Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Have I mentioned before just how much I love a slow cooker meal? I am continuously trying my hand at creating a new slow cooker recipe because I truly enjoy coming home to a delicious smelling home where a home cooked meal is waiting for me. This recipe is one of my recent creations. It received the stamp of approval from my husband, so I am happy to share an original "Kayla creation"with you! Hope you enjoy this soup just as much as we do! 

I add the chicken breasts, tomatoes, and green chiles to the crock pot. The quicker I can throw a dish together the happier I am, so I empty the entire contents of both cans directly in the pot.  



I then add one heaping tablespoon of cumin...



...and one heaping tablespoon of chili powder.

**A fabulous secret revealed - Many people don't know that the two main ingredients in any packaged taco seasoning mix are cumin and chili powder. Save yourself the dollar something that you spend on taco mix each time you make tacos and invest in a couple jars of cumin and chili powder. Add about a tablespoon of each the next time you are making tacos and you will never be able to tell a difference! Heck, you will think it tastes even better because you have saved money! 



I give a green pepper and onion a rough chop...

...and then add them to crock pot.

 Now a days you can buy pretty much anything chopped, minced or diced and in a ready-to-go jar. However, nothing compares to fresh cracked and minced garlic.

A quick lesson for those that haven't worked with whole garlic before:

Break one clove off the whole garlic.

Lay the clove on a cutting board and place the side of a large knife (a chef's or santoku works best) directly on top of the garlic clove. If you don't have a large knife then you can just use the bottom of a bowl or plate.

Hit the side of the knife with enough force to pop the skin off the garlic. 

Peel the skin away from the garlic and dispose.

Using a rocking type motion run the knife over the garlic cloves until it is chopped into very small pieces. The more you chop things, the better you will get at it. I love chopping up garlic because I feel like a food network star when I start chopping quickly. I am such a geek, I know.

I mince one jalapeno and add it to the crock pot as well.

 If you can't handle much heat then I would recommend removing and discarding the seeds from the jalapeno. The seeds contain the bulk of the heat in jalapenos, so by removing them you can drastically tone down the heat level. 

At our house we love the heat, so I add the whole jalapeno to the pot!

I had some leftover cooked corn in the fridge and decided that I would add it to the mix as well. You can add pretty much anything else you have on hand that you think would add a nice touch of flavor to your soup. Don't be afraid to get creative!

Lastly, I pour an entire box of chicken broth over the mix and pop a lid on it. Now for the hard part, I turn the slow cooker on low and cook the soup 7-8 hours. ;) 

About 7 hours later the house is smelling lovely and the chicken is very tender. I barely poke the pieces with a fork and it breaks apart into delicious juicy chunks. The soup is so delicious and flavorful that you would think I stood over a simmering soup pot all day.
Is this the easiest soup recipe or what?



Now for a garnish. You can add a variety of different things to the soup to add an additional layer of flavor...cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream, rice.
 I love avocado and it is packed full of vitamins and minerals, so I dice one up and sprinkle a few chunks in my soup.

Fun Avocado facts: Did you know that avocado has 35% more potassium than a banana? True story, folks! It is also a rich source of Vitamin B, E and K. Hmmm...seems like the saying should be "An avocado a day keeps the doctor away".

I always like to add some sort of crunch to my soup, so I sprinkle some tortilla strips on top of the steamy soup and creamy avocado chunks right before I serve it. It can't get much better than this.

This meal is extremely healthy, so I feel no shame when I go back for a second or third bowl! Did I seriously just admit that?!? ;)

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can green chiles
1 red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 heaping tablespoon chili powder
1 heaping tablespoon cumin
1 box chicken broth

1. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
2. Shred chicken with two forks after the mixture has completed cooking.
3. Serve the soup with your choice of toppings....avocado, sour cream, cheese, tortilla strips, a scoop of rice...
4. Enjoy!!