Description
A comforting and flavorful Poblano Chicken Tortilla Soup made from scratch, featuring smoky poblano peppers, tangy tomatillos, and tender shredded chicken, served with crispy homemade tortilla strips and fresh toppings for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 4 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 10 tomatillos, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (or 2-3 campari tomatoes, diced)
- 1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar, if needed)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 lime, juiced
- 48 oz chicken broth (6-7 cups)
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (or bone-in for extra flavor)
- 1 lime, juiced
- Optional: 1 bay leaf for simmering
Tortilla Strips
- 1 bag corn tortillas, cut into strips
- Avocado oil for frying
Optional Toppings
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Tortilla chip strips or freshly fried tortilla strips
- â…“ cup green onions, diced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Diced avocado
- Crumbled queso fresco
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Prep the Ingredients: Deseed and chop the poblano and jalapeño peppers. Chop the tomatillos, garlic, and onion to prepare all the fresh components before cooking.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In a large pot, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add the chopped poblanos, jalapeño, tomatillos, garlic, and onion. Sauté for 12-15 minutes until the vegetables are softened and aromatic.
- Blend the Soup: Remove the sautéed vegetables from the pot and blend until smooth using a blender or immersion blender. Return the smooth vegetable mixture back to the pot for further cooking.
- Add Spices and Tomato Paste: Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, and Mexican oregano. Continue to sauté this mixture for an additional 5-7 minutes to deepen and develop the flavors.
- Add Chicken and Broth: Pour in the chicken broth and add the chicken breasts to the pot. If using, add the bay leaf for extra flavor. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and shred them finely using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the soup to incorporate it evenly.
- Simmer and Season: Allow the soup to simmer for another 10-15 minutes to blend the flavors. Season with salt, black pepper, and the juice of one lime to taste.
- Prepare Tortilla Strips: While the soup simmers, heat avocado oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Fry the corn tortilla strips until they are crispy and golden brown. Remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish generously with crispy tortilla strips, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, green onions, crumbled queso fresco, and a dollop of sour cream.
- Finish with Lime: Serve the soup with lime wedges on the side for extra fresh citrus brightness that diners can add as desired.
Notes
- For more depth of flavor, bone-in chicken breasts can be used instead of boneless.
- If fresh tomatillos aren’t available, canned tomatillos can be substituted but will slightly alter the texture.
- Adjust the number of jalapeños or chili powder according to preferred spice level.
- To make this soup gluten free, ensure the corn tortillas are made from 100% corn without any wheat additives.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
