This nourishing bowl of chicken tortilla soup with hominy is brimming with Mexican flavors and packed with vitamins and minerals.
It’s always soup season in my house, but I will admit I get especially excited about soup when the temps dip below freezing here in Michigan. As the weather has turned more and more towards winter, I whipped up this delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup with Hominy as a quick dinner that we could easily turn into lunches throughout the week. There’s nothing quite like the kick of a spicy soup on a cold, winter’s day.
Ingredients
- Onion: I use a white onion as it’s mild enough that everyone, adults and kids, like the taste.
- Zucchini: A squash that takes on the flavor of what it’s cooked with, it’s a great source of many vitamins and nutrients.
- Red bell pepper: A bit stronger in flavor than other bell peppers, since they’ve been on the vine the longest, red peppers tend to be packed with the most nutrients.
- Garlic: Nutty and somewhat buttery that sweetens as it cooks with the onion.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo: Adds a delicious punch to the soup. If you aren’t a fan of spicy food, make sure you remove the seeds to keep the soup mild.
- Cumin: Warm and nutty in flavor, it’s very commonly found in Mexican recipes.
- Smoked paprika: I like to use smoked paprika for the smoky flavor it adds compared to the more mild regular paprika.
- Chicken stock: A warm, full base for the soup’s broth.
- Diced tomatoes: I like to use fire roasted tomatoes for a bit of additional flavor, but you can use whatever you have on hand!
- Hominy: Another common ingredient in Mexican cuisine, hominy is made from dried corn kernels.
- Chicken breast: High in protein while low in calories, chicken is an affordable and accessible protein.
How to Make
Start your Chicken Tortilla Soup with Hominy by preparing all of your ingredients. Dice your bell pepper, zucchini, and onion, shred your chicken, and drain and rinse your hominy.
Then in a large pot over medium-high heat, add a bit of oil or cooking spray and add the diced onion.
Add in the red pepper and zucchini, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
Then use a microplane to freshly grate in your garlic cloves, and add the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
Sprinkle in the cumin and smoked paprika and cook for an additional couple minutes.
Next you’ll pour in the chicken broth.
Followed by the diced fire roasted tomatoes.
Then add the drained and rinsed hominy.
Finish by adding the shredded chicken.
Stir so that all ingredients are fully mixed, season with a bit of additional salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
Serve with your favorite toppings, like crushed tortilla chips and cilantro, and enjoy your Chicken Tortilla Soup with Hominy!
Easy Substitutions
- Make it vegetarian: Use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth, add some corn, and use black or navy beans instead of chicken to still have meatless protein.
- Use what you have. Don’t have chicken? Use beef or pork. Don’t have hominy? Use black beans. You can really make this recipe your own!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What toppings go well with chicken tortilla soup?
Be sure to top each warm bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup with fresh cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice for good measure. Diced avocado, jalapeños, shredded cheese, or plain yogurt/sour cream are also great options!
Is this soup freezer friendly?
This soup is very freezer friendly and can last up to 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container or freezer-safe resealable bag.
How do you thicken Mexican tortilla soup?
Flour or cornstarch can be added to the broth to make it a bit thicker.
More Hearty Soups
- Green Chile Stew
- Stuffed Pepper Soup with Beef and Rice
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Lebanese Eggplant and Chickpea Stew
- Slow Cooker Caldo de Pollo
Eat It, Like It, Share it!
Did you try this recipe and like it? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your soup.
My Chicken Tortilla Soup with Hominy is sure to please the whole family. Make a double batch and freeze half of it, you’ll thank me later when you don’t want to cook on a cold night!
Your spoon is waiting.
Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup with Hominy
Ingredients
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 1 zucchini (diced)
- 1 red pepper (seeded and diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (minced)
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 8 cups chicken broth (low sodium or homemade)
- 15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 15 ounce can hominy (drained and rinsed)
- 12 ounces cooked chicken breast (shredded)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 24 tortilla chips (lightly crushed)
- cilantro to serve
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Sauté onion, zucchini and red peppers until softened, 5-6 minutes.
- Add garlic, chipotle peppers, cumin and smoked paprika and cook another 2 minutes.
- Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, hominy and cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Garnish with crushed tortilla chips and fresh cilantro to serve.
Soup is great but for someone watching their diet, how much is in one serving (I see it says 6 but doesn’t say the amount like 6 – 1 cup servings). Also, does the nutrition information include the tortilla chips? Meanwhile, just love this soup!!
Hey Mari! Serving size is 2 cups and yes it includes tortilla chips. enjoy!!
We like lots of heat and flavor and this did not disappoint. I was afraid it wouldn’t be spicy enough for my husband so I added an extra chipotle (don’t leave these out, they make it all work) and 2 diced Jalapeños. Didn’t need them though. I also threw in about half a pound of hot breakfast sausage. That gave it another layer of texture that was perfect. Highly recommend.
Great idea to add more chipotle!!
Just made this for dinner, it is soooo good! The chipotles in adobo really are the magic ingredient. I will be making this recipe often!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! The chipotles in adobo are the secret to so many great dishes!!
I wish your recipes were in microdata or hrecipe so they could be imported to several recipe apps.
Thanks
I’m confused by the “2 in” chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. 2 in? I winged it and it’s yummy.
Apologies – it should just say “2 chipotle peppers” :) I changed it. So glad you enjoyed!
Yes to all the toppings! Soup has just GOT to have lots of stuff on top. Your walk-in cooler looks a lot like my walk-in cooler this winter. And you know what, I’m not sad to see it go! Bring on summer!
I am seriously all about the toppings hahaha!!!
I plan on eating soup even when it IS 90F, so you can keep it coming! Love the Mexican infusion into this – my favorite!
haha you and me both!!
I can taste those Mexican flavours through the images. Looks divine.
I love adding hominy in soups! And like you I could eat soup all year long. This looks great. I am dying over your walk in cooker picture, that is hysterical!!! Love it!
hahahah You must be dying!!! Isn’t that funny? We use it a good 6 months of the year!! LOL
Love those canned chili peppers, I’m using them in a recipe today, they just have so much flavor! With the wishy washy weather that’s been happening here (hot one day, cold the next) soup is still a constant in my meal planning! Looks awesome!
I could eat soup like this every single week, it just never gets old!
Um, here in Chicago, our back entryway is our walk in cooler. All beverages and desserts I don’t need to see every time I open the fridge stay out there all winter. Um, I love hominy and this spicy brothy-ness!!! Cumin and paprika are totally my favorite warm up spices.
haha I love the walk-in closet!!
Chicken soup is one of my favorites and I love that you added hominy to it.
Any chance you could make this in the slow cooker? If so, how long do you think I should put it on low and I would put the chicken in uncooked. Please let me know when you have a free moment. :)
You totally could… 6 hours on Low should be fine!! Uncooked chicken. :)
Soup is *always* in season for me, because the office building’s air conditioning is always up a little too high for me (or the heat is down too low). Easy, tasty (but temporary) fix = soup for lunch.
YES!! It’s always in season for me too :)
Looks so yummy!! I love mexican food the best!!
I absolutely love hominy in soups! I put up a pozole today. So good and this looks absolutely sensational! And beautiful!
No way!! I love pozole!! Going to check that out.. I could eat Mexican soups every day!
one of my favorites! I really need to use hominy more often! Can’t wait to see you on Thursday!
I am counting down the minutes until our embrace!!
I have a serious love for tortilla soup. Yours looks amazing!
Oooh I love chipotles in adobo. I’m all about soups when it’s a rainy spring day, which we have plenty of around here. This would also be fun for Cinco de Mayo in a few weeks!
I seriously love chipotle in adobo too!!!