Description
Tossing ingredients into a pot in the morning means you can come home to a fully prepared, restaurant-quality dinner with zero effort. This slow cooker chicken tortilla soup is the ultimate hack for a delicious meal on your busiest days.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped (optional for heat)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, no salt added
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1.5 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 medium avocados, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 2 low-carb tortillas, cut into strips and baked until crisp
Instructions
- Prepare the Aromatics: Start by dicing the onion, mincing the garlic, and chopping the bell pepper and jalapeño if using. This flavor base creates the foundation for your slow cooker chicken tortilla soup.
- Layer Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place the chicken at the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the diced onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeño, diced tomatoes, green chilies, and all the spices. Pour the chicken broth over everything.
- Cook to Perfection: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. The chicken should be tender enough to shred easily with two forks. About 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the pot.
- Prepare Toppings: While the soup finishes cooking, prepare your garnishes. Dice the avocado, chop the cilantro, cut lime wedges, and bake your tortilla strips if using.
- Serve and Enjoy: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and let everyone customize their toppings.
Notes
Store leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze without toppings for up to 3 months. For extra fiber, add 1 cup of black beans. Use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 4g
- Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 28g