The 5-Ingredient, 15-Minute Tortilla Soup I Make At Least Twice a Month

This recipe is a simplified version of a soup I found online years ago, and it’s just as delicious as the original. It’s the soup I can’t wait to make once the weather gets cool, and I make it at least a couple times a month throughout the fall and winter. This recipe is incredibly adaptable, but perfect just as it is—so make it as written, or soup it up!

The Salsa Is Everything

What I love most about this recipe is that 90% of the flavor and heat comes from the salsa you use. The original recipe called for minced jalapeño, and because the heat level of jalapeños can vary, too often the finished soup was way too hot for me.

One night I decided to skip the jalapeño, and then out of laziness, I skipped the onion too. Turns out, the heat level the salsa provided was spot on, and the amount of onion in the salsa was all I needed. With the salsa dictating how the soup was going to taste, it became a total cinch to make a soup I loved—and with less prep!

The beauty of all this is that your current favorite salsa is the one that will be best for your soup. I usually choose fresh salsa made in the grocery store where I shop, but this element is truly the chef’s choice (that’s you!). 

Choose Your Favorite Toppings

Everyone has their favorite combination of toppings, and I encourage you to add your go-tos, but they are of course all optional. Here are a few of mine if you need some inspiration: a dollop of cashew cream (or sour cream), chopped avocado, and a generous sprinkle of chopped cilantro. If I happen to have frozen corn, I’ll let a handful defrost and use it to garnish as well. I’ll even add rotisserie chicken from time to time. 

More Quick Soups for Cold Weather