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I have noticed myself making more and more soups lately. To me, I definitely crave them more in the cooler weather but I also have noticed that even in warm weather, I just want a big bowl of hearty soup. I love making soup because most of the time, I can make a big batch that we can have throughout the week
Why using rotisserie chicken is the best
I loved using a shredded rotisserie chicken for this soup because you can save the other half of the shredded chicken for another meal (like enchiladas!)
It also gives this dish so much more flavor!
Our grocery store sells different flavored rotisserie chickens. I personally like the herbed roasted or the chimichurri.
It’s totally fine if you can only find plain. It’s really only the exterior skin that has the “flavor” anyway.
What if I don’t have a rotisserie chicken? Can I make this with chicken breasts?
Yes! What I would do is cook the chicken breasts IN the soup for as long as it takes to cook them through then remove the chicken and shred it. Add it back into the soup after that.
Can I use chicken thighs?
You can but I don’t know if I’d shred them (they don’t shred as well as chicken breasts), I’d probably cube them.
Can I use something other than hominy?
You can use any of your favorite canned beans: great Northern beans, kidney beans, black beans, etc.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! The flavors really get better and better.
How does this freeze?
I haven’t frozen this before but I think it would freeze well.
How spicy is this?
I am liking spicy more and more these days so I put an entire jalapeño into the soup so this was pretty kickin’!
How do I make this less or more spicy?
De-seed your jalapeño and don’t put seeds into the soup if you want it less spicy or just omit it.
To make it spicier, add more jalapeños!
Can I use regular diced tomatoes?
Yes!
What can I top this with?
We topped ours with crushed up tortilla chips, avocados, and shredded cheese.
Can I make this in the slow cooker?
I think it would work; I have a slow cooker alternative here.
Can I make this in the Instant Pot?
You could, definitely. However, I know tomatoes are finicky in the Instant Pot.
I would add everything into the Instant Pot then cook on the Soup setting for 30 minutes.
Quick release.
Remove the chicken and shred and add back into the soup.
Stovetop Chicken Tortilla Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds included if you like things spicy, if not, de-seed and chop)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups (473 ml) chicken stock
- 1 cup (237 ml) water
- 29 ounces (822 g) diced tomatoes, (I used 1 can of fire-roasted and 1 can of regular)
- Squeeze/juice of 1 lime
- 25 ounce (709 g) can of hominy, drained
- 1 cup (164 g) frozen corn kernels
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) shredded chicken, (add more, if desired)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium high heat, add a bit of cooking oil then add the onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Sprinkle the spices on top then cook until slightly softened.
- Add in the chicken stock, water, diced tomatoes, and juice of 1 lime.
- Bring soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer and simmer on stove, covered, for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add in the hominy, corn, chicken, and salt. Stir to incorporate then let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.
- Turn off the heat and divide into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings.
This was the best god damn soup I have had in my LIFE. Serving it with avocado on top is a must. My husband hates soup, and even he loved it. I did it in the crock pot and it was a really easy transition.
Hi Juli this soup looks amazing! When I am adding th hominy do I drain it or add the liquid that it’s in? Thanks
Drain the liquid
What could I use instead of hominy Julie?
Hi Wanda, I actually talk about this in the post. Please find it under the heading above, “Can I use something other than hominy?”
Hi Julie! I don’t know if something changed on your site or on my computer/printer, but when I try to print this one, the “did you make this recipe” footer text overlaps the bottom of the instructions. It’s still relatively readable (and looks delicious!) so I can still use it, but figured it might be worth mentioning if there’s a formatting issue going on. :)
Hi Liz! Thanks for letting me know! I fixed it; should work for all recipes now that it won’t cover it up!