on top. Gently stir it.
Add chopped cilantro leaves.
Turn the Instant Pot off. Close the lid and seal the pot. Press the Manual or pressure cook button and cook the Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup for 9 minutes on HIGH.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, turn the steam valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. When the pin drops, carefully open the lid.
Remove the chicken pieces from the pot.
Place the cooked chicken breast on a cutting board and shred the chicken using a fork and knife.
Give it a good stir. Turn the Instant Pot ‘ON’ on sauté mode and bring the chicken tortilla soup to a boil. Simmer the soup for 5-7 minutes until chicken soaks in all the yummy flavors.
Add diced red bell peppers.
Finally, stir in cheese and mix until well blended.
Once the cheese is mixed in, the soup will become creamy and light in color. That’s it. Turn the Instant pot off. Garnish with tortilla strips, sliced avocados, and a lemon wedge. Serve hot.
» To save time, you can substitute chicken breasts with ground chicken. » Instead of regular diced tomatoes, you can use a can of fire-roasted tomatoes to add a smoky flavor to tis Instant pot chicken tortilla soup. » Make-ahead recipe – You can make this chicken tortilla soup 2-3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. » This recipe can be altered to suit mostly all kinds of dietary needs.
Intolerant to gluten – you can use gluten-free tortilla chips. For a dairy-free option, skip the cheese for a much lighter and leaner soup. Just a note, if omitting cheese, the soup will not be thick, as shown in this recipe. Vegetarian version – If you are looking for a vegetarian version of chicken tortilla soup, substitute it with firm tofu.
Freezer -friendly!
This soup freezes beautifully for later use, minus the tortilla chips and avocados. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Store it in an airtight container. It will stay good for 2-3 months. When ready to eat, allow the soup to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm it up on the stovetop in a pan.
How to serve Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup?
We need bread to dip; therefore, I like to pair all our soups with freshly baked bread. Here are a few of my family favorites-
Pull apart garlic rolls Garlic herb skillet rolls Dinner rolls
Should you make this chicken tortilla soup, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
CRAVING FOR MORE, TRY SOME OTHER WINTER SOUPS!
