Have leftover pulled pork? Turn it into this hearty tortilla soup! Loaded with carrots, celery, zucchini, corn, and smoky pulled pork, this easy soup is packed with flavor and served with crunchy tortilla chips for the perfect finish.
Find more leftover pulled pork recipes here.
My kids love soup. And soup is not reserved for cold weather. I would pack a thermos of chicken noodle soup with lemon for their school lunches EVERYDAY for most of their school experience.
And it didn’t stop during school. They would ask for soup even during summer break. So needless to say, I’ve made thousands of pots of soup for them over the years.
Although middle child is older and lives on his own, he still loves his momma’s soup. And whenever I make his favorite chicken lemon soup with rice or this pulled pork soup, he makes a quick stop at my house to take home his soup.
Jump to:
Laura says :
Why this recipe works
- One-Pot Meal: Everything cooks together in one pot, making this an easy weeknight dinner with minimal dishes to wash. Just simmer, ladle into bowls, and pile on the toppings!
- Flavor Packed: This is definitely not bland soup! A flavorful Mexican-inspired broth, smoky pulled pork, and plenty of vegetables make every spoonful delicious. Add more or less chile to make it as mild or spicy as you like.
- Packed with Veggies: Carrots, celery, zucchini, corn, bell peppers, and onions make this soup hearty and satisfying. It’s also a sneaky way to get the family to eat more vegetables. My son loves it and doesn’t seem to mind all those veggies!
- Crunchy Toppings: I skip the soggy tortillas and serve this soup with crunchy tortilla chips instead. Top your bowl with avocado, fresh cilantro, and all your favorite tortilla soup toppings.
- Leftover Makeover: Got leftover pulled pork? Give it new life in this hearty tortilla soup! It’s an easy way to turn leftovers into a completely new meal your family will be excited to eat.
Ingredients needed
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy
- Pulled pork: This is a great way to use up leftover pulled pork. If your pork has barbecue sauce on it, you can decide if you want to leave it for extra flavor in your soup, or give it a quick rinse. If you have leftover carnitas, it will be perfect and ready to be added as is. I used leftover pulled pork from my oven pulled pork recipe.
- Onion:Â The start of a good soup, always starts with onions. You can use white or yellow onions.
- Garlic: If you don’t have fresh garlic, you substitute with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Cilantro:Â I prefer to use fresh cilantro, but you can substitute with 1 tablespoon of dried cilantro.
- Jalapeño: If you are not one to like spicy food, you can skip the jalapeño and try an Anaheim chile. You can also use serrano chile or Hatch chiles. You can also use canned green chiles which come in mild, medium or hot.
- Vegetables:Â The recipe below includes red bell pepper, carrots, celery, zucchini and corn. Feel free to use them or omit the ones you do not like.
- Lemon Juice:Â My family loves adding a bit of sour to their soups. You can use lemon juice, lime juice or omit altogether.
- Pantry Items:Â Canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth and cooking oil.
- Seasonings:Â Salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, paprika and chile powder.
Step by step directions
- Sauté the veggies. Add your chopped onions and bell peppers to hot oil and sauté until softened. Stir in the carrots, celery and chopped jalapeño.
- Add flavor: Stir in garlic , cilantro and spices and cook for another minute. Be careful to not burn the garlic.
- Add soup base: Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice and chicken broth. Reduce heat to simmer for flavors to meld together.
- Finish the soup. Stir in pulled pork, zucchini and corn. Zucchini should not cook for too long as it tends to get mushy.
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
We like to add toppings to this soup, similar to what we do for pulled pork chili.
- Avocado chunks
- Fresh cilantro
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips
- Hot sauce
- Jalapeño slices
- Lime wedges
Another great pulled pork soup recipe is my spicy pulled pork ramen.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
You could, although I recommend making it on the stovetop for this recipe. Since the pulled pork is already cooked, it only needs time to warm through and allow the vegetables and seasonings to develop flavor.
Absolutely. You can substitute shredded chicken, leftover turkey, or even shredded beef if that’s what you have on hand. The cooking time may vary depending on whether the meat is already cooked.
Yes. Omit the pulled pork and use vegetable broth. You can add black beans or pinto beans for extra protein and heartiness.
If you are enjoying my recipes, please sign up for my newsletter and get my free 28-day meal plan! You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
Pulled Pork Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup onion chopped
- ¾ cup red bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and diced (optional)
- ¾ cup carrots chopped
- ¾ cup celery chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chile powder
- 6 cup chicken broth
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes with juice
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 lb pulled pork
- ¾ cup zucchini chopped
- ¼ cup frozen corn
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and bell pepper to the hot oil and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in carrots, celery and jalapeño and continue to cook vegetables for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, cilantro and spices and cook for another minute. Be careful to not burn the garlic.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice and chicken broth. Reduce heat to simmer and cook soup for 30 minutes for flavors to meld together.
- Stir in pulled pork, zucchini and corn (if using). Zucchini should not cook for a long time as it tends to get mushy. Cook 10 more minutes.
- Serve with tortilla chips, avocado chunks, sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro and/or lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my eMail list, too!
Written by Laura BasharÂ
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
