Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love “set it and forget it” recipes. Love them! First of all, they require the least amount of effort possible. The only tricky part is figuring out how to work the can opener, which can occasionally be a struggle (see below).

This is a real picture from college 

And secondly, I’m always amazed with the finished product. Like wow, I did nothing and this turned out amazing! It’s like magic.

This past week I had a craving for chicken tortilla soup. I’m always in the mood for soup, but this week I was in the mood for something a little bit out of the ordinary and a little bit spicy. I was so excited when I found this tortilla soup recipe!

And I was even more excited when I realized it had only 130 calories per cup. That leaves plenty of room for fun garnishes on top of the soup like homemade tortilla strips (recipe also below), sour cream and avocado!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yield: About 6 cups

Calories per serving: 184 calories (calculated calorie content does not include optional ingredients and tortilla strips)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the soup

• 36 ounces (or 4 and 1/2 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (raw)
• 1 (14.5 ounces) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 and 1/2 cups corn (canned or fresh)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice

For the tortilla strips

• 10 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Additional garnishes (optional)

• Shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado, diced roma tomatoes, sour cream

Directions

For the soup

1. Pour these ingredients in a slow cooker: chicken broth, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and a little bit of salt and pepper.
2. Add chicken breasts (thawed or frozen) then cover with lid and cook on LOW heat for 6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. Add an extra hour if the chicken is still frozen.
3. Remove chicken and shred.
4. Return to slow cooker along with black beans, corn, cilantro and lime juice, and stir. Cook until heated through.
5. Serve warm with tortilla strips and other optional ingredients.

For the homemade tortilla strips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Cut the tortillas into uniform 1/2-inch strips (I used food shears) and add to a large bowl.  Add vegetable oil and toss to coat.
3. Sprinkle with seasonings and toss again.
4. Transfer tortilla strips to baking sheet, trying not to overlap them.
5. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, toss around, and return to oven for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Add generously to soup!

Soup recipe adapted from Cooking Classy. Tortilla strips recipe adapted from Baked by Rachel.