Chicken Tortilla Soup

Busy Saturday around the house + cold rainy weather: it’s the perfect combination for an easy meal that’s warm and comforting, and cooks on its own. This chicken tortilla soup fits the bill, and we enjoyed it this afternoon after working on a house project and trying (still not successfully) to put all the Christmas stuff away.

Back in the summer, our daughter Emma found this recipe online and made it for us. I’m not a person to embrace a new recipe like tortilla soup, so I’d never tried it, but I have been missing out! We enjoy this pretty often now, since it is SO easy, and I have adjusted it a bit to add a little more snap and flavor.

This is so easy because you just dump everything in the crock pot and let it do the work! You can change it up depending on what salsa you use, and it’s better with fresh cilantro, but – January! Enough said.

I love Frontera’s Chipotle Salsa, and had it on hand so used it today. Also added in some of this Ancho Chili Fiesta Rub from my hometown grocery store, Brooks’, that we use in a lot of Tex-Mex recipes, and I liked how the two of them spiced it up. I also added in a small can of chopped green chiles.

To make this, place the whole (uncooked) chicken breasts in the slow cooker, and then dump in everything else but the cheese. Set it to low, stir it when you remember, and 6 hours later, remove the chicken, shred it up and put it back in with a cup of your favorite shredded cheddar cheese, and you’ll have supper! If you have less time, you can cook it 3 hours on High, and then reduce to Low.

We also love these little tortilla strips for crunch on top. I find them in the salad area of the store – with croutons. The sliced avocado gives a good smooth contrast, so add it if you can find good avocados – in small town Mississippi, it’s hit or miss on good avocados!

I hope you like this and it adds a new meal to your regular rotation.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 (10.75 oz.) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa (I prefer Frontera Chipotle)
2 cups frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1 tbs. Southwest seasoning (we used Brooks’ Ancho Chile Fiesta Rub)
1 tbs. dried cilantro (or 1/4 cup fresh, chopped)
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Optional Toppings:
diced avocado
tortilla strips
sour cream
green onions
diced tomatoes

In a slow cooker/crock pot, place chicken breasts, and then all the other ingredients except cheese. Stir to combine, and cook on Low for 6 hours.
Stir occasionally if you can – I have some trouble with it sticking if I totally ignore it.

After 6 hours, pull out the chicken and place on a plate. It should be cooked through – if not, put it back on. Using two forks, shred the chicken, and then put it back in the soup. Add cheese, and stir until combined.

Serve with any or all of the toppings.