Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (with Hominy)

Name: Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe with Hominy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons olive oil; 1 cup onion (diced); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 Tablespoon fresh); 28 ounces crushed tomatoes; 2 cups chicken broth, low salt (or vegetable broth); 15 ounces black beans (rinsed and drained); 15 ounces hominy (rinsed and drained); 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen); 4 ounces mild green chiles (diced); 2 cups cooked chicken (cubed or shredded); 16 tortilla chips; Optional toppings: squeeze of lime juice, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado slices, cilantro

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This fast and easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe with hominy, black beans, and corn takes 30 minutes to make in one pot. Just add your favorite toppings, like avocado, cilantro, or cheese, and you have a fiesta-worthy meal perfect for busy weeknights.

Serving bowl and spoon with chicken tortilla soup showing hominy, black beans, and corn. It's topped with cilantro, 2 slices of avocado, with 3 tortilla chips are tucked on the side. A bowl of tortilla chips and lime wedges are behind it.

This is easily the best chicken tortilla soup recipe around; at least, that's what our meal assembly store customers told us when they made it or shrimp tortilla soup! It's delicious and healthy.

Plus, it's the perfect combination of fresh and convenience ingredients. Using leftover lemon pepper chicken, chili lime chicken, or rotisserie chicken and pantry items shaves off precious prep time. It has hominy, too, which is a nod to the authentic flavors you would find in a traditional Mexican soup.

Are you making this for a casual weekend dinner? You'll have plenty of time to make side dishes like easy guacamole dip and homemade low-carb tortilla chips!

If you've swooned over white chicken chili with cream cheese, think of this as its zesty cousin. Unlike the creamy base of the chili, tortilla soup with chicken boasts a thick, tomato-rich broth brimming with Mexican spices.

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Ingredient Notes
Directions with Pictures
Toppings
Top Tips
FAQ
Storage and Make-Ahead
More Southwestern Recipes
📋 Recipe

Ingredient Notes

Here's what you'll need to make Southwestern chicken tortilla soup:

Labeled ingredients to make chicken tortilla soup: chicken, black beans, corn, hominy, crushed tomatoes, diced onion, broth, tortilla chips, mild green chiles, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, and oregano.

Cooked chicken, diced or shredded - Be sure that the seasonings used on the chicken make sense. Slow cooker 3-ingredient salsa chicken works great. Grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken are also fantastic.
- Frozen cubed chicken does not need to be defrosted first!
- This soup CAN be made with fresh chicken. See the FAQ section below.
Whole corn kernels - Fresh corn really makes this soup pop with flavor. It takes about 2 minutes to microwave corn on the cob. You'll only need 1 large ear of corn. Frozen corn does not need to be defrosted first.
Chicken broth or vegetable broth - Use a low-salt brand since canned items in this recipe also contain salt.
White hominy - You'll find this ingredient in the canned goods aisle.

I bet you'll want toppings! Check out the idea list below.

Please refer to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and detailed instructions.

Directions with Pictures

Here's how to make tortilla soup with chicken in one pot on the stovetop in under 30 minutes. Have all the ingredients prepped before you begin and the soup will quickly come together.

Green spatula sautéing diced onions, minced garlic, dried oregano, and chili powder in a large stock pot.

Step 1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes to soften. Next add minced garlic, chili powder, and oregano. Stir and cook for about 1 minute more.

Green spatula stirring chicken tortilla soup ingredients in a pot.

Step 2. Add diced or shredded chicken and everything else (except the toppings) to the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. The flavors will continue to meld and mingle, so you don't have to remove the soup immediately.

Large serving bowl with chicken tortilla soup with hominy, black beans, corn topped with crushed tortillas, cilantro, and slices of avocado.

Step 3. Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla strips or crushed tortillas and toppings of your choice. A splash of fresh lime juice is a must!

Toppings

Take a bowl of chicken tortilla soup to the next level by preparing a topping bar and include ingredients like these:

Shredded cheeses such as Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Cheddar or Cotija
Lime wedges - this is a must at our house!
Avocado cubes or slices
Fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Guacamole - use our one avocado guacamole recipe for a small batch!
Finely diced red onion
Green onion, sliced thin
Salsa

Bowl of Mexican chicken tortilla soup topped with cilantro with cilantro and a whole avocado behind it.

Top Tips

You don't need to defrost frozen ingredients like corn, hominy, or chicken!
When there are various diets in your house, prepare and cook tortilla soup and cook the chicken separately. Serve it on the side, along with all the other toppings. Now, everyone is happy! This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan without the chicken.
Buy twice the ingredients and follow the make-ahead tips to make extra chicken tortilla soup for the freezer.

FAQ

How do you thicken chicken tortilla soup?

This soup is hearty. If you want to thicken it, puree about ¼ cup of the hominy or corn to naturally thicken the soup, as we did for creamy corn and crab soup. It works beautifully and keeps the soup gluten-free.

What is hominy?

Hominy has a chewy texture and a mild, slightly earthy flavor, distinct from regular corn, with a hint of nuttiness. It's created by soaking corn kernels until the outer hull and germ are removed, causing them to swell and soften.

Can you make this with uncooked chicken?

Yes! Simply add boneless chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness to the soup along with all the other ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. It usually takes 10-15 minutes. Lift it out and shred or cube and return to the soup.

We use this poaching technique to make lemon chicken soup with cauliflower rice.

Bonus: It's still a 30-minute recipe!

Storage and Make-Ahead

Storage

Store leftover chicken tortilla soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days or the freezer for 2 months. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.

Make-Ahead and Freeze

This is the exact recipe we used at our Make Ahead Meal Kitchens. Add all the prepped ingredients, including cooked chicken to a freezer bag. Of course, save any topping for serving day.

Remove excess air from the plastic bag and store it flat so it will defrost quickly. When you're ready to make chicken tortilla soup, defrost the bag overnight in the refrigerator. Pour the contents into a large pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.