Authentic Mexican Tortilla Soup
This authentic Mexican Tortilla Soup recipe, adapted from Rick Bayless, is the best chicken tortilla soup that I’ve ever had. Bright and acidic with smoky and spicy undertones.
One of my favorite soups of all time just got a makeover! I’ve made this Authentic Mexican Tortilla Soup recipe more times than I can count and we never tire of it. During the colder months, we make it at least once a month.
If you’ve stuck around the blog for some time, you might recognize this chicken tortilla soup. It was shared for the first time over four years ago and it has remained a reader favorite to this day.
The recipe has been re-tested, clarification and notes have been added to the instructions, and the photographs have been updated. It deserved some attention after all of these years, if only to remind you of just how good it is!
If you’ve been disappointed with other Mexican tortilla soup recipes, please give this one a try. It is the best that I’ve ever had and takes just under an hour start to finish.
How to Make The Best Mexican Tortilla Soup:
The key to an incredible Mexican tortilla soup is all in the broth. This is where most other chicken tortilla soup recipes fall flat.
Using dried ancho chiles is what sets this recipe apart and makes it so delicious and unforgettable. For this recipe, we’ll actually be toasting the dried chiles over an open flame to increase their flavor and smokiness.
Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers. They are large, nearly black in color, and very wrinkly. They can be found with Mexican and Spanish specialty ingredients in the international aisle of most supermarkets. You can also order them online here [affiliate link].
The toasted chiles (along with canned fire-roasted tomatoes) provide this tortilla soup with a medium heat level and smokiness that ground spices or fresh peppers can’t replicate.
Why You’ll Love This Tortilla Soup Recipe:
This soup’s broth is bright and acidic with smoky undertones and a decent level of spiciness. It is good enough to drink on its own.
The soup base is made from toasted dried ancho chiles, fire roasted tomatoes, and sautéed onion and garlic.
The mixture is combined in a high-powered blender until very smooth and then reduced over high heat until it has thickened and concentrated in flavor. I use a similar method in this Vegetarian Chili Recipe.
At this point, you simply add chicken broth and allow the flavored broth to simmer for an additional 20 minutes before adding the chicken.
To make the soup a bit heartier, I stray from tradition and add chopped collard greens (or kale) as well.
The greens add a nutritional boost without detracting from the flavor and give each spoonful a bit more heft. If you’d prefer to leave them out, feel free to do so!
Mexican Tortilla Soup Toppings:
Then, of course, comes the best part. The toppings! This is what brings Mexican tortilla soup together and takes this soup over the top. Each one contributes texture, flavor, and balance.
- crushed tortilla chips
- grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
- diced avocado
- cilantro leaves
- freshly squeezed lime juice
If you’re serving this soup to a crowd, you can set out individual bowls of toppings and have everyone help themselves.
Alternatively, you can add the toppings to each empty soup bowl and ladle the hot soup over them just before serving. It’s up to you!
How to Freeze Mexican Tortilla Soup:
Like most soups, this tortilla soup freezes well. If you wish to prep or freeze this soup for later, I recommend the following method:
- prepare the soup base through step 5 in the recipe; allow the broth mixture to cool completely and transfer to heatproof containers (leave a one-inch gap between the soup and the lid to account for expansion as it freezes); freeze for up to 2 to 3 months
- allow the soup to thaw completely in the refrigerator; transfer to a large soup pot and reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- continue steps 6 through 7 of the recipe; season with salt and pepper, and more lime juice as needed
Note: I prefer slightly thicker tortilla chips for this soup, as opposed to very thin tortilla chips. Thicker chips hold up better in the hot soup, and provide it with better texture.
Classic Mexican Tortilla Soup
This authentic Mexican Tortilla Soup recipe, adapted from Rick Bayless, is the best chicken tortilla soup that I've ever had. Bright and acidic with smoky and spicy undertones. The trick? A flavor-packed soup base made from toasted dried chiles and fire-roasted tomatoes. Top with chopped avocado, cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and a squeeze of lime juice and serve as a healthy main course.
Ingredients
- 2 large dried ancho chiles (*see notes)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes (*I strongly prefer Muir Glen brand)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, medium dice
- 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 quarts (8 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 bunch (12 ounces) collard greens or curly kale, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 and 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- juice from half a lime
Toppings:
- fresh lime wedges
- tortilla chips, crushed
- freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- diced ripe avocado
- fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Using metal tongs, toast the chiles carefully over an open flame (using a gas burner–or alternatively, in a dry skillet over medium heat) until they are pliable, slightly blistered, and very fragrant. Set aside on a cutting board to cool. Cut in half, and scrape out and discard the seeds and stems. Cut the chilis into smaller pieces and place in a high-powered blender, along with the fire-roasted tomatoes and their juices. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and a large sprinkle of kosher salt. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring continuously, until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the cooked onion and garlic mixture to the blender with the chilis and fire-roasted tomatoes. Puree the ingredients together, scraping down the blender if necessary, until the chilis have been fully integrated and the mixture is completely smooth and dark orange-red in color.
- Return the empty soup pot to high heat. Once the pot is very hot, add the pureed tomato chili mixture all at once–it should sizzle immediately when it hits the pan. Continue to cook over high heat for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the mixture thickens and concentrates substantially. It will splutter and bubble a bit. Once ready, the mixture should be slightly darker in color and resemble the thickness of a loose tomato paste.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot and combine thoroughly using a spoon or whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and allow the broth to lightly simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the broth with salt and pepper. If the broth tastes at all flat, you most likely haven't added enough salt.
- Over low heat, add the chopped greens and stir until fully incorporated. Allow the greens to cook at a low simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are very tender. Add the chicken and stir to distribute. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes over very low heat, stirring once or twice, until the chicken has just cooked through (this will not take long, so watch the pot carefully to avoid overcooking it). Just before serving, add the juice of half a lime. Taste once again, seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve hot and garnish with toppings (or alternatively, place desired toppings in the empty soup bowls and ladle the soup directly over them).
Notes
Make Dairy Free: Omit the grated cheese topping.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS:
- Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers. You can usually find them in the international aisle (alongside Mexican or Spanish ingredients) or occasionally in the refrigerated produce area near other dried chiles. They are large, nearly black in color, and very wrinkly – and sometimes mislabeled as ancho pasilla chiles.
- Slightly thicker tortilla chips work better for this soup, as they will hold their shape better as they integrate into the hot soup. I don’t recommend super thin chips for this as they will dissolve fairly quickly, which is not ideal.
- The chicken breasts can be substituted with shredded rotisserie chicken if you prefer (it’s just as good, if not better). If using this, stir in just before serving and allow the chicken to just heat through.
Recipe adapted from Mexican Every Day by Rick Bayless [affiliate link].
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 333Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 393mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 6gSugar: 10gProtein: 26g
Blender soup. Avocado. Tortilla!!! soup! Yes I love everything about this. Pinned
Thank you so so much for sharing Averie!!! Have a great weekend!
How many chilies do I need? I’m not seeing them listed in the ingredients.
Hi! I am SO sorry about this. I’m currently moving over to a different recipe format – and for some reason, that ingredient did not transfer over. I just updated the recipe. You will need 2 dried ancho chiles. Thank you for bringing this to my attention!
I vote for a soup week every month!! Boy does this look slurpable. By which I mean delicious.
Oooh, ok. Might have to do this until the weather gets too hot to pull it off! Haha
I just made a soup pretty similar, but used some kale! I love all the spice. I have a hard time finding peppers where I live. Total bummer.
And any soup with chips involved is good soup!
Maybe you can order them on amazon?? Also, Penzey’s is an amazing spice store, which also has a mail order catalogue, and they ship anywhere. You should try it!
I am a huge fan of tortilla soup – especially with those crunchy tortilla strips on top, I can never get enough. It’s just the most comforting, filling meal!
Yes! Absolutely, so true. Have a great weekend Ali!
I’ve yet to make a tortilla soup! This is awesome Laura, and the pics are phenomenal, as usual
You’re so sweet Paula!! Thank you!!
That broth looks so FLAVORFUL! It’s funny you posted this today, I’m making an authentic tortilla soup for dinner tonight! I just got back from Mexico, and just fell in love with tortilla soup all over again. I might have to try this version!
Great timing!! Sounds like a wonderful trip–I haven’t been to Mexico in the longest time!
this is one of my favorite soups too!
Have you made it with the pasilla negro chiles?!
I luuuv tortilla soup – this is beautiful. Pinned 🙂
Thanks for sharing Liz!
What a delicious week of soups you’ve had! I love tortilla soup, topped with an entire half of avocado and a big squeeze of lime. yum!
Yes, yes, and yes!
We bought my dad that cookbook years ago and every time he busts it out to make dinner for us when we’re in town, I know I’m in for something wonderful. And you really can’t go wrong with tortilla soup, either. I have to try this ASAP!
Yes! I need to make more things from it–but I love this soup so much. Have a great weekend friend!
I love everything about this soup. This is gonna happen in the kitchen soon. Pinned.
Thanks Jennie!!!
I’m glad you used dried chili’s in this recipe, gives me an excuse to use them:)
Yes–can’t really imagine this soup without them. Let me know if you try it!
those fire roasted tomatoes look insane!!! love this.
Thanks so much!!
Tortilla soup is my absolute favorite, but I’m always just a bit disappointed with all the recipes I’ve tried.. I will have to try this because it sounds amazing!
Oh! Definitely try this one–I think some Mexican tortilla soups don’t call for chiles, which I can’t really imagine either. Let me know if you do! Thanks Lily!
Tortilla soup is my favorite! I will have to try this!!
Isn’t it the best?! Thanks Elizabeth!
I totally agree with you on the fire roasted tomatoes! What is it about those things?? Anywho… your soup looks utterly delicious and perfect in every way!
Yes! Those and the chiles. Can’t get enough. Thanks so much Laurie!
We just finished eating this soup. So good! I didn’t have dry chilies so i just broiled some until they are nice and charred. The soup came out fantastic! The whole family loved it. My son said it was better than in a restaurant! Thank you Laura for a great idea. I’m becoming quite a follower of yours!
So, so glad you enjoyed it Masha! 🙂
“Classic” with Kale???
Lol ?
Hi! Im making this today – can I check its 8 cups of stock? That’s 2 litres in UK measurements which seems an awful lot? Thanks
Yes!!! 8 cups is correct! Seems like a lot but don’t worry! Hope you love it. It’s one of my favorite soups EVER.
I’m very excited about making this soup and I love the twist of using Kale! Question though, what do you thin about substituting a white fish for the chicken?
Thanks Brianne! It’s one of my MOST FAVORITE SOUPS ever! (Seriously, I make it all the time.) Personally, I wouldn’t really recommend substituting white fish for the chicken. I like the idea in theory, but I just don’t think the soup will be quite as good. You really want something that is sturdy and holds it shape (shrimp might work?), which is why the chicken is ideal. Plus, the toppings, such as grated cheddar will pair better with chicken! But definitely let me know if you DO try it with fish, I’d love to know how it works out.
This recipe looks great! I’ve posted it on my page!!
This recipe is the bomb I love it but. I barely have time to make stuff like this at home. It takes a lot out of you if you’re a chef like me… really love it though right kind of cheese:)
Bravo, this soup was fantastic. My local store didn’t have dried pablano chilies, used fresh pablano peppers and my husband loves this and wants me to make again and he can be kinda picky sometime. Yum yum.
So happy to hear that! I buy the dried ancho chiles, which I love (sometimes they are in the produce section with other dried chiles or in the Mexican/Spanish section of the grocery store) for this soup. So glad it worked with fresh poblanos though!
I make this soup all the time, my picky kids love it! I use 5 chiles to make it a little more flavorful with a little more spice. This really is the best tortilla soup I have had. Thank you for the amazing recipe.
This soup looks interesting and I’d love try it, but getting anchovies chilis is next to impossible in Canada. Mexican food is not that popular here. Is there anything I could substitute? I’m thinking not.
I’ve had a few people make this soup with fresh poblano peppers (are those available sometimes?) – I would be surprised if dried chiles weren’t available anywhere? These are one of the more readily available variety. It’s hard to replicate the taste of the soup without them unfortunately, but you could try ancho chile powder if you’re in a bind – you might want to keep adding it to taste. My best advice would be to order them online from somewhere like Amazon! They last indefinitely and are really reasonably priced.
Hi Laura, I didn’t make the soup yet but was wondering if the dried anchos are a better price on Amazon compared to supermarkets. Haven’t checked but would like to try them. Thanks!
Thanks for your question Jo! I would say that the Amazon ones that I linked to are slightly higher in price than some that I’ve found in stores but not at all unreasonable and they last indefinitely – the price in stores will vary. They can be super cheap at international/Mexican grocery stores, and a little bit pricier at places like Whole Foods, generic grocery stores, etc. I’ve also found them in bulk sometimes, so it really depends! Hope this helps!
Hi Laura! I’m making this soup tonight. Do you mean for the last word of step 5 to be “salt” not “broth”? ????
YES! Oh my gosh, thank you for catching that – I read this recipe so many times during editing and didn’t catch it myself. I just fixed the typo. Hope you like it! If you have a chance and don’t mind, I’d love for you to come back and give a review comment!
Made it! Super flavorful and easy for each eater to customize with the toppings. A squeeze of lime is mandatory … wow! This recipe is a keeper. Thanks!
SO happy to hear that!!! And yes, the a generous squeeze of lime juice sounds so simple, but can really make a huge difference, especially for this soup! Thank you so much for coming back to leave your feedback – I (and other readers) really appreciate it! xo
Garlic cloves can you use minced garlic ? Oh are ancho peppers hot and spicy ? My husband loves chicken tortilla soup but cant handle to hot and spicy ?
You can totally use minced garlic too – I prefer the flavor of the fresher stuff, but it shouldn’t matter for this recipe at all! As far as the anchos, it can vary a bit from dried pepper to pepper. It’s never been intolerable or too spicy in my opinion with two dried anchos (this is also partially why we remove all of the seeds too) – just a pleasant, background amount of heat – but they can vary a bit from dried pepper to pepper. If you’re worried, I would maybe only use 1.5 dried peppers or perhaps even just one? Although they really lend the soup so much flavor that I’d encourage you to stick with the suggested quantity!
This sounds relish! Beautiful photos too. Have you or anyone else tried making this without the chicken? I’m vegetarian and would love to give this one a try. Thanks!
Delicious! I made a vegetarian version with garbanzo beans instead of chicken!
This soup is absolutely fantastic. Thank you SO very much for sharing this recipe!
This looks awesome!! My mama makes Sopa de Tortilla, but this is far different. Might have to bring this recipe into the family! Thanks!
Hi. This looks delicious. I have all the ingredients but the chilis. Can I use dried New Mexican red chiles instead of the anchos?
yes!
Really enjoyed this. I used about half the suggested amount of chicken broth and it produced a really strong flavor. My wife said it was better than most restaurants! Thanks for the great recipe!
Great recipe. I used 3 Pasilla chiles instead of the anchos and added 2 chayote squash and 3 ears of corn when I added the broth since my wife and I love a veggie heavy soup. Absolutely delicious!
Love those additions!!! Thanks for the feedback!