The BEST Chicken Tortilla Soup I Ever Made

I’ve made seemingly every Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe, but this is the first one I’ve been really excited about! Ready in under 1 hour and SO EASY!

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

I know, you’re probably thinking that once you’ve had one tortilla chicken soup, you’ve had them all. There’s not much to them, right? I guarantee you that train of thought ends here! This tortilla soup is phenomenal!

It all starts with a flavorful base of all kinds of veggies that is smooth and oh so tasty. Then we add just the right amount of spice, all your favorite chunky tortilla soup essentials and top it with crunchy tortilla strips, slices of avocado, and more cheese!

Tip: This recipe requires a blender. Don’t have a blender or have one that’s not awesome? You guys, you HAVE TO get our favorite blender, the Blendtec!

What’s Needed for Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup?

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Mexican tortilla soup recipe:

• Olive oil
• Vegetables: Carrot, Onion, Celery, Bell Pepper, Roma Tomatoes, Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Canned Green Chiles
• Garlic Powder
• Taco Seasoning: You can buy a packet at the store or make it from scratch. If you make it yourself, you’ll need: Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Fine Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Cornstarch, Cayenne Pepper, Coriander and Oregano
• Monterey Jack Cheese
• Black Beans
• Avocado
• Tortilla Chips
• Chicken Broth: I like to use low sodium chicken broth just so I can control the salt in the recipe.
• Water
• Cooked Chicken Breasts
• Corn
• Fresh Cilantro
• Crispy Tortilla Strips

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

Let’s get into the details of what makes the base of this soup.

1. We start by sautéing the vegetables.
2. Once the veggies are tender, we add some garlic powder and taco seasoning along with fresh roma tomatoes, canned fire roasted tomatoes, and fire roasted green chiles. As those simmer together, the flavors meld and become glorious.
3. Avocado and cheese are added, and everything is put in the blender and pureed to creamy perfection. That avocado in the base just puts it over the top! Black beans and tortilla chips are added and pulsed with the blender, leaving a few chunks.
4. Everything in the blender is added back to the pan, and the rest of the ch

French Dip Sliders [+ Video]

French dip sliders are perfect for a quick and easy family dinner or for the next big game day! These are buttery with caramelized onions and a luscious aus jus!

French dip sliders are not at all something I grew up with but occasionally when life was busy, the weather chilly and mom was tired she’d gather up simple ingredients for French dip sandwiches. Just sliced roast beef, hoagie rolls, and flavorful aus jus was all she needed to get dinner in the table for five hungry kids.

We have our own French dip recipe on the blog but knowing how mouth watering our ham and cheese sliders are, I have been itching to make a new sliders recipe. You guys, forget the ham ones, these are out of this world. The best thing I’ve made in months!

Why Make Sliders?

Not that sliders need to be justified, but just in case you wondering why you should make them, let me tell you! Sandwiches are like the best things ever! They are like a whole meal all in one perfect little package. Sliders are just mini sandwiches, so you can eat more than one and not feel guilty! The bread to meat ratio is even better than in a full sized sandwich, and they can be eaten for dinner or for an appetizer. It’s just all around winning!

How to Make French Dip Sliders?

These french dip sliders come together in three different steps…the caramelized onions, the sandwiches, and the aus jus. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking pan.

Caramelized Onions

Let’s start with the caramelized onions so that they are ready to go when you assemble the sliders. Slice a medium yellow onion and then melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions to the butter with two sprigs of fresh time and water. Stir the onions occasionally and add salt and pepper. The onions will begin to turn golden and soften. They will cook for about 20-25 minutes.

Sandwiches

Now it is time to start assembling the sliders! These are so easy! Start by slicing your rolls in half and place them side by side in your greased 9×13 pan cut side up as shown below.

Then you want to lather the top of each roll with stone ground dijon mustard. A different kind of mustard can be used, but we really recommend a stone ground dijon mustard. It just gives it best flavor and extra texture.

Then add a layer of thinly sliced roast beef. We like to go to the deli counter and ask them for a half pound of their best roast beef. Then we just evenly layer it all over the mustard buns.

Next comes the cheese!! We love these sliders with provolone, so we pick up 9-12 slices at the deli counter when we get the roast beef. You can’t have too much

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Mini Grilled Cheese “Croutons” [+ Video]

This Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is easy to make, and we topped it with grilled cheese croutons just for fun! A simple dinner that kids will love!

I know that I can’t be the only one that still has tomato coming out her ears. Right? I was wracking my brain about what to do with our huge colander stacked high with tomatoes, when I suddenly thought, what if I use those flavors, but make a soup to help move us into fall?

DING DING DING! Creamy tomato basil soup with mini grilled cheese croutons was born.

I love those little grilled cheese bites that act like little croutons in the soup. I’m not even kidding, it’s so delicious together.

Ingredients in Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

To make this easy fresh tomato soup recipe, you’ll need the following:

• Fresh tomatoes
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Onion
• Salt and pepper
• Dark brown sugar
• Chicken broth
  • PRO TIP: If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
• Heavy cream
• Fresh basil leaves
• Baguette
• Fresh mozzarella cheese
• Butter

The measurements for all the ingredients are listed in the recipe card at the end of the post. I actually love to make several batches of this recipe so I can freeze a bunch to eat throughout the whole winter. There is just nothing more comforting than a warm bowl of tomato basil soup with a little fresh parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and a grilled cheese sandwich on the side for dipping! Yes please!

What Are the Best Tomatoes for Tomato Soup?

We recommend using Roma tomatoes or vine ripened tomatoes for this creamy tomato basil soup. Avoid using beefsteak tomatoes, as we find they lack the bold flavor this soup needs. Larger tomatoes also hold a lot of water which thins out a soup.

Should the Tomatoes Be Peeled?

Peeling the tomatoes is optional but I haven’t ever felt like it was necessary. Roasting the tomatoes softens the tomato skin and blending them breaks them down until you would never know the skins were on. If you do want to peel them, the skins should slide off easily right after roasting the tomatoes.

How to Make Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Making tomato basil soup with fresh tomatoes is easier than you might think! Here’s an overview of the recipe:

1. Roast tomatoes: Roast the tomatoes until soft and then let them cool a little.
2. Blend: Add the tomatoes to a blender and blend until pureed.
   • PRO TIP: If you have an immersion blender, you can use that instead. Move the tomatoes to a large bowl or sauce pan and blend the tomatoes there. Then they are easily measured to make sure you have enough.
3. Sauté: Heat up some olive oil in a large sauce pot then add the garlic and onions and sauté until fragrant.<