Description
Chicken tortilla soup in the slow cooker is one of those rare dump-and-go recipes that actually delivers real flavor. Everything goes in raw in the morning, and by dinnertime you have a smoky, chile-spiked broth with tender shredded chicken, black beans, and corn. The toppings are what make it — crispy tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime that ties the whole bowl together.
Ingredients
Units
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Juice of 2 limes
- 4 corn tortillas, cut into strips and fried or baked until crispy
- 1 avocado, diced
- Sour cream, shredded cheddar, and fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, onion, garlic, jalapeño, chicken broth, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
- Remove the chicken breasts and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir in the lime juice.
- Ladle into bowls and top with crispy tortilla strips, diced avocado, sour cream, shredded cheddar, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a smokiness that regular diced tomatoes cannot match — they are worth seeking out for this recipe.
- The lime juice stirred in at the end brightens everything and keeps the soup from tasting flat after hours of slow cooking.
- Fry your own tortilla strips in a little oil for 2 minutes rather than using bagged chips — the difference in texture and flavor is enormous.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 360 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 780
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 75