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Meal Prep Chicken Tortilla Soup! A gluten free and Paleo soup that’s nourishing and slightly spicy! Roasted then blended pasilla chilies and carrots give this soup amazing flavors. Made in 30 minutes in an Instant Pot with a stovetop option!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Did you know you can quickly make a healthy and hearty Cinco de Mayo meal prep lunch or dinner in the Instant Pot in 30 minutes? Oh, yeah! It’s really easy. And, if you don’t have an Instant Pot (yet) there’s a stovetop option for you too. It just takes a bit longer to make.
Before we talk soup, did you know Cinco de Mayo isn’t actually a Mexican holiday? When I was working in Mexico, this was something I discovered. It’s actually an American holiday.
Although it isn’t a true Mexican holiday, I think it’s a good reminder of the cultural diversity in our country. That diversity isn’t only with people though, it’s also reflected in our food.
What makes this chicken tortilla soup so authentic are two sneaky ingredients I learned from the locals living in Mexican. Carrots and pasilla chiles! Not to worry, the chiles are not spicy but they do have the most incredible flavor so do not skimp on them.
As for the carrots, well they don’t add a ton of flavor. They do give the soup immune boosting vitamins and minerals. All that to say, you haven’t done chicken tortilla soup until you’ve done it this way!
If you haven’t gotten an Instant Pot yet, I urge you to get your hands on one as soon as possible. I was on the fence last year about getting one because I love love love my crockpot. But the Instant Pot has been a cooking game changer for me!
I can sauté and pressure cook all in one pan. I hate doing dishes and I hate taking a long time to make meals, and the Instant Pot makes the most delicious soup in 30 minutes.
A few weeks ago, I made crock pot chicken soup in the pressure cooker and the chicken was the most tender chicken I’ve ever had. It shreds perfectly in an Instant Pot.
I use mine to make shredded chicken in an Instant Pot, and I knew it would make the BEST healthy chicken tortilla soup. Perfect for an easy, 30 minute dinner meal prep.
Try it and you will see!
Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless 3 ounces each
- 2 Pasilla Chiles
- ½ cup Carrots, diced
- 2 tablespoons Garlic, minced
- ⅔ cup Onions, diced
- 29 ounces Fire Roasted Tomatoes, 2 cans
- 5 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Coriander
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 15 oz Black beans, (optional) canned, rinsed and drained
- Optional toppings: limes, cilantro, avocado
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Preheat oven to a high broil (or 400 F). Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place pasilla chiles and carrots on the baking sheet. Roast 15 minutes or until tender. You will know the chiles are ready when you smell them.
- Remove from the oven and cool a few minutes on the pan then remove the top and seeds from inside. Roughly chop and place in a blender with 1 can of the tomatoes. Blend on high until smooth.
- Place the extra virgin olive oil, onions and minced garlic in the Instant Pot on sauté. Sauté 5 minutes then place the chicken, broth, tomatoes, blended chile and carrot mixture, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
- Cover the pot and set to pressure cook 30 minutes set the valve to sealing. If making on the stovetop, cover and cook at a medium simmer 1 hour or until chicken is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- After 30 minutes, release the pressure in the Instant Pot and carefully, remove the lid. Stir the beans into the pot, shred the chicken with a fork and serve immediately with limes, avocado and cilantro as desired.
Stovetop Instructions
- Preheat oven to a high broil (or 400 F). Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place pasilla chiles and carrots on the baking sheet. Roast 15 minutes or until tender. You will know the chiles are ready when you smell them.
- Remove from the oven and cool a few minutes on the pan then remove the top and seeds from inside. Roughly chop and place in a blender with 1 can of the tomatoes. Blend on high until smooth.
- Place the extra virgin olive oil, onions and minced garlic in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté 5 minutes then place the chicken, broth, tomatoes, blended chile and carrot mixture, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
- Cover the pot and and cook at a medium simmer 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- After 30 minutes, stir the beans into the pot, shred the chicken with a fork and add it back in. Serve immediately with limes, avocado and cilantro as desired.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Preheat oven to a high broil (or 400 F). Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place pasilla chiles and carrots on the baking sheet. Roast 15 minutes or until tender. You will know the chiles are ready when you smell them.
- Remove from the oven and cool a few minutes on the pan then remove the top and seeds from inside. Roughly chop and place in a blender with 1 can of the tomatoes. Blend on high until smooth.
- Place the extra virgin olive oil, onions and minced garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté 5 minutes then place the chicken, broth, tomatoes, blended chile and carrot mixture, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper in the slow cooker.
- Cover the pot and and cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours, or until chicken is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Towards the end of cooking time, stir the beans into the slow cooker, shred the chicken with a fork, and return it back to the pot. Serve immediately with limes, avocado and cilantro as desired.
Video
Notes
- See the substitutions section of the blog post for recommendations.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
