Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Close-up photo of a large white bowl holding deep red chicken tortilla soup, made in an Instant Pot, topped with tortilla strips, cheese, avocado, and cilantro.

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Fully loaded and super satisfying, this easy one-pot soup will be an instant hit with your family.

Prep: 15

Cook: 1

Total: 1 15

Yield:4 servings

Equipment

6-quart Instant Pot
Large wooden spoon
Tongs
Cutting board
2 forks see Notes
ladle

Ingredients

For the Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral oil of choice
1 medium white onion chopped, approximately 1 cup
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 14-ounce can low-sodium chicken stock
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets approximately 4-5 ounces each
1 15-ounce can black beans rinsed well, drained
1 cup whole corn kernels cooked as desired
2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles
½ cup full-fat sour cream at room temperature
salt to taste

Serving Suggestions (All Optional)

½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 medium avocados approximately 5 ounces each; peeled, pit removed, sliced
½ cup crushed tortilla chips or tortilla chip strips
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Instructions

Set Instant Pot to Sauté on Normal mode. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil across bottom surface of Instant Pot insert, then heat oil until shimmery.
When oil is hot, add 1 medium white onion and 3 cloves garlic. Stir to incorporate, then sauté, stirring occasionally, approximately 5 minutes or until onions have softened.
Add 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano and stir until well incorporated.
Pour in 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes and 1 14-ounce can low-sodium chicken stock. Stir to incorporate, making sure to scrape bottom of insert to loosen any garlic or onions that may have stuck to pot.
Add 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets to Instant Pot and gently stir to incorporate.
Secure lid on Instant Pot with vent in Sealing position. Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure and set cook time to 18 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize, then cook time will begin.
Once 18-minute cook time has ended, Natural Release pressure 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully Quick Release any remaining pressure, then remove lid and set aside. Use caution - any escaping steam will be very hot.
Set Instant Pot to Sauté on Less mode. Transfer chicken from Instant Pot to cutting board and set aside.
Add 1 15-ounce can black beans, 1 cup whole corn kernels, and 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles to Instant Pot. Stir to incorporate, then simmer mixture 10 minutes.
While mixture simmers, use 2 forks to shred chicken into pieces of preferred size. See Notes for alternate shredding methods.
After 10 minutes, turn off Instant Pot and let cool slightly. Add ½ cup full-fat sour cream to soup and stir until sour cream is fully incorporated.
Return shredded chicken to pot, then taste soup and add salt or adjust cumin, chili powder, or oregano as desired.
Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top each serving with Monterey Jack cheese, avocado slices, crushed tortilla chips, chopped cilantro, and/or chopped green onions if desired. Serve warm.

Notes

Chicken Cutlets: Use 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast and slice it in half horizontally to create two evenly-sized, evenly-thick chicken cutlets. If needed, pound cutlets into even thicknesses using a rolling pin or meat mallet. Make sure they're roughly the same size and thickness so they cook at the same speed.
Sour Cream: Feel free to use Greek yogurt instead if you prefer it.
Make it Dairy Free: Use a dairy-free sour cream. Top the soup with dairy-free shredded cheese, or omit the cheese topping entirely.
Make it Whole30/Paleo: Use my recipe for Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup.

Methods for Shredding Chicken

Shred by Hand (Pulled Chicken): Using your hands/fingers, pull the chicken apart until completely shredded. Pieces can be as big or as small as you like.
Shred with Two Forks: Use one fork to steady the chicken while shredding the chicken with another fork. Work in small, short strokes, moving forks away from each other.
Shred with Hand Mixer: Break the chicken into manageable chunks and place them in a large bowl. Use the standard attachments on your mixer and set mixer to a medium speed. Mix until chicken is completely shredded.
Shred with Stand Mixer: Use the standard paddle attachment and mix on medium-low speed until chicken chunks are completely shredded.
Shred with Food Processor: Break up the cooked chicken breasts into chunks first, and work in multiple batches. Add chicken to food processor and use the plastic dough blade attachment to avoid your chicken turning to mush. Process for 30 seconds or until uniformly shredded. Repeat until all chicken is shredded.

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik