Skip to main content

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love soup when it's cold!
I've made Chicken Tortilla Soup many times, but for some reason, never in the slow cooker.  I came across a recipe for a slow cooker version the other day, so I decided to make my own version and see how it stacks up next to the traditional method.  I LOVE the idea of using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to shred the chicken - genius!  Usually I'm all about old school fork shredded and doing work and all that, but this way is easy, fast, and awesome.  I'm a convert.  Here's the recipe:

 Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • 1 49 oz. can of chicken broth (Swanson Natural Goodness) or the equivalent of homemade stock, etc.
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or use a rotisserie chicken, or a whole chicken you've cooked, etc.)
  • 1 medium onion (white, yellow, sweet - whatever you have on hand), diced
  • 1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely diced (you can also use a fresh jalapeno, or leave them out, but it's REALLY NOT THAT HOT with just one!)
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes (the whole can, baby)
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (have you ever heard of the garlic rocker? awesome!)
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • salt to taste, maybe (be careful - broth and canned tomatoes can have a lot of sodium)


Optional:
  • 1 c. or so frozen corn, or a can of corn, drained, or leave it out (if canned, I prefer to add later)
  • 1 14.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (I prefer to add them later so they don't get too mushy)


For garnish:

  • tortillas, cut into strips, seasoned & toasted for some crunch
  • shredded monterey jack or cheddar cheese, or cotija or queso fresco, crumbled
  • chopped fresh cilantro
  • sour cream
  • avocado, sliced
  • fresh diced tomatoes
  • ...you get the idea!


First, cook up your chicken  - either roast a whole chicken and then use that meat, buy a rotisserie chicken at the store, or if you have some chicken breasts on hand, season with a little salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning blend and brown them in a skillet with a little oil.

Then add everything to the slow cooker, and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4 hours.  I personally like adding in some black beans, but I do it toward the end of the cooking time - same with corn, unless it' frozen.  Do whatever floats your boat.

Before you eat, prep your garnishes, and get them ready.  Slice up a few tortillas very thin, and then spritz with a little olive oil, season with chili powder, and then bake in a 350 oven for a few minutes, turning once, until they're crisped.  You can burn them if you forget, so stay close.  

You can freeze this, too - it makes a pretty large batch!
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Layered Mexican Trifle Salad

So this is awesome.  It's a lot of work, but it is awesome.  Feeds a crowd, looks cool, tastes great.  What more can you ask for?  I first had this at a party, and then tracked down the recipe - I believe it was originally from Pampered Chef.  You can mix it up, but I really like this combo.  It's easy to double or whatever is needed, based on the serving dish.  The one pictured was MASSIVE, and was basically a triple batch - so much work, and at the last minute! Layered Mexican Trifle Salad I ngredients: Beans: drain, rinse and mix together 1 15 oz. can pinto beans and 1 15 oz. can black beans 1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained (I've also used fresh) 1 large tomato, diced (I usually use several Roma tomatoes) 2 green bell peppers, diced 3 ripe avocadoes, diced and mashed with the juice of 1 lime and salt and pepper to taste 1 large onion, diced (red or white) 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded 2 cups cheddar or...
Read more

Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti & Asiago Cheese

We ALL really love this recipe. This is based on a recipe from the good people at Cooks Illustrated - I am grateful to them for getting my kids to happily eat sundried tomatoes and broccoli!  I've also made this in a huge batch and served it family-style for a dinner party (and got to use my giant Pampered Chef Simple Additions square pasta bowl (it's really big), and it was AWESOME).  If people could have licked the bowl clean, they might have - there was NOTHING left. Try this, and love it: Chicken, Broccoli, Penne and Asiago Cheese  Skillet 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (or olive oil - just don't heat that to smoking) 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup) 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp.) 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes 8 oz. ziti or penne (2 /12 cups) 3 c. water 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth 3-4 c. broccoli florets 1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed and chop...
Read more

Another Take on Comfort Food

Sometimes there's nothing you can do but cook. I've had the displeasure of seeing 2 young moms in our school community recieve cancer diagnoses in the last 18 months.  If you're like me, when someone you know is hurting, you want to help, but lots of times, there's not much you can do. If you can cook, you can take away some of the stress of getting the family fed and bring a meal or two. In fact, even if you can't cook, you can pick up a meal at a restaurant or a bag of groceries, or even a gift card for a local restaurant. I think it comes naturally to some - the church and school communities I grew up in always loved with food - church potlucks, school spaghetti dinners, and of course lots of meals for people who needed them.  But not everyone has done this before, so it might be overwhelming.  As in my "feeding a crowd" blurb, there are a few things to keep in mind.   Don't try to impress - don't try new recipes.  Find out if you'r...
Read more