Description
The Best Poblano Chicken Tortilla Soup is a hearty, flavorful dish with smoky poblano peppers, tangy tomatillos, and tender shredded chicken. Topped with crispy tortilla strips, avocado, and cilantro, it’s perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
1 medium white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
10 tomatillos, chopped
1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste (or 2–3 campari tomatoes, diced)
1–2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar, if needed)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Mexican oregano
2 tbsp avocado oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 lime, juiced
48 oz chicken broth (6–7 cups)
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (or bone-in for extra flavor)
1 lime, juiced
Optional: 1 bay leaf for simmering
1 bag corn tortillas, cut into strips
Avocado oil for frying
Optional toppings: 1 lime, cut into wedges, Tortilla chip strips or freshly fried tortilla strips, ⅓ cup green onions, diced, ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, Diced avocado, Crumbled queso fresco, Sour cream
Instructions
- Prep the Ingredients: Deseed and chop the poblano and jalapeño peppers. Chop the tomatillos, garlic, and onion.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In a large pot, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add the poblanos, jalapeño, tomatillos, garlic, and onion. Sauté for 12-15 minutes until softened.
- Blend the Soup: Remove the sautéed vegetables from the pot and blend until smooth. Return the blended mixture to the pot.
- Add Spices and Tomato Paste: Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Sauté for an additional 5-7 minutes to deepen the flavors.
- Add Chicken and Broth: Pour in the chicken broth and add the chicken breasts. If using, add the bay leaf. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot, shred them using two forks, and return the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Simmer and Season: Let the soup simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Adjust with salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste.
- Prepare Tortilla Strips: While the soup is simmering, heat avocado oil in a separate pan. Fry the tortilla strips until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, diced avocado, cilantro, green onions, crumbled queso fresco, and a dollop of sour cream. Serve with lime wedges for extra freshness.
Notes
If you prefer a richer broth, use bone-in chicken breasts or thighs. The bones add more flavor to the soup.
For a vegetarian option, swap the chicken for a variety of beans (black beans or pinto beans) for a hearty, vegetarian version.
To make the soup spicier, add more jalapeños or a few dashes of hot sauce.
For a creamier texture, blend a portion of the vegetables before adding the chicken.
To make it vegan, replace the chicken with beans or tofu, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Use canned tomatillos as an alternative to fresh tomatillos. Drain and rinse them before adding to the soup.
If you skip frying the tortilla strips, you can use store-bought tortilla chips as a topping.
Feel free to add more vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, or bell peppers, for extra flavor and texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering, Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
