Monday Meals: Chicken Tortilla Soup

It's been stupid cold in Wisconsin lately. We were treated to two days of 40 degree weather; and then a whole week of temperatures below zero. We're thinking spring in a serious way. Speaking of spring, mad props to the groundhog for not seeing his shadow; we've got our fingers crossed dreaming of an early spring!!
But until that happens, we need food to warm us up... and nothing warms quite like a hearty batch of Chicken Tortilla Soup! This soup was SO easy to make (dump a bunch of ingredients into the slow cooker); and all three members of the test kitchen loved it. SB loved customizing her soup; she tried it with a few squirts of fresh lime juice, extra tortillas and some sharp cheddar cheese. The adults added a little hot sauce for an extra kick. Perfect for a cold Thursday night.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Recipe courtesy of All Recipes


1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

Additional toppings: cheddar cheese, lime, sour cream and hot sauce

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. 

Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Our look dark, but they're not burned. They were perfectly crispy.

To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

YUM!!! Give this a try next time you're looking for an easy meal to warm you up, while dreaming about summer grilling and cold beers.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew