South of the Border Tortilla Soup Recipe

This easy tortilla soup recipe combines tender chicken, black beans, corn, Southwestern spices, and salsa for a hearty, flavorful meal in about 30 minutes. Made with Frontier Soups South of the Border Tortilla Soup Mix, it's a simple homemade dinner with plenty of bold Mexican-inspired flavor.

Ingredients

You Will Need

1 South of the Border Tortilla Soup Mix
6 cups chicken broth (48 oz.)
1 cup water
2 or 3 cups of shredded, cooked chicken breast (8-12 oz.)
1 jar (12-16 oz.) salsa (choose mild, medium, or HOT!)
(optional garnish: 4 oz. tortilla chips or tortilla strips)

Instructions

Here's What You Do

In a 4-qt pot bring broth and water to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in soup mix, chicken and salsa.
Return to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes.
Serve as is, or with tortilla chips on top!

Got leftovers? Learn how to cool, store, and reheat soup safely in our guide to soup storage and food safety.

Cooking & Nutrition Tips

Use the tips below to customize nutrition, boost flavor, or stretch the soup to fit your needs.

Reducing Sodium

Broth:

To reduce sodium, use an alternative broth such as: low-sodium, organic, stock, bone broth, unsalted, or try making a homemade broth. See chart below to compare.

All our mixes contain no added salt, only what occurs naturally in the ingredients. In the interest of transparency, we use regular (full-sodium) store-bought broth to create our recipes and calculate the nutrition panels — which is why the sodium levels may appear higher than you desire.

While we don’t like it from a health standpoint, salt is a major flavor booster. If you are using reduced sodium broth and looking to enhance flavor, try adding these depending on your preferences: fresh ground pepper, herbs & spices, lemon juice, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, hot-sauce, flavored vinegar.

Salsa:

Instead of salsa, use a can (14 oz.) of no-salt-added diced tomatoes (add ¼ tsp. cayenne for heat) or 1-2 cans (10 oz.) of no-salt-added diced tomatoes & green chilies.

Variety (1 cup)	Sodium (mg)	% Daily Value
Standard Broth	860 mg	37%
Low-Sodium Broth	570 mg	25%
Organic Broth	550 mg	24%
Stock	510 mg	22%
Bone Broth	400 mg	17%
Organic Low-Sodium Broth	100 mg	4%
Unsalted Broth	35 mg	2%

Boosting Protein

Add 1 cup full-fat (4%) cottage cheese. This will alter the taste profile making the soup more tangy, salty, and savory. If using cottage cheese, we highly recommend you: 1) liquify/smooth entirely in blender or with immersion blender before adding, and 2) turn off the heat and let the soup cool slightly before adding so it does not curdle and/or lose its silky texture. See chart below for nutritional info.
Add 1 cup Greek yogurt. Remove soup from heat and let cool a bit before adding.
Add additional chicken, you can certainly double the recipe’s called for amount and add 16-24 oz.
Add a can of your favorite bean such as black, white/cannellini, lentil, chickpea, navy, etc.
Swap standard broth for bone broth.

Nutrient	Full-Fat 4% Cottage Cheese per 1 cup
Protein	~23 – 25 g
Calories	~220 – 240 kcal
Total Fat	~9 – 10 g
Sodium	~820 – 850 mg

Nutritious Options/Swaps

Add additional corn (canned is fine but fresh summer corn is ideal)
Add hearty aromatics (onions, garlic, carrots, celery).
Toss in nutrient-dense greens such as spinach or kale for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Toss in whatever vegetables you have in the fridge and simmer with soup mix (diced bell peppers, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini).
Add in red lentils or quinoa for added nutrition and thickness.
Top each serving with sliced avocado.

Starting with Raw Chicken

Our recommendations:

Sear Option: In a 4-quart pot, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear 4-5 minutes per side. Remove chicken to cutting board to cool. Begin recipe as stated, bring broth & water to a boil then reduce heat and add soup mix and salsa. While that returns to a simmer for a few minutes, dice or shred the cooled chicken and add to pot. Return to simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes.
Poach Option: Begin recipe as normal. Add raw chicken with broth & water and bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, add soup mix, salsa, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove chicken to a cutting board, let cool, and shred or dice. Add chicken back to pot and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Simmer Option: Begin recipe as normal and simply add cubed raw chicken at the same time you would normally add soup mix, chicken, and salsa. Proceed per recipe.
Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut: Already have cooked chicken on hand? Shred 2–3 cups of rotisserie chicken and add it during the final few minutes of cooking for an easy weeknight shortcut.

Recipe Variations

Looking to switch things up? A few simple tweaks can make this recipe your own.

Shrimp Tortilla Soup: Replace chicken with shrimp and add during the final minutes of cooking for a lighter, seafood-forward version.

Sweet Heat Twist: Stir in chopped mango during the final 5 minutes of cooking to balance spice with subtle sweetness.

Turn Tortilla Soup Into a Meal:
Prepare your favorite grain (white/brown rice, farro, quinoa, barley, etc.), and ladle soup on top! Or add grain directly to soup while cooking. Note, this will make it noticeably thicker and you may need additional broth or water to thin.

Build-Your-Own Salsa Base: Use no-salt-added diced tomatoes instead of salsa and customize the heat with cayenne or fresh chili.

Tortilla Soup Serving & Garnish Ideas:
Top with crispy tortilla strips, diced avocado, shredded Monterey Jack or cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Enhance the meal with sides like Mexican rice, quesadillas, or a simple green salad for a complete, comforting experience.

Inspired by our customers. Thanks to David A., Karen, Adah S., Karen N., Dave S., Laurie, Melissa G., Judy C., Kristin, Betsy, Laura, Marcia D, Emily, Mary, and Dedra for sharing their ideas. Have a favorite twist of your own? Send us an email or leave a review on the product page.

Dietary Adaptations

Vegan/Vegetarian

You Will Need:

1 South of the Border Tortilla Soup Mix
2 Tbsp. oil
1 large sweet potato, diced
6 cups vegetable broth (48 oz.)
1 jar (12-16 oz.) salsa (choose mild, medium or hot)
1 can (14 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed.
Garnish: 4 oz. tortilla chips, crumbled, or tortilla strips
Optional: 1 can (14 oz.) of Hominy for authentic Mexican addition and a thicker soup

Here’s What You Do:

In a 4-quart pot, heat oil and sauté the sweet potato for 3 minutes.
Bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in mix. Add salsa.
Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.
Add black beans for 5 minutes. Add hominy, if desired.
Serve as is, or crumble chips into bowls and pour hot soup on top!

Gluten Free

This soup is naturally gluten free when prepared as directed. No special substitutions are needed.

Dairy Free

This soup is naturally dairy free when prepared as directed. No special substitutions are needed.

Cooking Methods

Slow Cooker

We do not recommend using a slow cooker due to the short cooking time on the stovetop.

Pressure Cooker

We do not recommend using a pressure cooker due to the short cooking time on the stovetop.