Smoky, Spicy Tortilla Soup

Heather Arranie October 10, 2021 4 min read

This is a hearty, spicy soup that can be made in less than 30 minutes. It’s great for those days when you need something comforting and warm.

This is a recipe for chicken tortilla soup that features smoky, spicy flavors.

This Smoky, Spicy Tortilla Soup is full of Mexican ingredients like chipolte peppers and cumin, and it’s all wrapped up in a spicy broth.

Most Mexican restaurants provide tortilla soup, but I believe the finest tortilla soup I’ve ever eaten was at Sol Cucina in Scottsdale.

This delicious tortilla soup reminded me of something you’d get at a high-end Mexican restaurant.

It had all of the great Mexican tastes, plus it was filled with shredded chicken.

When I lived in Arizona, this soup was often my go-to lunch.

Everyone had their own version, from the Hyatt to the Camelback Inn to Manuel’s to Los Sombreros.

Some had grilled corn, while some had a more hot chicken broth and others had spicy jalapeos.

They were all excellent, but the Sol Cucina was really exceptional.

It had the richest tomato chicken broth I’d ever tasted. It was somewhat spicy and smoky, and instead of maize, black beans were used.

I wanted to make the soup again, and I believe I got close with the recipe. So let’s get started.

Soup with Smoky Spicy Tortillas Ingredients

Chicken
Broth made with chicken
Tomatoes
Garlic
Chile Powder from Chipotle
Cumin
Paprika that has been smoked
Salt
Pepper
Beans, black
Lime
Chips de Tortilla
Cheddar is a kind of cheese.
Cream of Tartar
Avocado

How to Make Spicy Tortilla Soup with Smoke

The soup I had tasted like if it had been cooking for an eternity, which to me indicates a slow cooker.

Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and place them in the slow cooker to start.

After that, pour in the low-sodium chicken broth.

Cook for 6-7 hours on low heat with the tomatoes, garlic, Chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, black beans, and lime juice.

When ready to serve, pour the soup into serving bowls and top with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, and a dollop of sour cream on top of each dish.

It’s a completely filling dinner on its own.

Smoky, Spicy Tortilla Soup

Observations on the Ingredients

You may use fresh tomatoes, but canned tomatoes work just as well in this recipe, and the tomato sauce is an additional benefit.

Marzano tomatoes are my favorite in this recipe, not just because of their taste, but also because they hold up better throughout the lengthy cooking period.

For the seasonings, I used Chipotle Chile powder and smoked Paprika, as well as the juice of one lime, for an additional smokey flavor.

This gives the soup a wonderful smokey flavor, almost as if it were cooked over an open fire.

I must say, it tasted quite similar to the delicious soup I had. Because of the simmering, it was rich, spicy, and smokey, with a tremendous depth of flavor.

Please leave a comment and pin us on Pinterest if you enjoy this dish!

Smoky, Spicy Tortilla Soup

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