The first cool evening of the year always sends us to the soup pot, and this is the one we keep coming back to. It makes a Sunday-sized pot — six generous bowls — but it comes together in about forty-five minutes on a Tuesday.
Three tablespoons of Rock Yo’ Taco do the heavy lifting: New Mexico and ancho chiles, cumin, organic garlic and onion, and a whisper of organic cocoa that gives the broth a slow-simmered depth it has no business having in forty-five minutes. Bloom it in the pot with the tomato paste before a drop of liquid goes in. That one minute is the whole recipe.
Fry the tortilla strips yourself. Six corn tortillas, a little oil, three minutes a side. Chips out of a bag go soft the moment they hit the broth; these stay crisp down to the last spoonful.
Then set out little bowls of avocado, cilantro, shredded Monterey Jack, crema and lime wedges and let everyone build their own. That is the part the grandkids remember. If this one lands, the Rock Yo’ Taco Dip uses the same jar and feeds the same crowd.
Full recipe card below. New here? We’ll send you a free jar to cook with.
Rock Yo' Taco Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cozy one-pot chicken tortilla soup built on organic Rock Yo' Taco seasoning, with crispy tortilla strips on top. Forty minutes, start to finish.
Ingredients
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon Rock Yo' Taco organic seasoning
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
- Juice of 1 lime, plus more to taste
For the tortilla strips
- 6 corn tortillas, cut into ¼-inch strips
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
Toppings
- Diced avocado, shredded Monterey Jack, sour cream or Mexican crema, lime wedges
Instructions
- Crisp the tortilla strips first. Heat the neutral oil in a wide skillet over medium. Add the strips in a single layer, working in two batches if needed, and fry 2–3 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Build the base. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook 5–6 minutes, until softened and just starting to brown at the edges.
- Bloom the seasoning. Add the Rock Yo' Taco and the tomato paste. Stir constantly for 60–90 seconds, until the spices smell toasty and the paste darkens a shade. This is the step that separates good tortilla soup from great tortilla soup.
- Simmer. Pour in the tomatoes with their juice and the broth, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom. Add the chicken thighs whole. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 18–20 minutes, until the chicken shreds easily.
- Shred and finish. Move the chicken to a plate and shred it with two forks. Return it to the pot with the black beans and corn. Simmer uncovered 5 more minutes to warm through and thicken slightly.
- Season and serve. Stir in the lime juice, then taste and add more until it pops. Ladle into bowls and pile on tortilla strips, avocado, cheese and a spoonful of crema.
Why blooming matters
Cooking the seasoning in oil with the tomato paste pulls the fat-soluble flavor out of the chiles and cumin. You get far more aroma than you would tipping the spices straight into liquid.
Why thighs, whole
Thighs simmered whole in the broth stay juicy and give back collagen, so the soup has body without any flour or cream.
Make it yours
A chopped chipotle in adobo adds smoke and heat. Rotisserie chicken cuts the simmer to 10 minutes on a weeknight. Skip the chicken and double the beans for a vegetarian pot.
Seasoning
Add salt only if it needs it — a little kosher or sea salt at the end is plenty. Crushed red pepper goes a long way if you want more heat. Fresh-cut cilantro at the table finishes it like a restaurant.