Cafe Rio Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe [Ready In 45 Mins]

Looking for a comforting yet flavor-packed meal that doesn’t take all day to cook? If this is your case, this Cafe Rio chicken tortilla soup recipe will be the most accurate answer for you. Packed with bold spices, hearty chicken, and wholesome ingredients like black beans, corn, and fresh lime, this soup brings restaurant-style taste right into your kitchen.

So, whether you’re cooking for the whole family or just want something cozy and satisfying after a long day, this recipe checks all the boxes: it’s simple, filling, customizable, and freezer-friendly. Moreover, the crispy homemade tortillas trip on top add that perfect crunch you have been missing all the time.

So, if you are ready, let’s get started.

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients that you will need to make this amazing Cafe Rio chicken tortilla soup recipe:

1. 2 tablespoons of avocado oil
2. Half medium white onion (diced)
3. 1/2 cup of bell pepper (diced)
4. 1 Boneless, skinless chicken breast
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt or use it to taste
6. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
7. 1 tablespoon of chili sauce
8. 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
9. 1 can of black beans
10. 1 can enchiladas sauce
11. 1/2 cup of sweet corn
12. 2 tablespoons of lime juice
13. 4 cups of chicken broth
14. 1 teaspoon of chili powder

That’s quite a long list of ingredients. Once you have all of them, let’s talk about how you can cook this recipe.

How To Cook This Recipe?

Once you have collected all the ingredients, follow these steps to get the final results:

1. First of all, add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to the pan and heat the pan on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough, add the diced onion and bell peppers and saute them properly for 5 minutes.
2. Once you are done sauteing, consider adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste), 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, and 1 tablespoon of chili sauce, and stir everything well for a moment.
3. Now, add 4 cups of chicken broth and put the chicken breast into it. Make sure the chicken breast is mostly submerged inside the pan. Cover the pan and let the whole preparation simmer for about 25 minutes.
4. After 25 minutes, take the chicken breast out of the broth and shred it into small slices, and put all the slices back into the broth.
5. Now add 1 cup of black beans, 1 tin of diced tomato with green chili, 1/2 cup of sweet corn, and 1 can of enchilada sauce. Also, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and mix everything well. Now again, cover the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. In between the times, take a tortilla on a plate and slice it horizontally and vertically to make a chip-like shape. See the image I attached with this step.
7. Again, take a pan and add some oil to it, and let it heat up. Once it is hot, put the tortillas in the pan and fry until they are golden and crispy.
8. Now the soup and tortilla are technically done. To serve it, take a bowl and pour some soup into it with all the ingredients inside, and put some cheddar cheese all over it. Then add 1 tablespoon of sour cream and spring onion, avocado, and lastly decorate it with tortilla strips and fresh cilantro. What else? Enjoy!

Tips For Cooking

The above is the most common way of making this amazingly delicious Cafe Rio chicken tortilla soup recipe. But below I have given you some tips that can be a game changer (recipe changer apparently) for this recipe. These can upgrade the whole recipe to the next level. So, consider checking and testing them out. These are all from my personal experience.

1. Sear the chicken first: When you are to simmer the chicken in broth, quickly sear the chicken breast for 5 to 6 minutes per side. This will add a deeper flavor and keep the meat juicier when shredded.
2. Use Fire-roasted tomatoes: In case you want a smoky depth of flavor, use fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chillies instead of the regular version. It will bring a restaurant-style richness and a bit of smoky flavor.
3. Homemade tortilla chips = extra taste: As you have seen that we have directly put the tortillas after frying, and we did not add any salt or so in that. But what I like is to add a bit of salt and chili powder while the tortillas are still hot. This gives them flavor even on their own.
4. Garnish like a chef: I have told you how you can garnish at the end. But don’t put all of them at once. First, put the cheese, then sour cream, then avocado, then the tortilla, and then the cilantro. Trust me, the look itself is worth the time.

Moreover, you can check more chicken soup recipes in the chicken soup category called chicken soup recipes.

Recipe Card

Cafe Rio Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Author: Pratima

Prep time: 15 minutesCook time: 45 minutesRest time: 5 minutesTotal time:1 hour 5 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:450 kcal

Description

One pot, but tons of flavor! Make this Cafe Rio chicken tortilla soup recipe for a simple, delicious fix to your weeknight dinner struggles.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of avocado oil
• Half medium white onion (diced)
• 1/2 cup of bell pepper (diced)
• 1 Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon of chili sauce
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can enchiladas sauce
• 1/2 cup of sweet corn
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder

Instructions

1. First of all, add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to the pan and heat the pan on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough, add the diced onion and bell peppers and saute them properly for 5 minutes.
2. Once you are done sauteing, consider adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste), 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, and 1 tablespoon of chili sauce, and stir everything well for a moment.
3. Now, add 4 cups of chicken broth and put the chicken breast into it. Make sure the chicken breast is mostly submerged inside the pan. Cover the pan and let the whole preparation simmer for about 25 minutes.
4. After 25 minutes, take the chicken breast out of the broth and shred it into small slices, and put all the slices back into the broth.
5. Now add 1 cup of black beans, 1 tin of diced tomato with green chili, 1/2 cup of sweet corn, and 1 can of enchilada sauce. Also, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and mix everything well. Now again, cover the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. In between the times, take a tortilla on a plate and slice it horizontally and vertically to make a chip-like shape. See the image I attached with this step.
7. Again, take a pan and add some oil to it, and let it heat up. Once it is hot, put the tortillas in the pan and fry until they are golden and crispy.
8. Now the soup and tortilla are technically done. To serve it, take a bowl and pour some soup into it with all the ingredients inside, and put some cheddar cheese all over it. Then add 1 tablespoon of sour cream and spring onion, avocado, and lastly decorate it with tortilla strips and fresh cilantro. What else? Enjoy!

Keywords:Cafe Rio Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Conclusion

Now you know how you can cook this Cafe Rio chicken tortilla soup recipe like a pro chef. While you are cooking the recipe, consider following the tips I gave you for better results. If you have tried the recipe, then please let me know how it was in the comments. And if you have tried something different than this recipe, then also please let me know.

For today, Thanks for reading and Happy cooking!