Beef Enchilada Soup with Tortilla Strips (Printable)
A hearty Mexican-American soup with tender beef, beans, vegetables, bold spices, and crispy tortilla strip toppings. Ready in under an hour.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
→ Soup Base
06 - 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
07 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
08 - 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
09 - 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
10 - 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
→ Spices
12 - 2 teaspoons ground cumin
13 - 1.5 teaspoons chili powder
14 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
17 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
→ Tortilla Strips
18 - 4 small corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
19 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
→ Toppings
20 - 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
21 - 0.5 cup sour cream
22 - 0.25 cup chopped fresh cilantro
23 - 1 avocado, diced
24 - Lime wedges
# Steps:
01 - Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add diced onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
03 - Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add tomato paste and mix thoroughly to coat the beef and vegetables.
05 - Pour in beef broth, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - While soup simmers, heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortilla strips in batches and fry for 1-2 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt.
07 - Taste the soup and adjust seasoning if needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with tortilla strips, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The combination of crispy homemade tortilla strips and hearty soup creates this magical texture contrast that store-bought versions simply cant touch.
- Its one of those rare recipes that actually tastes better the next day, making your lunch break something to genuinely look forward to.
02 -
- Never add the tortilla strips directly to the pot of soup unless you enjoy soggy disappointment instead of crispy texture contrast.
- Simmering uncovered concentrates the flavors beautifully, but if your soup gets too thick, a splash of broth will bring it back to perfect consistency.
03 -
- After frying your tortilla strips, save the infused oil and use it to make a quick vinaigrette for salads the complex corn flavor adds an unexpected dimension.
- If you find yourself without enchilada sauce, you can substitute with salsa plus a tablespoon of flour whisked into the broth to mimic the slight thickness enchilada sauce provides.