slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

Another one step, set it and forget it type dish.  Love those.  It only takes about 10 minutes to add all of the ingredients to the pot!  This tortilla soup is so delicious.  It has a very authentic flavor and is filling enough to serve as a meal.  


We have some picky eaters in our house so I actually leave the corn and beans on the side.  I heat them up separately and let everyone dress up their bowls at the dinner table.  Be careful about which type of enchilada sauce you buy if you are serving this to little ones!  Some brands are super spicy.  I usually use Amalia's Cocina authentic enchilada sauce (available at Amazon and some Whole Foods).  If you can't find it, Old El Paso mild enchilada sauce works well too.



slow cooker chicken tortilla soup


Ingredients

1 pound chicken, boneless and skinless breast
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn, (you can use a can of corn or fresh if you have it!)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

shredded cheddar for sprinkling on top of each serving

*optional:  Add a can of black beans right before serving!

For Tortilla Strips:
4-6 corn tortillas * If you want to skip baking the tortillas you can use store bought tortilla chips.  I have used Garden of Eaten' organic blue corn chips and they were great in the soup!
olive oil



Directions:
 Place all ingredients in the slow cooker except for tortillas and olive oil.  Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. Shred chicken before serving.  If you are adding black beans, add them to the pot a half hour before serving.


To make tortilla strips:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips and cheese over soup.