Chicken Tortilla Soup

My new best friend is a slow cooker. What could be better than dumping a bunch of healthy ingredients into a pot, turning it on and walking away?! This recipe does just that.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 3-4 cups of cooked chopped or shredded chicken, the meat from about 1 rotisserie chicken, or 1 ½ – 2 lbs. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 cups of frozen corn
• 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 4.5 ounce can dice green chilies
• 1 cup taco sauce or salsa of your choice
• 1 cup of diced onion
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning
• optional garnish for serving: shredded cheddar cheese sliced green onions, lime, cilantro, sliced avocado, sour cream
• bag of tortilla chips

Directions:

Slowcooker Directions:

1. Combine the chicken broth, chicken, corn, diced tomatoes, black beans, green chilies, taco sauce, onion, garlic powder, cumin and taco seasoning in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1 ½ – 2 hours.
3. Crumble a handful of tortilla chips and place them in the bottom of individual bowls. Ladle the soup over the chips and garnish with desired toppings.

Note: If using raw chicken breasts, you will need to increase the cooking time to 4-6 hours on LOW or 2-3 hours on HIGH. At the end of cooking, shred or chop the chicken breasts, return to the pot, and serve.

Stovetop Directions:

Note: If you’re starting with diced, cooked chicken, you can skip the first step and just add the chicken to the instant pot with the rest of the ingredients.

1. If using uncooked chicken, start by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add the diced chicken and cook, stirring regularly just until chicken is browned, it doesn’t need to be cooked through.
3. Add the chicken broth, corn, diced tomatoes, black beans, green chilies, taco sauce, onion, garlic powder, cumin and taco seasoning to the pot with the chicken. Stir well.
4. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and reduce heat to a low simmer.
5. Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
6. Crumble a handful of the tortilla chips and place them in the bottom of individual bowls. Ladle the soup over the chips and garnish with desired toppings.