Chicken Tortilla Soup {low fat}

Authentic tortilla soup in a chicken broth seasoned with tomato and pasilla pepper. Deliciously topped with baked tortilla strips, avocado and panela cheese.

Who says that Mexican food is fattening? As a matter of fact, most foods in Mexico are rather healthy! The Mexican food you find in most U.S. restaurants is very different from what you find in Mexico. Most foods are not deep fried or drowned in cheese.  

I took this recipe even further and made it healthier than how my mom used to make it by - 1) baking the tortilla strips instead of frying them in oil, 2) using lean chicken breast and 3) only adding 1 tablespoon of oil to sauté the vegetables.

Toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup

I think the toppings are as important as the broth is in this soup. They add so much depth and flavor that I recommend you don't skip any of them!

I did stay away from garnishing with too much cheese since in my opinion, it doesn't need much of it. I recommend crumbled panela cheese or queso fresco (found in most grocery stores).

For the tortillas I baked my own since that cuts a few hundred calories without compromising any flavor. When selecting your tortillas, look for the lower calorie ones. Using low calorie tortillas means you get to eat more! The ones I use are 50 calories each 😉

Other MUST toppings are: sliced avocado, chopped cilantro and a dash of fresh lime juice.

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How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

You'll find the process of making an authentic chicken tortilla soup at home super easy! There is nothing more satisfying that making your own favorite Mexican dishes right?

Let's dive in:

• Place the tomato, chicken stock, pasilla chile, and oregano in a blender. Puree and set aside. Note: you may need to make this in two separate batches so that your blender does not overflow.

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• Place a saucepan or stockpot over medium heat and add oil to coat the bottom. Add the carrot and onion and saute until lightly browned. 
• Add the chicken, reserved tomato-chile puree, salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more if needed. 

• Simmer slowly for about 10 minutes to develop flavor. 
• Serve hot and garnish with the tortilla strips, avocado & cheese. Squeeze some lime juice to taste if desired.

Did you make this Chicken Tortilla Soup!? I’d love to know how it turned out! leave a comment and a rating below👇 thank you!

Chicken Tortilla Soup {low fat}

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: easy mexican food, healthy mexican food, How to make chicken tortilla soup, Sopa Azteca, Tortilla Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 142kcal

Author: Ana Frias

Authentic tortilla soup in a chicken broth seasoned with tomato and pasilla pepper. Deliciously topped with baked tortilla strips, avocado and panela cheese.

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Equipment

• Blender
• Medium saucepan

Ingredients

• 1 cup roma tomato diced
• 6 cups chicken stock preferably homemade
• 1 pasilla chile, stemmed
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup carrot (about 1 carrot) julienned
• 1/4 cup onion chopped
• 1 cup cooked chicken breast chopped or shredded
• 1/2 Tablespoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Toppings

• 8 baked corn tortillas cut into strips
• 1 avocado peeled & diced
• 1/2 cup panela, queso fresco or cotija cheese crumbled
• lime wedges
• cilantro chopped

Instructions

• Place the tomato, chicken stock, pasilla chile, and oregano in a blender. Puree and set aside. (see note below)
• Place a saucepan or stockpot over medium heat and add oil to coat the bottom. Add the carrot and onion and saute until lightly browned.
• Add the chicken, reserved tomato-chile puree, salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more if needed.
• Simmer slowly for about 10 minutes to develop flavor.
• Serve hot and garnish with the tortilla strips, avocado & cheese. Squeeze some lime juice to taste if desired.

Notes

Note: When blending your broth, you may need to do this process in two separate batches so that your blender does not overflow.

I added carrots to bulk up the recipe but you can easily omit them if desired. 

Calories are for the soup only. Calories for toppings are not included as that varies depending on the quantities you decide to use. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2mg

This recipe was originally published in Sept 2012. It was updated in December 2019 to revise the content and photographs. The original recipe remains the same. Enjoy!