El Torito’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

Do you love chicken tortilla soup? El Torito’s a great chicken tortilla soup, it’s full of vegetables, and chicken breast. If you are looking for light chicken soup, this is the one for you.

Best El Torito Copycat Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Chicken tortilla soup is one of the best soups around. It’s a chicken soup that is full of flavor. El Torito’s chicken tortilla soup is rather unique. It is packed full of white chicken meat, and fresh vegetables. If you are looking for a light soup, this is the one for you.

El Torito – It’s all about fresh and bold ingredients

If you are lucky to live in the Los Angeles area, you may be familiar with the El Torito restaurants. Outstanding food and they strive to give each guest a wonderful experience, it’s hard not to love this restaurant. Tableside preparation of many of their most-loved dishes makes for a fun evening.

Copycat Chicken Tortilla Soup with Lots of Freshness

Many chicken tortilla soups are rather bland and do not have much in them. This soup is perfect because it has fresh zucchini, squash, carrots, potatoes, and more.

I love that this soup is really packed full of fresh vegetables. It also has fresh cilantro and fresh mint to give a brightness to the soup.

Origin of Chicken Tortilla Soup

This much-loved soup may have had its origin in Mexico City. Like many other dishes, as this dish made its way north from Mexico the soup changed a bit.

Near Mexico City, the soup was a chicken soup with no tomatoes. It always contained chicken and tortillas, but in California, tomatoes and beans can be found in the soup.

No matter if you have the original style of soup or one that was developed later, you are going to sink your spoon into a bowl of delicious soup.

El Torito Tortilla Soup Recipe Ingredients

This soup is loaded with chicken, vegetables, and Mexican spices. While the list of what you need looks extensive, you’ll know it’s worth it once you have a taste of this incredible soup.

• Boneless skinless chicken breast
• Chicken broth
• Red onion
• Carrots
• Potato
• Tomato paste
• Bay leaf
• Fresh garlic
• Chipotle chili in adobo
• Pickled jalapenos
• Dried Mexican oregano
• Cumin
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Zucchini
• Yellow summer squash
• Red bell pepper
• Fresh lime juice
• Sweet Sherry
• Fresh cilantro
• Fresh mint
• Corn tortillas
• Oil for frying
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Avocado

How to Make El Torito Chicken Tortilla Soup

1. Poach the chicken breast in simmering chicken broth until done. Shred the chicken once it is cool enough to handle.
2. Combine chicken broth, chicken, red onion, carrots, potato, tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic, chipotle and jalapeno chilies, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add zucchini, squash, pepper, lime juice, and sherry. Bring again to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add cilantro and mint. Stir and remove the soup from the heat.
5. Fry tortilla strips in hot oil until crisp. Drain the fried tortilla strips on paper towels.
6. Ladle soup into each bowl and top with shredded cheese and tortilla strips. Garnish with an avocado slice and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup

For me, soups that have a Tex-Mex or inspiration from Mexico means that you have a variety of options for toppings. Here are some of my favorite toppings.

• crispy strips of corn tortilla
• slices of avocado
• slices of lime
• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• chopped cilantro
• Tabasco chipotle sauce

Copycat Tortilla Soup Recipe FAQs

Love homemade soup? Try these recipes!

• Chicken Gumbo Soup
• Chicken Tortellini Soup
• Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Italian Sausage Lentil Soup
• Olive Garden Tuscan Soup
• Panera Autumn Squash Soup
• Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Senate Bean Soup

Favorite Mexican Recipes

• Chicken Quesadilla
• Chili Verde
• Chipotle Barbacoa
• Taco Bell Tacos
• Taco Casserole

Check out more of my easy soup recipes and the best Mexican food recipes here on CopyKat!

El Torito’s Chicken Tortilla Soup is from El Torito Mexican restaurant, Los Angeles, CA. Source Los Angeles Times 12-26-96.

El Torito’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

Make El Torito's Tortilla Soup at home with this recipe.

5 from 7 votes

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: El Torito’s Tortilla Soup, Tortilla Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 321kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3 quart chicken broth
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced potato
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile en adobo, pureed
• 1 teaspoon pickled jalapeno chile seeded, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound diced zucchini
• 1 pound diced squash
• 1/2 diced red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoon sweet Sherry (preferably Harvey’s Bristol Cream)
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
• 4 corn tortillas cut into thin strips
• oil for frying
• 1/2 pound shredded Jack cheese
• 1 avocado sliced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro

Instructions

• Poach the chicken breast in simmering chicken broth until done through, about 10 minutes.
• Set the poached chicken aside until it is cool enough to handle and shred.
• Combine chicken broth, chicken, red onion, carrots, potato, tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic, chipotle and jalapeno chilies, oregano, cumin and salt and pepper in a large saucepan over high heat.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Taste and correct seasoning, if necessary.
• Add zucchini, squash, pepper, lime juice, and sherry.
• Bring again to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
• Add cilantro and mint. Stir, then remove from heat.
• Fry tortilla strips in hot oil until crisp.
• Drain the fried tortilla strips on paper towels and set aside.
• Ladle the soup into each bowl.
• Sprinkle with shredded cheese and tortilla strips.
• Garnish each bowl with an avocado slice and cilantro sprig.
• Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 1622mg | Potassium: 1246mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3615IU | Vitamin C: 66.1mg | Calcium: 294mg | Iron: 3.2mg