Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is a quick and easy meal that you can put in your slow cooker and forget about. This soup is packed with flavor and could be a great addition to your next taco night.
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
When we eat out at a Mexican restaurant I always start with Chicken Tortilla Soup if they have it on the menu. It is one of my favorite soups! This Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of my go-to soup recipes that I make all of the time. I love it because I can put all the ingredients in my crockpot and go about my day, returning to a warm, delicious bowl of soup.
I like to make a batch of this for taco night to accompany our meal and then use the leftovers throughout the week for lunches.
I actually think it tastes better the second or third day so the leftovers are well worth it. This soup uses chicken breasts, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, spices and chicken broth. I always offer a lot of garnish options including cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream, cilantro, green onion, lime wedges and jalapeños.
I know we are heading into spring but when football season comes back around this is a great recipe to bookmark for those days. I don’t know about you but I love cozy soup recipes.
You can control the level of spice in this soup by adding extra jalapeños and cayenne pepper. I am a fan of spice so I always go with a little more than is in the recipe.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN TORTILLA SOUP?
CHICKEN: Chicken breasts are my favorite cut of chicken to use in this recipe because I think they cook best in the slow cooker. You can also use chicken tenders or chicken thighs if you want.
LIME: Lime juice adds a nice sweet and citrusy flavor to the soup which works nicely if you add jalapeños or cayenne red pepper.
BEANS: I like to use black beans in my Tortilla Soup recipes but you can feel free to use kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas or red beans.
VEGETABLES: The more vegetables the better. I used diced tomatoes, green chiles, onion and bell pepper.
SPICES: The mixture of chili powder, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper work so well together to create a warm, rich flavor.
Another bonus with this recipe is that it freezes well so if you aren’t going to eat the leftovers for lunch, freeze the soup for later. When you are ready to eat the soup just pull it out and let it sit in your fridge overnight to thaw. It is that easy and makes a great dinner when you don’t have time to cook.
I am all about quick and easy recipes these days and this is just that. Quick, easy and seriously delicious!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is a warm, flavorful soup that cooks in the slow cooker while you go about your day. Garnish with your favorite toppings including avocado, lime, cilantro, sour cream, cheese and tortilla strips.
Ingredients
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts {about 1 lb. of chicken}
- 2 - 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 - 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1- 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper of your choice, seeds removed, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper {optional}
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lime, juiced
Garnishes:
- Cheese
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Lime Juice
- Sour Cream
- Tortilla strips
- Jalapeños
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the lime juice and the garnishes.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.
- With 30 minutes left in the cooking time remove chicken and shred with a fork, return to slow cooker. Add the lime juice, stir, cover and finish cooking the remaining 30 minutes.
- Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve warm.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
This soup looks absolutely incredible. I would love to have some of that.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) recently posted..Blood Orange Glazed Chocolate Cupcakes
Julia says
It is perfect for the cold winter, that is for sure!
Liz @ Virtually Homemade says
This looks amazing Julia! Tortilla soup is one of my absolute favorites.
Julia says
Thanks Liz! 🙂 Me too.
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
Just bought the ingredients to make this for dinner tomorrow! CAN’T WAIT.
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough recently posted..strawberry-glazed vanilla bean doughnuts + a kitchenaid mixer giveaway
Julia says
Oh fun!! I hope you like it!
Christie - Food Done Light says
Love all the healthy ingredients in this soup plus a big bonus that it is a slow cooker recipe.
Christie – Food Done Light recently posted..Strawberry Sriracha Thai Poached Salmon with Cilantro Jasmine Rice
Julia says
Thanks Christie! I love the slow cooker recipes– so easy to throw together!
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says
Love dishes like this – so easy and perfect for the freezer. Congrats again on that gorgeous baby! Hope you are getting some rest 🙂
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) recently posted..Vegan Hot Chocolate
Julia says
Thanks Alyssa! It is perfect for the freezer and those busy nights!
Heather @ Sugar Dish Me says
Oooohhhhh. One of my favorite soups ever! I’m a fresh jalapeno + cilantro topping lover too! Gorgeous, Julia!
Heather @ Sugar Dish Me recently posted..Chocolate Kahlua Cookies with Cafe au Lait Frosting
Julia says
Thanks Heather! 🙂 I love adding cilantro to everything–it is the best!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
Yum! Oh, Julia – this looks so wonderful on such a coooold winter’s day! I’m all about warm, cozy crock-pot meals these days! Great tips for make-ahed and freezing! And I totally agree with you about the garnishes – festive, yummy toppers can really make the flavors pop, and also make food look so visually appealing! 😀
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens recently posted..Crock-Pot Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder
Julia says
I agree! It has been SO cold here–negative temperatures most of the winter. These are the kind of meals I like to make to keep us warm and have leftovers!
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking says
I love that I have everything for this in my house. I love that all you do is throw it in the crockpot and walk away. I also loooooove garnishes. You are so right they make the soup!
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking recently posted..Kick Ass Cold Fighting Tea
Julia says
It is a great soup for us new Moms! 🙂 Hope things are going good Stefanie!
Kristin says
This is in my crockpot right now! Can’t wait for dinner!
Julia says
Yeah! I hope you like it! 🙂