Can I make chicken tortilla soup in a slow cooker?

You can, but there's not much reason to. The prep steps stay the same either way. You would still char the tomatoes and toast the guajillos on the stove, and you would still need a skillet to brown the onion and garlic, because a slow cooker cannot brown anything. Reducing the blended puree down to a paste is possible in a slow cooker, but it takes far longer and still needs watching and stirring, so you gain nothing there either. After all of that, the only step left is a 30 to 35 minute high simmer, and no slow cooker is saving you time on 30 minutes. This is already a quick soup. Where a slow cooker does earn its place is holding it hot on a buffet or a party table.

Can I make this in an Instant Pot?

Yes, and it works better than trying to make slow cooker chicken tortilla soup because you can actually sauté right in the pot. Use the sauté function for the aromatics and for frying and reducing the puree, then add the broth and simmer. You still fire-roast the tomatoes and toast the chiles separately. The pressure function is not needed here since the broth only cooks at a high simmer for 30 to 35 minutes.

Is chicken tortilla soup supposed to be creamy or brothy?

The base of authentic chicken tortilla soup (or tortilla soup) is brothy, and the creaminess comes from what goes into the bowl to build it out. Mexican crema (or creme fraiche or sour cream), cheese, and avocado stirred in a hot broth turn it silky and creamy without making it heavy. If you want a whole pot of creamy chicken tortilla soup, whisk the crema (or creme fraiche) directly into the finished soup broth. Use those rather than sour cream, which can curdle and look unpleasant, although it still tastes good. Cream cheese works too but makes a noticeably heavier soup that doesn't taste authentic. Then add the creamy soup to individual bowls filled with chicken, avocado, and cheese, then top with tortillas and cracked fried chile pepper.

Can I use rotisserie chicken instead?

Yes, and it's what most home cooks use. Diced or shredded rotisserie chicken works great and is the fastest way to make chicken tortilla soup. But grilled pollo asado is the restaurant-level upgrade. With its achiote and citrus marinade and the char on the chicken, it adds a depth of flavor that cannot be beat, and it's the easiest thing to make. But this soup broth is so delicious that it's good with whatever cooked chicken you have.

What can I use instead of epazote?

If you don't have epazote, you can simply omit it from the ingredients. The soup is very good without it. Don't replace it with oregano. Or if you have fresh epazote instead of dried, one sprig can be substituted, but the timing for when you add it to the soup changes. Add the fresh sprig when you add the chicken broth rather than sautéing it with the aromatics, and pull it out before serving.

Why does my broth not taste like tortilla soup yet?

Because it's not finished yet! After the approximate 30-minute steady high simmer, the broth on its own tastes like a good tomato and chile chicken broth, not like the soup you remember from the restaurant. First, make sure you've added enough salt to bring out all of those nuanced flavors. But know that the garnishes are what actually complete the flavor profile. The crema, cheese, avocado, lime, chicken, and especially the fried tortilla strips are the ingredients that round out the flavor of the broth. So, the soup is not the soup until everything is in the bowl.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Easy Authentic Mexican Recipe)

Name: Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Authentic Mexican Recipe)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: For the Soup Base; 3 large dried guajillo chiles, seeds and stems removed; 1 pound ripe tomatoes (about 3 large) (453g) (sub canned fire-roasted tomatoes); 1 garlic clove; 3/4 cup chopped onion (170g); 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided, plus more to taste; 3 tablespoons lard, divided (45g) (sub EVOO or vegetable oil); 6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) homemade chicken broth (sub low-sodium store-bought broth); 1 teaspoon dried epazote (sub 1 sprig fresh epazote, or omit if you cannot find this ingredient); For the Garnishes; 12 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips, then cut once through the middle so the strips are shorter; vegetable oil for frying, at least 1/2 inch deep in a small pot or skillet; 8 ounces (about 2 cups) cooked, sliced pollo asado (227g) (or diced or shredded rotisserie chicken); 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (227g) (sub a Mexican melting cheese such as Chihuahua or asadero); 1/2 cup Mexican crema (sub creme fraiche or sour cream); 1 ripe Hass avocado, halved, pitted, and diced; (optional ingredient) 1chile, stemmed, seeded, and quickly fried (chile options include: pasilla, ancho, or mulato), for garnish; 1 lime, quartered; (optional ingredient) fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Description

A perfectly creamy Mexican chicken tortilla soup that actually tastes like a restaurant! Built the authentic way using toasted guajillo chiles and fire-roasted tomatoes with layered bowls of Mexican crema (or sour cream), avocado, cheese, tender slices of pollo asado, crispy fried tortilla strips, and a squeeze of fresh lime. A soup recipe kids also love!

Ingredients

For the Soup Base

3 large dried guajillo chiles, seeds and stems removed

1 pound ripe tomatoes (about 3 large) (453g) (sub canned fire-roasted tomatoes)

1 garlic clove

3/4 cup chopped onion (170g)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons lard, divided (45g) (sub EVOO or vegetable oil)

6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) homemade chicken broth (sub low-sodium store-bought broth)

1 teaspoon dried epazote (sub 1 sprig fresh epazote, or omit if you cannot find this ingredient)

For the Garnishes

12 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips, then cut once through the middle so the strips are shorter

vegetable oil for frying, at least 1/2 inch deep in a small pot or skillet

8 ounces (about 2 cups) cooked, sliced pollo asado (227g) (or diced or shredded rotisserie chicken)

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (227g) (sub a Mexican melting cheese such as Chihuahua or asadero)

1/2 cup Mexican crema (sub creme fraiche or sour cream)

1 ripe Hass avocado, halved, pitted, and diced

(optional ingredient) 1chile, stemmed, seeded, and quickly fried (chile options include: pasilla, ancho, or mulato), for garnish

1 lime, quartered

(optional ingredient) fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark even when your hands have flour all over them

Instructions

Fire-roast the tomatoes. Optional, and worth it. Grill the tomatoes in a vegetable grilling cage over a gas burner until charred and black, about 7 minutes. Seal them in aluminum foil for 5 minutes, then remove the stems, peels, and the blackest charred pieces and add them to a blender or food processor. Alternatively, rest them directly on the flame without a cage, or halve them and place them under a preheated broiler until charred. See notes for skipping this step.
Toast the guajillos. In a hot cast iron skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles for 1 minute per side, pressing down with a spatula for even contact with the pan, until aromatic but not burnt. They will puff up in the process, which is normal. Add them to the blender with the tomatoes.
Saute the aromatics. In a large 4-quart saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons (30g) of the lard over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic clove. Season with salt and cook, stirring regularly, for 4 minutes. Add the epazote and cook for another 4 minutes, until everything is soft and golden brown. Scrape the mixture into the blender with the tomatoes and chiles and blend until very smooth.
Fry the puree. In the same saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon (15g) of lard over medium-high heat, then pour in the chile and tomato mixture. It will sizzle and sputter. Season with salt, partially cover with a lid, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is darker red, thicker, and paste-like.
Add the broth. Pour in the chicken broth, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmering boil and continue cooking partially covered for another 30 to 35 minutes. Adjust the seasonings. This is where you really have to add enough salt to bring out all of the nuanced flavors in the broth. At this point you may be thinking that the soup base doesn’t taste like chicken tortilla soup, but don’t worry! The garnishes are what round out this broth and make it taste undeniably as delicious as your favorite restaurant version. Trust me:)
Prepare the garnishes. While the broth is simmering, heat vegetable oil to 350°F/175°C in a small pot or 8-inch skillet, at least 1/2 inch deep. Working in batches, fry a handful of tortilla strips, stirring frequently, until most of the bubbling has stopped and the strips are crisp and deep golden. Use tongs or a spider strainer to scoop them out and onto a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. If using, lay the chile (mulato, pasilla, or ancho) into the oil and turn it for 30 seconds or so as it toasts and crisps. Be careful not to leave it too long, or it will burn and taste bitter. Drain along with the tortilla strips.
Assemble the bowls and serve. Divide the garnishes equally between 4 soup bowls: Mexican crema, followed by shredded cheese and avocado, warm chicken, and tortillas. Ladle in the soup and top with the crumbled chile and a few cilantro leaves. Put a wedge of lime on the side of each bowl to be squeezed fresh. Enjoy!

Notes

Lard or oil. Lard is traditional and gives the base its richness and body and it’s my favorite way to enjoy this soup. But we eat this fairly often and so I also substitute EVOO rather than the more typical neutral seed oil like canola because it creates a healthy chicken tortilla soup you can feel good about eating.

Chicken broth. This authentic soup is brothy by nature until you add the garnishes which turns it into a creamy soup. So the broth decides how good the entire bowl will be. Homemade is the gold standard. Bone broth from a good butcher or specialty shop is next best. Low sodium boxed or canned broth is convenient and the soup is still good with it but it won’t taste the same as homemade.

If you skip the fire roasting. A Vitamix or Ninja will puree raw tomatoes skins and all. With a weaker blender or a food processor that will not finely puree tomato skins, blanch and remove the skins before adding them to the blender. Canned fire roasted tomatoes substitute in equal amounts.

Salt. There is never a single dump-the-salt-in-all-at-once step here. Season at every stage: the aromatics, the tomato mixture, again after the stock goes in, and once more before the soup is ladled into the bowls.

Fresh epazote. One fresh sprig replaces the dried, but the timing changes. Add it with the chicken broth and remove it before serving.

Tortilla strips. Plan on about 3 tortillas per person.

Lime. Squeeze it into the bowl at the table. I prefer a full quarter of a lime to balance the cheese and crema, but if you’ve never had this soup before, I recommend starting with a squeeze or two, stirring, tasting, and adding more as desired.The soup is meant to be balanced: creamy, cheesy, savory, but fresh and vibrant as well.

Queso fresco. Diced and used in place of a melting cheese for a slightly different texture, melty but holding its shape, with a mild milky fresh flavor.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Category: Dinner, Soup + Stews
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Mexican, Mexican + Tex-Mex

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
Calories: 535g
Sugar: 5g
Sodium: 508mg
Fat: 37g
Saturated Fat: 14g
Unsaturated Fat: 23g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 30g
Fiber: 6.6g
Protein: 23g
Cholesterol: 57mg