Carnitas Tortilla Soup

Aubrey

1 year ago

Delicious carnitas tortilla soup is like the Goldilocks of recipes: it’s hearty without being too thick, spiced without being too spicy, and cozy without being too heavy! And you’ll love how the browned pork adds big, rich flavor.

Why I Love This Recipe

Is there anything better on a cold winter’s day than a cozy bowl of hearty, flavorful soup? Whenever Cleveland starts to get too winter-y, I always turn to this carnitas tortilla soup to warm me up!

While this soup is super satisfying, it’s not too thick. The broth keeps it very soup-like as opposed to chili-like. Meanwhile, the flavor of the broth is spiced without being too spicy. Combined with the pop from the corn, the soft and tender beans, and the melt-in-your-mouth pork, it’s the kind of comfort food you’ll want to make again and again!

Which is great, because the recipe is crazy easy and uses tons of ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. If you have time to brown the pork, that will give it a gorgeous brown crust that adds so much flavor to the soup, but you can also skip that step. The soup will still be crazy delicious!

Including prep, carnitas tortilla soup can be ready in under an hour, and 45 minutes of that is just simmering on the stove to allow all the flavors to meld. So at the end of a long day when you’re craving something warm and flavorful, this soup is JUST what you need!

What Are Carnitas?

Carnitas is a Spanish word that literally translates to “little meats.” While it can occasionally refer to other kinds of meat like chicken, carnitas most often means pork.

Traditional carnitas is made with pork shoulder, which has a high fat content that helps keep the meat juicy. The pork is cooked low and slow for up to four hours with plenty of spices until tender, then fried to achieve a nice crisp on the outside before it’s shredded.

For this recipe, I recommend browning the pork tenderloin ahead of time to give it that wonderful crust that adds so much flavor. But if you don’t have time, don’t worry! The pork will still get melt-in-your-mouth tender as it simmers in the tortilla soup.

Variations for Carnitas Tortilla Soup

I love that this soup is super satisfying and still definitely soup. However, if you’re craving something with more of a chili-like texture, you can cut the broth down from 8 cups to 6. This will make it thicker like chili.

Craving something even heartier? We also love to add roasted sweet potatoes! They soak up the flavor and give the soup a little something extra. It’s a delicious variation that I highly recommend trying at some point!

Don’t have time to brown the pork? Dicing it up and throwing it in the pot works just as well! In the past, I’ve also cooked shredded pork in the Instant Pot and then used the leftovers for this soup. It’s honestly hard to go wrong.

Finally, you’re welcome to make this soup with chicken rather than pork. While the pork adds extra flavor, I’ve often made chicken tortilla soup using this same method, and it never lets me down. It all depends on what sounds the best to you… and, let’s be honest, what you already have in your kitchen so you don’t have to make a trip to the store!

What to Serve with Tortilla Soup

Grilled Salsa — If you’re already grabbing tortilla chips for the soup, you may as well dip a few in some delicious homemade salsa, right?
Hot Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies — Satisfy your after-dinner sweet tooth AND beat the winter chill with these decadent treats!
Smokey Roasted Carrots with Tahini Ranch — Who says veggie side dishes are boring? Not me!
Your favorite toppings — I like to serve my soup with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, and fresh cilantro. Add jalapeño slices for heat!

How to Store and Reheat Carnitas Tortilla Soup

This is an amazing soup to keep in the fridge for lunch or an easy dinner all week long. The flavor gets even better as the days go by! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4 days or so.

Tortilla soup also freezes really well. I recommend portioning the soup out into separate servings in freezer-safe containers so that when you’re ready to enjoy, you only need to thaw as much as you want at one time!

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