Paula Deen Tortilla Soup

Paula Deen tortilla soup is a hearty chicken soup made with shredded chicken breast, petite diced tomatoes and fresh jalapeños, ready in 2 hours and serving 15. Save this easy tortilla soup for game day, weeknight dinner or a Southern comfort food Sunday dinner, because it feeds a crowd from one pot.

Poach the chicken with the celery and onion for the full 45 minutes, because that simmer turns plain water into the broth the whole soup is built on. Skip it with store-bought broth and the soup tastes thin next to the tomatoes and cumin.

Paula stirs the flour into the cooked vegetables for 2 minutes before any liquid goes in, which gives the broth body without turning it into a stew. The tortilla strips are fried fresh in a skillet and added at the very end, so they stay crisp instead of going soggy in the bowl.

Paula Deen Tortilla Soup

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: SoupCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

15

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

45

minutes

Calories

210

kcal

A flour-thickened chicken broth simmers with tomatoes, cumin and jalapeños until rich and a little spicy. Then crispy fried tortilla strips and a dollop of sour cream go on top for crunch and creaminess.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lb split chicken breasts
  

• 3 quarts water
  

• 3 chopped ribs celery
  

• 1 large quartered yellow onion
  

• 1/4 cup Butter
  

• 1 chopped sweet onion
  

• 1 chopped red bell pepper
  

• 2 seeded and minced jalapeño peppers
  

• 2 cloves minced garlic
  

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  

• 1 (28-ounce) can undrained petite diced tomatoes
  

• 2 tablespoons Chopped fresh cilantro
  

• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
  

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
  

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
  

• 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
  

• 6 cut into thin strips corn tortillas
  

• cilantro (optional) Sour cream
  

Directions

• Poach the chicken: Combine 2 1/2 lb split chicken breasts, 3 quarts water, 3 chopped celery ribs and 1 quartered yellow onion in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer 45 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
• Shred and strain: Lift the chicken out and keep the broth, then let the chicken cool slightly. Skin and bone it, shred the meat, and strain the broth, throwing away the vegetables.
• Cook the vegetables: Melt 1/4 cup butter in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 chopped sweet onion, 1 chopped red bell pepper, 2 seeded and minced jalapeños and 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, until tender.
• Stir in the flour: Sprinkle 1/4 cup all purpose flour over the vegetables. Cook it for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, so the flour loses its raw taste.
• Build the soup: Add 1 (28-ounce) can undrained petite diced tomatoes, 10 cups of the reserved broth and the shredded chicken. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 3 teaspoons cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon chili powder, then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Add the lime juice: Stir in 2 tablespoons lime juice at the end of the simmer. That brightens the whole pot right before serving.
• Fry the tortilla strips: Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the 6 corn tortilla strips in batches until crispy, then drain them on paper towels.
• Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the crispy tortilla strips. Add a dollop of sour cream and a little cilantro if you like.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, Cuisinart fine mesh strainer set, OXO 12-inch locking tongs. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of poaching the chicken?

You can, and it saves about 45 minutes. Shred 3 to 4 cups of meat and use 10 cups of store-bought chicken broth, but the soup will taste a little lighter than the homemade broth version.

How do I store leftover tortilla soup?

Keep the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, and store the tortilla strips separately at room temperature. Reheat the soup on the stovetop and add fresh strips so they stay crunchy.

Can I make this soup ahead of time?

Yes, the soup tastes even better the next day once the cumin and tomatoes settle in. Make it through the lime juice, chill it, and fry the tortilla strips just before serving.

How can I make it less spicy?

Seed the jalapeños completely and cut them back to one, since most of the heat sits in the seeds and ribs. The chili powder is mild, so the jalapeños are what you adjust.

What is the most common mistake with tortilla soup?

Adding the tortilla strips to the pot instead of the bowl is the usual one, because they turn mushy within minutes. Fry them fresh, drain them well and put them on top right before eating.