Grab a spoon and some avocados… This hearty Chicken Tortilla-less Soup will have you coming back for seconds!
Soup is life
End of post. Kidding.
You know I can’t stop there. Give me something food-related to talk about and I can go on for hours (ask Stacie – she’s witnessed this more times than she can probably count). But, seeing as it’s Sunday and I need to get in the kitchen for a weekly meal prep sesh, I’m just gonna hit the highlights and say that I freaking love soup.
Soup is my go-to breakfast most days of the week and right now I’m totally crushing on this Chicken Tortilla-less Soup. But it’s also great for lunch and dinner. I just happen to like my soup before noon because it’s a great way to get in a bunch of veggies and healing bone broth with very little sugar (just what’s naturally occurring in the veggies). Because the last thing I want is mid-morning cravings and a sugar crash. Ain’t nobody got time for sugar crashing.
You know what else I love?
Cast iron. I’m totally obsessed with cast iron (again). I learned to cook in cast iron from my dad and did so for many years until I was seduced by a set of fancy stainless steel pots and pans the hubby got me for an anniversary gift. I gave them a try for a couple years then admitted that I hated them. The heat seemed uneven, the lids weren’t tight fitting, everything seemed to stick and it was impossible to get a good sear on anything. So I pulled out the old cast iron and seasoned it back up and thus my love affair with cast iron was rekindled and those pans went up on Craigslist.
So when our friends at Lodge Manufacturing, makers of all things cast iron here in the U.S., reached out and asked if I’d be interested in sharing a recipe using one of their enameled Dutch ovens I was stoked. As much as I love me some good ol’ fashioned cast iron, I really love enameled cast iron for it’s easy care and gorgeousness. This 4.6-qt. enameled Dutch oven with lid just begged for a saucy and slightly spicy soup and thus this Chicken Tortilla-less Soup came to be.
Win a Lodge enameled cast iron Dutch oven to call your own!
We’re giving away a 4.6-qt. enameled cast iron Dutch to one lucky winner. Just head over to our Instagram feed to enter – contest ends March 29th, 2017 at Midnight CDT. So print out this recipe and get over there and enter.
Because soup and cast iron are life.
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Chicken Tortilla-less Soup
A hearty soup with the flavors of your favorite Mexican dishes. We’ve kept it Whole30-compliant by leaving out the traditional tortilla strips but if you’re missing that little crunch on top, we suggest adding thinly sliced radishes or jicama
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Soups & Stews, Main Dish
- Cuisine: Whole30, Paleo, Freezer-friendly, Grain-free
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbsp. ghee (we recommend Pure Indian Foods)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 small red pepper, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 jalapenos, minced (optional; seeds and membranes removed for less heat)
- 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. taco seasoning (such as our Whole30 Taco Seasoning recipe)
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 3–4 cupsWhole30-compliant chicken broth (or homemade broth)
- 1 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (may substitute diced tomatoes)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- Diced avocado and lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ghee.
- When ghee is melted, nestle chicken breasts into the bottom of the Dutch oven in a single layer. Cook 5-7 minutes then flip and cook an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Push chicken breasts to the side (stacking them is okay), add onions, red peppers, jalapenos, taco seasoning, cumin and sea salt. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes or until onion and peppers start to soften. Add garlic and cook an additional 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add 3 cups broth and crushed tomatoes. Bring soup just to a boil then cover and reduce heat to simmer.
- Cook 20 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken breasts are cooked through.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool before shredding with two forks. Add additional broth, if needed, to reach desired consistency.
- Return shredded chicken to pot and stir. Add cilantro and lime juice.
- Serve with diced avocado and lime wedges.
Notes
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8th recipe
- Calories: 225
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 582mg
- Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 31g
What’s your favorite soup to make? Are you a cast iron cooking newbie or an old pro? Share in the comments below and let’s get the convo started!
This post was made possible by our friends at Lodge Manufacturing. Though we received product in return for this post, the opinions expressed here are – as always -100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with thereby allowing us to continue creating great recipes and content for you.
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Bethany @ athletic avocado says
March 27, 2017 at 3:18 pmChicken tortilla soup is so so good, but I’m starting Whole30 in 2 weeks, so this recipe is a life saver!
Jessica Beacom says
March 28, 2017 at 6:24 amHooray for life-saving, Whole30-compliant, hearty soup recipes! Have a great Whole30 – we’ve got lots of recipes to keep you sane and satisfied!
Christina says
March 27, 2017 at 4:41 pmLooks DELISH! Are you guys going to post Instant Pot directions by chance?? :o))))
Jessica Beacom says
March 28, 2017 at 6:21 amThanks, Christina!
I haven’t tested it in the Instant Pot (yet) but my guess is you could proceed with the recipe as written through Step 3 (using the ‘Saute’ function) then add the broth and chicken before locking the lid in place and selecting ‘Poultry’ setting for 15 minutes.
That’s how I’d approach this recipe in the Instant Pot. I’ll officially update the recipe once I’ve tested it in the Instant Pot. Hope that helps!
Christina says
March 30, 2017 at 10:27 amAwesome! You rock, thank you!
Julie says
February 20, 2018 at 8:23 amHi! Wondering if you have tried your own suggestions in the instant pot yet. I was hoping to make this soon and would love to just use my instant pot to make it vs stove. Also, in the IP, would you use thawed chicken or frozen? Thanks so much! Excited to try it!
Jessica Beacom says
February 21, 2018 at 9:54 pmHi Julie,
I have not tried this in the IP yet. You could use either frozen or thawed chicken – the IP will just take longer to come up to temperature before the cook time starts to count down.
Cathryn says
September 30, 2018 at 6:46 amI tried it in my instapot. I sautéed the chicken breast and jalapeños for about ten minutes to get that carmelized flavor. Then added all the ingredients and set it on low for 5 hours. Came out perfect!!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
October 1, 2018 at 1:48 pmThanks for sharing, Cathryn. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Mary Prine says
March 29, 2017 at 9:27 amI finished my first Whole30 last month. Soup was my saving grace!!! I would make a huge pot on Sundays and would eat half of it throughout the week and freeze half. The freezer jars are wonderful for times I’m in a time crunch. I thaw them in a warm water bath and then heat and eat. I’m excited to try this recipe! Thank you.
Jessica Beacom says
March 30, 2017 at 10:15 amHi Mary,
Congrats on finishing your first Whole30! Soup is always my saving grace on a fall/winter Whole30 (and pretty much all the time in between those, too). Great tip to thaw your containers in warm water – I do that too when I’ve used glass containers or jars (allowing them to sit a room temp for a bit before plunging them into warm water to avoid cracking the glass).
I hope you enjoy the recipe! Adding the avocado is key (it’s pretty low-fat without it) and if you want some crunch adding sliced radishes or jicama will keep it Whole30-compliant.
Judy says
April 2, 2017 at 4:29 pmIt looks tasty! What is ghee?
Jessica Beacom says
April 2, 2017 at 4:57 pmThanks, Judy!
It’s really good. Just enough spice but not overly ‘spicy’. Ghee is clarified butter – the butter is heated slowly then the milk solids are skimmed from the butter fat leaving a very pure and rich-tasting fat (ghee) that has a high-smoke point (so it’s good for sauteeing and roasting) and it’s generally very well tolerated by those who don’t tolerate dairy.
You can read more about ghee (and which one’s we love) in this post.
Jessica says
July 12, 2017 at 5:17 pmWhen do you put the garlic in? With the veggies? 🙂
Jessica Beacom says
July 18, 2017 at 10:34 amOops! Sorry about that. You add the garlic after the onions are softened. It only needs about 30-60 seconds of cooking. I’ve updated the directions accordingly.
Mallory says
September 8, 2017 at 7:01 amHello! Do we have to use Ghee? I have had serious dairy issues and am avoiding butter products. Anything else I can use as a substitution?
Jessica Beacom says
September 18, 2017 at 10:13 amHi Mallory,
You don’t have to use ghee. Feel free to use coconut, avocado or olive oil.
Sarah Mayer says
September 13, 2017 at 6:33 pmIf I don’t have a dutch oven, what do you suggest?
Jessica Beacom says
September 17, 2017 at 8:39 amHi Sarah,
Any large pot with a lid will work.
Jill says
October 30, 2017 at 2:46 pmI rarely review recipes, but for this one I had to! What a delicious and easy soup! The first time I made it with left over rotisserie chicken, the second time I made it as the recipe suggested. Both times it was superb and so good for leftovers. Thanks for a great recipe
Stacie Hassing says
November 4, 2017 at 7:42 amAwwww…thanks for the positive review Jill!
Belinda says
November 26, 2017 at 2:59 pmSO good and SO easy! I had leftover chicken from the night before so I used that. Perfect fall/winter soup!!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
November 27, 2017 at 2:46 pmSo glad you loved it – it’s a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
Diane Smith says
November 29, 2017 at 11:15 amDo you have any idea how big the servings are? I see it’s 1/8th of the recipe but I’m curious about if those are bowl or cup size servings? I want to make sure I have enough for everyone as a main dish.
Jessica Beacom says
December 8, 2017 at 7:42 pmHi Diane,
I don’t know the exact serving size though this recipe makes about 4 quarts of soup so that would work out to be about 2 cups per person. Hope that helps!
Bettina says
January 8, 2018 at 7:48 pmHi! I made this last week and it was sooo delicious! I used a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, added a diced zucchini and squash.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
January 9, 2018 at 8:56 amHi Bettina,
That sounds amazing! We love the addition of zucchini and squash.
Patrcia says
January 17, 2018 at 6:59 pmDelicious!
Kim says
February 4, 2018 at 2:18 pmThis soup was amazing! Soooo flavourful. Love that it was all made in one pot!
Stacie Hassing says
February 5, 2018 at 5:54 amThanks for the feedback! Great to hear you enjoyed this soup!
Jacki says
February 19, 2018 at 8:12 amHow do you feel about making this soup and freezing it? We already have our meals for this week planned but I have time to make this today. I’m on the whole 30. Thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
February 19, 2018 at 11:09 amThis soup freezes beautifully!
Jacki says
February 19, 2018 at 3:50 pmOkay great. My soup is kind of runny, maybe I should have drained my tomatoes. Any recommendations to thicken it up?
Jessica Beacom says
February 19, 2018 at 9:19 pmHi Jacki,
I don’t usually drain my tomatoes but they could differ from brand to brand (I use Muir Glen, if you’re wondering). To thicken it up you could either simmer it uncovered a bit longer or add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste if you have some on hand.
Elisabeth says
February 20, 2018 at 5:46 pmThis looks so yummy! Any suggestions for preparing this in a crockpot? Thanks in advance!
Stacie Hassing says
March 3, 2018 at 2:29 pmHi there! While we haven’t tried this recipe in the slow cooker, I’d imagine it will work. My recommendation would be to follow the recipe as written and slow cook it for 4-6 hours on low or until chicken is cooked through. Let us know if turns out!
Kristen says
April 9, 2018 at 7:03 pmThis soup was fantastic, huge hit with my whole family!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
April 10, 2018 at 11:13 amYay! We love to hear this. Glad you all enjoyed it.
Ruth says
October 5, 2018 at 10:27 amIs there’s pepper a bell pepper?
Stacie Hassing says
October 12, 2018 at 8:01 amI’m not sure what you’re asking. Can you clarify?
Lucia says
October 14, 2018 at 4:02 pmI wondered the same. What kind of pepper is the red pepper in the recipe? Is it red bell pepper?
Jessica Beacom says
October 14, 2018 at 9:36 pmHi Lucia,
Yes, it’s a red bell pepper. However, if you like things spicier, feel free to add other peppers as well.
MICHELLE T says
November 4, 2018 at 2:37 pmIm making this tomorrow and cant wait however as far as Portions go what exactly is an eighth of a recipe? I am trying to do portion control and calorie awareness. Thanks.
Stacie Hassing says
November 14, 2018 at 10:16 amHi Michelle. It would be about 1 1/4-1/2 cups. Hope that helps!
Caroline Peterson says
February 10, 2019 at 7:19 pmI made this in the instant pot with thawed chicken breast and it turned out great — I sautéed the veggies and spices using the built in sauté function on the IP. Then I added all other ingredients and gave it a stir. Cooked on manual for 9 minutes with a 9 min natural release followed by quick release. Probably could’ve cooked a little shorter to have more moist chicken.
Jessica Beacom says
February 12, 2019 at 9:57 amThis is great! Thanks, Caroline, for sharing how you made this in the Instant Pot!
Amy says
April 25, 2019 at 3:45 pmCould I do this with steak?
Jessica Beacom says
April 25, 2019 at 5:06 pmHi Amy,
You could do this with steak though I’m not sure the cooking time is long enough for the steak to become tender so I would recommend making the soup without the chicken then adding thin slices of a cooked steak to the pot at the end of the cooking time just to heat the steak through.