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Asharae Kroll

Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 -8
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 1-2 jalapeños diced (with seeds for spicy flavor, without for mild)
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 6 c chicken stock
  • 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 15 oz can corn drained
  • 1 small can diced green chilies optional
  • 1.5 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Juice of 1-2 limes
  • 1/4 c chopped cilantro
  • Garnish: cheese tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro

Method
 

  1. Saute onion over medium heat until slightly tender 2-4 minutes.
  2. Add jalapeño and garlic, sauté 1 more minute. Add to slow cooker.
  3. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, except lime juice, cilantro, and garnishes.
  4. Turn the slow cooker on low for 5 hours, remove chicken and shred it with two forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and leave on low for 2-3 more hours. (UPDATE: Depending on your slow cooker, this may go much faster! I've found that mine cooks hot, so it only takes 3-5 hours for the chicken to cook on low. I then shred it and place it back in for 30 minutes or so. Adjust your cooking time accordingly so you don't end up with tough, dry chicken.)
  5. Add cilantro and lime juice right before serving.
  6. Serve garnished with cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, additional lime and cilantro, and even sour cream or hot sauce if you wish.

Notes

If you don't like spice, you can omit the jalapeño and the diced green chilies for a more mild flavor. This recipe is very adaptable to your flavor preferences and what you have on-hand - I'm not sure I've ever made it the exact same way twice. Sometimes I add more spice or less, use frozen corn instead of canned, or omit an ingredient or two because I don't have it in the cabinet that day. This soup is also a great recipe to use if you have leftover chicken or turkey - just shred it all ahead of time and toss it in the crockpot for the flavors to get happy for a few hours.