Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Total Time
370 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
360 minutes
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(1)
Ingredients
8 cups soup
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins (frozen or refrigerated)
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (10 ounce) can good-quality mild enchilada sauce
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
- 1 (10 oz.) package frozen corn (or 1 can of whole-kernel corn, drained)
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 corn tortillas
- 2–3 Tbsp. olive oil
- Optional Garnishes: avocado slices
- shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
- limes
- chopped tomatoes
- soft tortillas (you can place these in the bottom of the bowls, and ladle the soup on top if you’d like!)
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Preparation
Step 1
Place all soup ingredients (chicken through cilantro) in a large crock pot and stir briefly to combine. Cover, and cook on “low” setting for 6 to 8 hours or on “high” setting for 3 to 4 hours. Anywhere from 15-60 minutes beforehand, remove the chicken breasts. Let cool briefly, then shred and return to soup.
Step 2
To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls, and add desired garnishes.
Step 3
Homemade Tortilla Strips “How-To”: Use a knife or pizza cutter, cut a few corn tortillas into small strips (as pictured above).
Step 4
Skillet Method: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Test to see if the oil is ready by dripping a drop or two of water in the skillet. (No sound – too cool. Splatter – too hot. Sizzle – perfect!) Once it’s ready, add in the tortilla strips. Give them a stir or a flip every 20-30 seconds, until they have begun to turn slightly golden. Remove and place on paper towels to drain and dry. Season with salt or other seasonings.
Step 5
Oven Method: Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Lay out tortilla strips on a greased cookie sheet, and brush with olive oil. (Optional: season with salt or other seasonings.) Bake the tortilla strips for 5 minutes, then give them a quick stir and/or flip. Bake for 5 minutes more, or until they are crispy and golden.
Step 6
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Chef's notes
Hooray for crock-pots and good soups! Two of my favorite things about winter.
