This is the time of year that I can’t get enough warm foods and drinks. I have a mug of tea in my hand constantly, I want oatmeal for breakfast, soup and sandwiches for lunch and comfort food dinners. My craving for all the summer things I love like salads and smoothies (and even ice cream!) seriously declines. This preferred style of winter eating can be a little hard to accommodate when you are short on time to prepare your meals but there is one kitchen helper that always pulls through…the crockpot!
I have been making this Chicken Tortilla Soup for a few years now but I usually prepare it on the stovetop. This week I tried it in the crock pot due to a long evening of teaching that wouldn’t have me home until after 8:30 p.m. It turned out great…maybe even better than the stovetop version! I think it was the long cooking time in addition to cooking the chicken with the soup instead of adding pre-cooked shredded chicken that really made the difference.
It took me under 10 minutes to prep everything and get it in the crockpot. I arrived home to a house that smelled amazing and dinner waiting. I really should use my crockpot more often.
The only thing I had to do when I got home was prep my favorite toppings. I love to top my chicken tortilla soup with fresh lime, avocado, cilantro, sour cream and some crushed tortilla chips.
Here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do! The leftovers reheat wonderfully and it also freezes well.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (10-ounce) can of corn or 2 ears, cut off the cobb
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings: cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, tortilla chips, diced avocado
Directions:
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place chicken in the bottom of a crock pot. Add all of the other ingredients and gently stir to combine. Turn crock pot to low and cover. Cook soup for 6-8 hours. Before serving, shred chicken using two forks. I usually do this while it’s still in the crockpot and kind of look around for big pieces of chicken. It’s very tender at this point. Give everything a good stir to combine, season with salt and pepper to taste and then ladle into bowl. Serve with toppings of your choice.
Yield: 6-8 servings
