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Chicken Tortilla Onion Soup

Warm up with a bowl of Chicken Tortilla Onion Soup, a delicious Mexican-inspired twist on traditional onion soup.

Chicken Tortilla Onion Soup - My Mexican riff on onion soup - with tortilla strips, chicken, onions, and poblano peppers - topped with a Mexican cheese blend. https://www.lanascooking.com/chicken-tortilla-onion-soup/

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One of my favorite shows on Food Network is Chopped. It’s just amazing how those chefs come up with recipes on the spur of the moment like they do! I believe I’m fairly knowledgeable about food but some of those Chopped basket ingredients, quite honestly, I have never heard of. Sometimes the competitors aren’t very familiar with them, either. It’s interesting to see them take a tiny taste and determine immediately how the ingredient’s flavor will fit into a recipe. Incredible.

So, being a fan of the show, I was very excited to be invited to participate in the Chopped at Home Challenge with Sargento®. Thankfully, my basket ingredients were all familiar – corn tortillas, Poblano peppers, chicken thighs, and Sargento’s Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican blend.

Also, I didn’t have to come up with a recipe on the spot. I had plenty of time to think it over. Lots of times when I’m trying to come up with a recipe, I toss ideas back and forth with BeeBop. We were talking this one over and when he mentioned tortilla soup, a light bulb went off. Why not do a riff on a traditional onion soup but with Mexican flavors? Chicken Tortilla Onion Soup- Yes, that might work! And it did, quite nicely.

How to Make Chicken Tortilla Onion Soup

Sliced onions and poblano peppers on a cutting board.

You’ll start your recipe by cutting the onions in half lengthwise and then into strips. Do the same with the Poblano peppers.

Cooking onions and poblanos in a saucepan.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onions and peppers. Sprinkle with a large pinch of salt and a little black pepper. Bring the heat up until the vegetables start to sizzle, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions and peppers are very soft. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Chicken cooking in a skillet with oregano and cumin.

While the onions and peppers are cooking, prepare the chicken by cutting it into bite-sized pieces. Using the same pan as for the onions and peppers, add one tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken. Sprinkle with the oregano and cumin. Cook over medium heat until cooked through and lightly brown.

Return the onions and peppers to the pan.

Adding chicken stock to the cooked chicken.

Add the chicken stock or broth. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the tortilla strips.

Cutting tortillas into strips on a cutting board.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the tortillas into strips.

Tortilla strips with seasonings and oil on a baking sheet.

Place on a baking sheet with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with a large pinch of salt and a large pinch of oregano. Toss the strips with the oil so that they are evenly coated. Spread into a single layer on the baking sheet. Cook, stirring every 5 minutes until nicely browned.

Onion soup bowls and shredded cheese.

When you’re ready to serve, assemble your dishes as follows. You’ll need four bowls or ramekins that are oven-safe, the tortilla strips, soup, and the Sargento 4 Cheese Mexican.

Assembling the soup in ramekins.

Place your bowls or ramekins on a baking sheet. I lined my baking sheet with foil to catch any cheese that might drip over the sides of the bowls. Layer each with a few tortilla strips, a ladle of soup, additional tortilla strips, and two ounces of the Sargento 4 Cheese Mexican blend.

Switch the oven to broil. Place the prepared bowls under the broiler until the cheese melts and is bubbly. Garnish with sour cream and fresh cilantro.

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Chicken Tortilla Onion Soup in bowls topped with sour cream and cilantro.
Lana Stuart.

More Questions? I’m happy to help!

If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Chicken Tortilla Onion Soup - My Mexican riff on onion soup - with tortilla strips, chicken, onions, and poblano peppers - topped with a Mexican cheese blend. https://www.lanascooking.com/chicken-tortilla-onion-soup/

Chicken Tortilla Onion Soup

Chicken Tortilla Onion Soup
5 from 1 vote
Print It Save
Course: Soups and Stews
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 743kcal
Author: Lana Stuart

Ingredients

  • 2 large white onions
  • 3 Poblano peppers
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil divided use
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 32 ounces chicken stock or broth
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 8 ounces 4-cheese Mexican blend
  • Garnish: sour cream and cilantro

Instructions

  • Cut the onions in half lengthwise and then into strips. Do the same with the Poblano peppers.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan. Add the onions and peppers. Sprinkle with a large pinch of salt and a little black pepper.
  • Bring the heat up until the vegetables start to sizzle well, then reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and peppers are very soft.
  • Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • While the onions and peppers are cooking, prepare the chicken by cutting it into bite-sized pieces.
  • Using the same pan as for the onions and peppers, add one tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken. Sprinkle with the oregano and cumin. Cook over medium heat until cooked through and lightly brown.
  • Return the onions and peppers to the pan.
  • Add the chicken stock or broth. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the tortilla strips.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Cut the tortillas into strips. Place on a baking sheet with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with a large pinch of salt and large pinch of oregano.
  • Toss the strips with the oil so that they are evenly coated. Spread into a single layer on the baking sheet. Cook, stirring every 5 minutes until nicely browned.
  • When ready to serve, assemble the serving bowls: Using 4 oven-safe containers, layer each with a small amount of tortilla strips, a ladle of soup, additional tortilla strips, and two ounces of the Sargento 4 Cheese Mexican blend.
  • Switch the oven to broil. Place the prepared bowls under the broiler until the cheese melts and is bubbly. Garnish with sour cream and fresh cilantro.

Notes

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 | Calories 743kcal | Carbohydrates 37g | Protein 50g | Fat 44g | Saturated Fat 15g | Trans Fat 1g | Cholesterol 195mg | Sodium 872mg | Potassium 904mg | Fiber 5g | Sugar 7g | Vitamin A 766IU | Vitamin C 72mg | Calcium 463mg | Iron 4mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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