Chicken-Tortilla Soup
This classic recipe is Mexican home cooking at its best, and the perfect place to showcase a flavorful chicken broth. Serve in big bowls with lime wedges on the side.
Servings Prep Time
2-4servings 15minutes
Cook Time
21minutes
Servings Prep Time
2-4servings 15minutes
Cook Time
21minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 guajillo chilesstemmed, seeded, and torn into pieces
  • 1cup Waterboiling
  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • 2 tomatilloshusked and roughly chopped
  • 2cloves garlicpeeled
  • 1/2large white onionfinely diced (about 3/4 cup), plus 1/4 cup diced white onion for serving
  • 1tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2small carrotpeeled and cut into matchsticks or small dice
  • 1/2 Anaheim chileseeded and diced (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 1/2lbs bone-in chicken thighsboneless, skinless
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1tbs kosher salt
  • 2cups corn tortilla stripstoasted, or tortilla chips, broken into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2cup Monterey Jackshredded, or cheddar cheese
  • 1 avocadoripe, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
  • 1/4cup Cilantro leaveschopped fresh
  • 4 Lime wedges
Instructions
  1. Place the chile pieces in a blender and pour in the boiling water. Let soak for 10 minutes, until the chiles are softened, then drain off and discard the water.
  2. Cut 1 tomato into quarters and scoop out and discard the core and seeds. Roughly chop the quarters and add to the blender. Core, seed, and finely dice the second tomato and set aside.
  3. Add the tomatillos, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the finely diced onion and blend until very smooth, scraping down the blender as needed. Do not add any water.
  4. Press Sauté—high on the Instant Pot and heat the oil. Add the diced tomato, the remaining finely diced onion, the carrot, and the Anaheim chile and sauté for about 1 minute, until beginning to soften. Add the chile puree and cook, stirring, until the mixture is quite dry and beginning to stick to the pot. Press Cancel. Add the chicken, broth, and salt. Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Press Soup, then set the cooking time for 20 minutes.
  5. When the cooking program is complete, press Cancel. Perform a quick pressure release by moving the Pressure Release to Venting. Open the pot, then transfer the chicken to a plate. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Divide the chicken evenly among heated bowls. Top each portion with the tortilla strips, cheese, and diced onion, then ladle the hot broth over the top. Garnish with the avocado and cilantro and serve right away, with the lime wedges.