Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3-4
 
A delicious and comforting bowl of chicken soup is just what you need on cold winter evenings. Bonus points if you can chuck the ingredients into a slow-cooker and forget all about it.
You will need:
Made with ready-made salsa,
  • Chicken thighs - 3, bone-in and skinless
  • Chunky tomato salsa - 2 cups (one 16-oz bottle)
  • Chicken stock - 2 cups
  • Canned black beans - 1 small can
  • Frozen vegetables - 1 cup, chopped (carrots, green beans, peas)
  • Corn kernels - ½ cup
  • Cilantro - a small bunch, torn
  • Avocado - 1, sliced
  • Tortilla chips, shredded cheese or sour cream - to garnish
Made with salsa ingredients,
  • Chicken thighs - 3, bone-in and skinless
  • Onion - 1, chopped
  • Jalapenos - 1, seeded and chopped
  • Tomatoes - 3, chopped
  • Tomato - paste - 2 tbsp
  • Garlic - 2 fat cloves, minced
  • Cayenne powder - 1 tsp
  • Dried oregano - 2 tsp
  • Cumin powder - 1 tsp
  • Chicken stock - 2 cups
  • Canned black beans - 1 small can
  • Frozen vegetables - 1 cup, chopped (carrots, green beans, peas)
  • Corn kernels - ½ cup
  • Cilantro - a small bunch, torn
  • Avocado - 1, sliced
  • Tortilla chips, shredded cheese or sour cream - to garnish
How to:
  1. Soup with ready-made salsa: Add the salsa, chicken, chicken stock, beans and vegetables into the slow-cooker. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or till chicken is falling off the bone.
  2. Remove chicken from the soup. Use a fork to shred the chicken. Discard the bones. Return shredded chicken, corn and cilantro to the slow-cooker and cook for another 30 minutes. If you need to thicken the soup, keep the lid cracked open.
  3. Once done, ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips, cheese and/or sour cream. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top. Serve hot or warm.
  4. Soup with salsa ingredients: Add the chicken, onion, jalapeno, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, cayenne powder, oregano, cumin, chicken stock, beans and vegetables into the slow-cooker. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or till chicken is falling off the bone.
  5. Remove chicken from the soup. Use a fork to shred the chicken. Discard the bones. Return shredded chicken, corn and cilantro to the slow-cooker and cook for another 30 minutes. If you need to thicken the soup, keep the lid cracked open.
  6. Once done, ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips, cheese and/or sour cream. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top. Serve hot or warm.
Notes:
1. You can add either black beans or vegetables or both. You can use frozen vegetable soup mix or chop up some fresh vegetables as per your convenience.
2. I like to use bone-in chicken thighs because it makes the soup more flavorful. Use boneless thighs or chicken breast if that's all you have on hand.
3. To bake your own tortilla chips, pre-heat the oven to 400 deg.F and cut a couple of corn tortillas into thin 1"x3" strips. Line them up on a large baking sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes or till crisp. Remove from oven and sprinkle salt on top. Cool completely and store in airtight containers for a few days.
4. Most slow-cookers need double the time on a LOW setting than that required on a HIGH setting for the same recipe.
Recipe by At The Corner of Happy And Harried at https://www.happyandharried.com/2016/01/25/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup/