This is my favorite. Tasty slow cooker chicken tortilla soup. We’ve got no fewer than six band/choir/class/piano concerts in the last month of school, so now my slow cooker is my BFF. Low maintenance. Reliable. Red. I may leave it something in my will.
The first tortilla soup recipe I ever tried had me making my own tortilla strips. Oh, honey, no. We do not pull out our slow cooker, only to spend an hour prepping the condiments. We do not. So now we use store-bought tortilla strips — you can find them next to salad condiments like croutons and those weird bacon bits that don’t require refrigerating even though they’re supposed to be meat. You could probably also just crumble up some tortilla chips and toss ’em in. Or leave them out altogether (though I suppose you couldn’t call it “Chicken Tortilla Soup” anymore. But it would still be tasty.)
That’s my philosophy behind all the condiments in this soup — if you have them on hand, throw ’em in. If not, it’s all good.
The soup itself is very mild — easy for kids. But if you like a little more spice, you can also add in a few diced jalapeños, or a dash of Cholula.
And it would be great with a margarita or some mango lemonade. I’m jussayin’.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 cans (8 oz total) diced, mild green chiles, drained
- 1 c chicken broth
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pkg tortilla strips or chips to garnish
- chopped cilantro
- shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- sliced avocado
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Place chicken in slow cooker.
- Combine tomatoes, chiles, chicken broth, onion, garlic and cumin in small bowl.
- Pour mixture over chicken.
- Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours.
- Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Return chicken to slow cooker.
- Serve, topping with tortilla strips, cilantro, cheese, avocado and a squeeze of lime.
For a few more tasty, easy crockpot recipes, try one of these (the slow cooker cranberry chicken only has four ingredients!):
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- Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken
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- Crock Pot Bratwurst Chili
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- Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
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Sounds good and I’d like to try it but I think I’ll cut the chiles at least in half and fill that in with black beans and corn. Totally agree about the tortilla strips. The first time I made fajitas for company, my guest asked if I had made the tortillas. I said are you crazy? Lol.
Black beans and corn sound good…we like the chiles, but I make extra sure I get the mild ones! The kids (ok, and I) can’t handle anything too spicy. I can’t even imagine making all my tortillas from scratch!
This looks wonderful! And I love my crockpot too but mine is not red 🙁
PS – I love your post… that it wasn’t just a recipe. There is a story, some life and the recipe is just a bonus 🙂
Ashley @ LeavingTheRut.com
Thank you! You made my day! And I suppose food still tastes good, even when it’s made in a crockpot which is not red…