Sarra Ina Garten’s Mexican chicken soup is a rich, tomatoey chicken soup made with roasted chicken breast, canned whole tomatoes, jalapeños, cumin, coriander, corn tortilla strips, and 2 1/2 quarts of chicken stock. You top each bowl with sliced avocado, sour cream, grated cheddar, and crunchy tortilla chips. It serves 6 to 8 and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.
This recipe comes from Barefoot Contessa at Home, and it exists because Ina doesn’t like cilantro. She says “so many people have raved about Mexican chicken soup” that she finally decided to try making it herself, and the cilantro is entirely optional. That’s what makes her version different from most: the flavor comes from cumin, coriander, roasted chicken, and simmered corn tortillas rather than relying on a big handful of cilantro to carry the soup.
The corn tortillas simmered directly in the broth are the technique that makes this soup work. They break down over 25 minutes and thicken the broth naturally while adding a subtle corn flavor you can’t get from any other ingredient. Leave them out and you end up with a thin chicken broth that happens to have tomatoes in it, not the rich, slightly thickened soup Ina intended.
Ina Garten Mexican Chicken Soup
Course: SoupsCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes1
hour15
minutes350
kcalIna Garten’s take on a Mexican-style chicken tortilla soup from Barefoot Contessa at Home. The cilantro is optional because Ina can’t stand it, so the flavor depends on cumin, coriander, and corn tortillas simmered right into the broth. Pile the toppings on high and serve it as a full dinner.
Ingredients
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For the Soup:
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4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
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Good olive oil
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
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1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
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2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
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4 large garlic cloves, chopped
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2 1/2 quarts (2.4L) chicken stock, preferably homemade
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1 (28 oz / 794g) can whole tomatoes in purée, crushed
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2 to 4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
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1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
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6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
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For Serving:
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Sliced avocado
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Sour cream
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Grated cheddar cheese
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Tortilla chips
Directions
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Roast the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Place the chicken breasts skin-side up on a sheet pan, rub with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.
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Sauté the aromatics: While the chicken roasts, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
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Build the broth: Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes with their purée, jalapeños, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro if using. Cut the tortillas in half, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup.
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Simmer the soup: Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. The tortilla strips will soften and dissolve into the broth, thickening it naturally.
- Finish and serve: Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Ladle into large bowls and top with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated cheddar, and broken tortilla chips. Serve hot.
FAQs
Why does Ina simmer the corn tortillas in the broth?
The tortilla strips aren’t a garnish here. They simmer in the soup for the full 25 minutes, breaking down and dissolving into the liquid. As they soften, they release corn starch that thickens the broth and adds a subtle sweetness you can’t replicate with flour or cornstarch.
This is the same technique behind traditional Mexican tortilla soups, where stale tortillas are simmered until they melt into the base. The crispy tortilla chips on top are a separate thing: they go on at the table for crunch. One set of tortillas thickens the soup, the other set tops it.
Can you skip the cilantro?
Yes, and Ina actually prefers it that way. She openly admits to an “aversion to cilantro” in the headnote, which is why she built this recipe to work without it. The cumin, coriander, jalapeños, and simmered tomatoes carry all the flavor.
If you do like cilantro, she suggests adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro to the broth. You can also scatter some on top with the avocado and sour cream. But the soup doesn’t need it, which is rare for a Mexican-style chicken soup recipe.
How spicy is this soup?
Ina gives you a range of 2 to 4 jalapeños, seeded, so you control the heat. Two seeded jalapeños give a mild warmth that most people handle easily. Four makes it noticeably spicy but not overwhelming.
The seeds and ribs carry most of the heat in a jalapeño, and Ina is specific about scraping them out. If you want the flavor without any heat at all, use just one jalapeño, fully seeded. For a bigger kick, leave the seeds in one or two of the peppers.
Can you use rotisserie chicken instead?
A rotisserie chicken saves 40 minutes and works perfectly. Shred about 3 to 4 cups of meat from the bird and add it at the end of the simmer, same as the roasted version.
Ina roasts bone-in chicken breasts specifically because they stay moist and shred cleanly. A rotisserie chicken gives you dark meat too, which actually adds more flavor to the soup. Either way, the chicken goes in at the very end so it heats through without overcooking and turning stringy.
Does Mexican chicken soup store well?
The broth base without toppings keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors improve overnight as the cumin and coriander settle into the broth. Reheat gently over medium-low heat.
Keep all the toppings separate until serving: avocado browns fast, sour cream melts into nothing, tortilla chips turn soggy, and cheddar clumps. Set them out in small bowls at the table and let everyone load their own. The soup freezes well for up to 3 months without the toppings, but the tortilla strips dissolve completely after thawing, so the reheated version will be slightly thinner.
