Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

This soup is delicious and packed with flavor. It is my adaptation of The Pioneer Woman’s recipe. I adapted it for the slow cooker, so it is perfect for busy days. How nice is it to come home to a slow cooker full of yummy soup?

Time saver:  I buy diced and frozen onion and green pepper from the freezer section and pour into my own freezer storage bags. When a recipe calls for a diced onion or green pepper, the frozen is so easy. For spaghetti, chili, soup, and other foods that cook low and slow, I think frozen works and tastes just as great as fresh.

This soup gets raves from my family. The toppings are a must – they make the soup (but only need to be added to individual bowls – not the entire pot).

This soup is actually better the next day. It probably freezes well, although it never lasts long enough at our house to freeze!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup 

Ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-5 whole or 8-10 tenderloins if using frozen)
• Penzey’s Arizona Seasoning (this is optional but adds tons more flavor)
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder (Spice Island is my favorite)
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion (I use frozen)
• 1/2 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper (I use frozen)
• 5-6  cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can Rotel (original or with lime)
• 1 (32 oz carton ) Chicken Stock – I use Swanson’s
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• hot water if needed to dilute soup (or more chicken broth)
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal
• Tortilla strips, grated cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, diced onion, pico de gallo for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees ( I use my Breville smart convection oven–so quick and easy).

Mix cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Put chicken in baking dish and sprinkle lightly with Arizona seasoning and half of the spice mixture (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder & salt). Drizzle chicken with extra virgin olive oil.

Bake chicken for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is done. Shred chicken and set aside.

The seasoned chicken is one thing that makes the soup taste so fabulous. A soup is only going to be as flavorful as the meat; adding bland chicken and trying to season it in a huge slow cooker doesn’t work. Make the chicken spicy and flavorful at the outset; you’ll be amazed at the difference.

Heat 1-2  tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, green pepper, and minced garlic. Cook until transluscent, sprinkling with the rest of the spice mix. Once translucent, add shredded chicken and mix well.

Transfer above mixture to slow cooker. Add Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, and black beans. I add a small amount of hot water but not too much. If the soup needs more liquid, I usually add more chicken broth.Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours.

Halfway through cooking, mix cornmeal with a small amount of water and add to soup.  Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice. The Arizona Seasoning is salt free but will add more punch.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated sharp cheddar or Mexican blend cheese.