This is one of my favorite leftover chicken recipes:
Chicken Tortilla Soup is a great way to stretch leftover chicken, easily feeding your family dinner for a second night! This post was originally published on October 25th, 2011.
(This post contains Amazon affiliate links) About once a month I make my pilgrimage to Costco. I usually have a list and try not to veer from it. But if you’ve ever shopped at Costco, you know that it’s tough to get out of there for under $100 and without buying something you hadn’t actually planned on. I never go without picking up a $5 rotisserie roasted chicken. This is Annabelle’s favorite day of the month.
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A girl’s best friend
Her nose wiggles when I walk in the door, anticipation setting in. She knows what’s in store for her. I am a naughty dog mom, making a special bowl of kibble just for her, adding all the juices and gelatin that’s left over in the container.
I’ll be a bit sloppier when it comes to carving the meat off the bird, scraping all of the remaining bits from the bones, and adding it to the bowl. Extra pieces of skin might slip in there as well. This, and perhaps a daily run, might be why she follows me from room to room, staring at me with loving dog eyes. I should have named her Shadow, because that is what she is to me.
We eat a bit more than half of the chicken the first night. Just some meat, a veg, and a starch. The second day, the remaining chicken usually makes it’s way into some sort of soup, that lasts at least 2 nights.
Making chicken tortilla soup guarantees that a $5 chicken will serve us for at least 3 meals.
This is another one of those meals that you can pretty much start preparing around 6 and have it on the table, along with a salad, by 7. Once you’ve sauteed the onions, you just dump everything in a pot and heat it up.
I save chicken carcasses and freeze them. When I have 2 or 3 saved carcasses, I pop them in my slow-cooker with an onion, carrots, celery and a bay leaf and 6-8 hours later, I have chicken broth.
More Fabulous Leftover Chicken Recipes:
Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts.
Chicken salad with cranberries, walnuts, tart apples and rosemary.
Chicken Salad with Apricots and Tarragon
Cold Sesame Noodle Chicken Salad
Cold sesame noodles with chicken and cucumbers.
Some of the items used in this post are available here at no additional cost to you!
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder, (or more) depending oh how spicy you like it
- 2 or 3 stalks of celery sliced
- 2 or 3 sliced carrots
- 1 large can peeled diced tomatoes, with juice (28 oz. can)
- 6 cups chicken broth homemade or canned
- 2 cans kidney or pinto beans drained
- 1 or 2 small can diced mild or spicy green chilies
- 3 cups frozen corn or fresh corn
- 3 cups cooked chicken breast or thigh meat, shredded or diced (about 2 breasts)
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In a large pot, heat olive oil over a medium heat. Sauté onions and celery until translucent, 5 min. or so
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Add garlic, cumin, oregano and chili powder and sauté another minute or two.
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Add carrots, tomatoes, broth, beans and chilies. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
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Add corn and shredded chicken and cook another 5-10 minutes or until corn is cooked and chicken is hot.
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Serve with strips of corn tortillas or chips, sliced green onions, cilantro, cheese and sour cream.
Chicken Tortilla Soup is gluten free and a great use of a rotisserie chicken.
Amy says
I love the $5 chickens! I always take the carcass and boil it for a few hours. Strain it, and wallah, chicken broth! Store bought broth isn’t cheap, and it’s loaded with salt. I end up freezing about three cups of broth per chicken. 🙂
Heather // girlichef says
We don’t have a Costco, so I’ve never been to one…but I get it. And tortilla soup is my absolute favorite, this looks perfect.
Cynthia says
Heather, any roasted chicken will do. I usually roast my own, but it’s hard to pass one of theirs for $5, when I know I can stretch it to last us for 3 meals!
Amanda @ MoveLoveEat says
Damn $5 for a chicken! We sometimes get them for $11 if they are on a super sale but they are tiny and only feed us for one meal! I love the use of chicken in a soup as it makes it go a lot further for less $!
Cynthia says
Wow, Amanda! $11 is pricey for a simple roasted bird. Sometimes I just buy the chicken and skip eating 1/2 of it and turn it into a few meals.
Andi says
My mom always did the same, making a soup and it was always delicious. Love chicken and rice soup along with tortilla soup. I will not step foot in Costco can’t stand it, I force myself there twice a year for vitamins, I know they have great deals but I can’t handle the size and the amount of people!
Cynthia says
So true Andi! Of course, this also works perfectly well with a chicken you’ve roasted at home!
Christina @ Christina's Cucina says
You are a star! When I hear people complain and say, “I can’t eat healthy and have no choice but to eat junk food because I’m poor!” I think about meals like this. No excuses! Eating homemade is ALWAYS cheaper than buying pre made and processed “food”. Great post and fab recipe!
Cynthia says
Agreed Christina! I can usually stretch that soup for a lunch or two as well, making it even more economical!
Katie @ Domestiphobia says
I’ll admit — Costco terrifies me, but I’ll be trying this recipe next time I buy a whole roasted chicken! My dogs love it when I buy those, too. 😉
Cynthia says
Katie, I think costco terrifies everyone, lol! I view it as a necessary evil since I get our family’s prescriptions there.
Susan J says
OMG. I think 1 teaspoon of chili pepper is enough. Not 1 tablespoon. My lips are on fire!
Cynthia says
Are you sure you’re not using cayenne pepper? My chile powder is not that hot. 1 Tablespoon is just the right amount of spice, even for the kids.
Charlotte Culpepper says
Hi Cynthia,
When you make the chicken stock….how much water in the crock?
BTW….the sushi was great….you’ve taught your daughter well……
Kristen says
I know everyone loves that Costco Chicken!! It is a great deal, unfortunately, I can’t eat it–but I can eat this chili with my own chicken. And yum! Cute dog by the way!
Cynthia says
I’ve noticed they’ve changed how they prepare them. They seem less salty than they used to. But any chicken will do! Annabelle says thank you!
Taylor Kiser says
Love how many meals you can get out of that $5 rotisserie chicken, plus the homemade chicken broth! This chicken tortilla soup looks so warm and delicious! Perfect dinner to warm up with on a cold night!
Cynthia says
Yep, if you treat the chicken like a garnish and not a slab of meat, it goes a lot farther…And healthier too!
nicole @ I am a Honey Bee says
I save chicken carcasses too for broth. so good!
Cynthia says
Totally! I usually wait until I have 3-4 in the freezer, then make a big batch of stock.
Sally Golding says
I missed it, but cannot find any broth as part of the recipe. How much broth?
Cynthia says
It’s listed right after the canned tomatoes; 6 cups. But you can use less or more depending on how thin or thick you like it. I find that after refrigerating it over night, I need to add more broth…It’s almost as if it “grows” overnight!
Jenna says
I just bought a whole chicken for a quick dinner tonight and will have leftover chicken tomorrow. My husband loves this soup but I’ve made it only once (my own improvised recipe). I will try yours tomorrow! Thanks!
Cynthia says
I always improvise mine too…It’s never quite the same each time.
Jamie says
So I found this when I searched for what to d with leftover chicken. I bought a chicken at the farmers marked for $15!!!! Sticker shock for sure. But I made it in the crockpot and it turned out so dry. Do you think this will do well in the soup? I’m thinking of freezing it until I find a recipe, can’t bring myself to throw out $10 of chicken, we didn’t eat much of it at all!
Cynthia says
I always freeze my carcasses and when I have 2 or 3, I pop them in a stock pot or the crock pot and make broth. I’m with you on not wanting to toss away a perfectly good chicken!
Cynthia says
Sorry I didn’t read your whole question. I’m guessing that you cooked the $15 chicken in the slow cooker? Did you add liquid? I can’t imagine it would be dry as usually slow cooking increases moisture. But, yes, the chicken would be perfect in the soup as all the liquid should help make it moist!
Sally King says
A,question..had this soup last week and loved it…first time I finished bowl an had seconds. My question:would like to make in crockpot. Suggestions?
Cynthia says
I’m sure you could, but it’s so fast on the stove top, I’ve never thought of trying it.