Recipe File: Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I was just mentioning to a co-worker yesterday that I am on a major soup kick. What with the weather being chilly and my being sick (sinus infection, yuck!), I just can’t pass up a warm bowl of soup. Usually I go for some good ol’ chicken noodle but I wanted to kick it up with a chicken tortilla soup, made super easy in the slow cooker. This chicken tortilla soup is definitely a soul-warmer. Here’s the recipe:

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

1 lb. Chicken Breast (grilled, then shredded)

Olive Oil

4 cups Chicken Stock

1 (14 oz) can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14 oz.) can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Diced Fire-Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilies

3/4 cup Corn

1 Onion, diced

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Chipotle Pepper (in adobo + ~1 tbsp. adobo sauce), minced

2 tsps. Chile Powder

2 tsps. Cumin

1 tsp. Oregano

1 tsp. Paprika

1 packet Ground 2 Table Spice Blend 2

Salt & Pepper

Garnishes: Chopped cilantro, lime wedges, diced avocado, diced red onion, shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips/chips

To start, I prefer to puree my diced tomatoes and chilies with the garlic and chipotle in a food processor, but feel free to skip this step if you like your soup with chunky tomatoes. Add diced tomatoes and chilies, beans, corn, stock, onion, minced garlic and chipotle pepper & adobo (if not added to puree), chicken* and seasoning to slow-cooker and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 hours on high heat or 6-8 hours on low heat.

*Option 1:
If adding raw chicken to crock pot- add entire packet of Ground 2 Table Spice Blend 2, omitting the extra cumin, oregano, and paprika from the slow cooker listed above.Once chicken is cooked through, remove and shred using two forks; add back to slow-cooker and stir to combine.

*Option 2: Grill chicken separately (my preference)

Heat oil in grill pan and season chicken with the packet of Ground 2 Table’s Spice Blend 2, an all purpose spicy blend containing organic cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, garlic and more. It’s the perfect single-use packet of flavor to go along with my soup! Grill chicken on each side until fully cooked. Remove from pan and shred with two forks; add to soup and stir to combine.

Serve in bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro, whatever you like. Buen provecho!