Tortilla Soup w/ Black Beans

This Tortilla Soup with Black Beans is the kind of budget meal that earns a permanent spot in your dinner rotation. It’s hearty, tomato-rich, and packed with black beans, corn, garlic, chili powder, and a hit of lime to wake the whole pot up.

You can keep it meatless or stir in cooked chicken if you need to stretch leftovers into a fuller meal. Either way, it’s simple, filling, and easy to make on the stovetop or in the slow cooker.

Ingredients for Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

You only need a handful of pantry staples and one bag of frozen corn to get this pot going. The crushed tortilla chips thicken the broth slightly as they soften, which gives the soup a heartier texture without fussing with flour or cream.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cans diced tomatoes in juice, 14 1/2 ounces each
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained, 15 ounces each
• 1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth, 14 1/2 ounces
• 1 package frozen corn kernels, 10 ounces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
• 1 cup crushed tortilla chips, plus more for serving (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
• 2 cups cooked chicken, cut up (optional)
• 1 cup water

If fresh limes are expensive or out of season, bottled lime juice works in a pinch. Use it for the tablespoon in the soup, then skip the wedges if you need to keep the cost down.

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How to Make Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

This soup comes together quickly on the stovetop, and it adapts nicely to the slow cooker if you want dinner to handle itself while you do literally anything else.

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and chili powder, then cook for 1 minute just until fragrant.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, black beans, chicken broth, frozen corn, and 1 cup water.
4. Add the cooked diced chicken now if you’re using it.
5. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer.
6. Stir in 1 cup crushed tortilla chips and continue cooking until the chips soften and the broth thickens slightly.
7. Add the lime juice, then season with coarse salt and ground pepper to taste.
8. Serve hot with extra crushed tortilla chips, lime wedges, and fresh cornbread if you like.

For the slow cooker, add everything except the tortilla chips, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, stir in the chips during the last 15 to 20 minutes, then finish with lime juice and seasoning before serving.

If you’re cooling leftovers, divide the soup into shallow containers so it chills faster. The USDA recommends using leftovers within 3 to 4 days, and soup cools more safely when you don’t leave it sitting in one giant pot on the counter pretending that counts as a plan.

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Tips for the Best Tortilla Soup

Cook the garlic briefly. One minute is enough. You want it fragrant, not browned and bitter.

Crush the chips before adding them. Smaller pieces soften faster and thicken the soup more evenly.

Add lime at the end. That bright flavor fades if it cooks too long, so stir it in just before serving.

Season last. Between the broth, tomatoes, beans, and chips, salt levels can vary a lot. Taste first, then adjust.

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Easy Variations

Make it vegetarian. Skip the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Turn up the heat. Add a pinch of cayenne or a diced jalapeno with the garlic if you want more kick.

Make it stretch farther. Stir in extra broth and another half cup of corn if you need a little more volume for the table.

Use homemade tortillas on the side. If you like making basics from scratch, these Corn Tortillas pair well with the soup.

Try the mug version for lunch. If you want the same flavor in a faster single-serving option, Tortilla Soup in a Mug is a handy backup.

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Storage and Reheating

Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. That’s a conservative estimate for a broth-based soup with vegetables and optional cooked chicken.

For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months for best quality. Leave a little headroom in the container so it can expand without making a mess you’ll resent later.

Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until steaming hot throughout. If the soup thickens after chilling, add a splash of broth or water to loosen it back up.

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Serving Suggestions

Serve this soup with hot cornbread, extra tortilla chips, and lime wedges. If you want to round it out, a simple green salad or sliced avocado works well too.

For a bigger meal, set out toppings like shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, diced onion, or sour cream. That way everyone can fix their own bowl without turning dinner into a separate part-time job for you.

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💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

🛒 Walmart Grocery List

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 17 fl oz
• Garlic Bulb, 1 each
• Chili Powder, 2.5 oz
• Diced Tomatoes in Tomato Juice, 14.5 oz
• Black Beans, 15 oz
• Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth, 14.5 oz
• Frozen Whole Kernel Corn, 12 oz
• Kosher Salt, 16 oz
• Tortilla Chips, 13 oz
• Fresh Lime, 1 each
• Rotisserie Chicken, 36 oz

Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

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Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

Article or recipe authorAuthor: Melissa 'Liss' Burnell

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preparation timePrep 10 minutes mins

cook timeCook 20 minutes mins

total timeTotal 30 minutes mins

A hearty tomato-based tortilla soup made with black beans, corn, garlic, chili powder, and lime, with optional cooked chicken for a heartier bowl. Serve it hot with crushed tortilla chips, lime wedges, and cornbread. Estimated batch cost is $6.24 without chicken or about $8.00 with chicken, which works out to about $1.04 to $1.33 per serving.

ServingsServings 6 servings

CourseCourse bread, Dinner, lunch, Soup

CuisineCuisine Mexican-American

Budget101 Price BreakdownApprox Cost: $6.24

Ingredients

1/21x2x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 2 cans diced tomatoes in juice 14 1/2 ounces each
• ▢ 2 cans black beans rinsed and drained, 15 ounces each
• ▢ 1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth 14 1/2 ounces
• ▢ 1 package frozen corn kernels 10 ounces
• ▢ Coarse salt to taste
• ▢ Ground black pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 cup crushed tortilla chips plus more for serving (optional)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• ▢ Lime wedges for serving
• ▢ 2 cups cooked chicken cut up (optional)
• ▢ 1 cup water

Equipment

Large saucepan

Wooden Spoon

Can opener

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Knife

Cutting Board

Instructions

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1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and chili powder and cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, black beans, chicken broth, frozen corn, and water.
4. Add the cooked chicken if using.
5. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer.
6. Stir in the crushed tortilla chips and continue cooking until the chips soften and the soup thickens slightly.
7. Add the lime juice and season with coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste.
8. Serve hot with extra tortilla chips, lime wedges, and cornbread if desired.

Recipe Size Alteration

💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.

Notes

Prep time and cook time are estimated from the original method.
Estimated cost is based on current online ingredient pricing and will vary by store, brand, and season.
For a slow cooker version, add everything except the tortilla chips, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, stir in chips during the last 15 to 20 minutes, then finish with lime juice and seasoning.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months for best quality.

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