Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Soup
This Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup is warm, comforting, hearty, filling and deeply satisfying and BONUS, it's SO easy; just chop, dump and simmer while the crockpot does all the work. This Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is loaded with tender juicy shredded chicken, hearty cannellini beans, sweet corn, fire roasted tomatoes, kickin’ poblanos, and aromatic onions and garlic, seasoned to perfection in a tangy salsa verde broth. The layers of flavor all get topped with freshly squeezed lime juice, avocados, cilantro, sour cream and crispy, salty homemade BAKED Tortilla Strips for a new family favorite everyone will beg you to make again and again! This easy Tortilla Soup is ideal for weeknight dinners and always a crowd pleaser.
Servings 6 -8
Ingredients
Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Soup
- 1 1/4 pounds chicken breasts
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups Homemade Salsa Verde or storebought
- 2 14.5 oz. cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz. can can sweet corn drained and rinsed
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes,
- 1 zucchini peeled, sliced thick and quartered
- 1 large poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 tsp EACH cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 - 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
Toppings
- 6 6” corn tortillas
- pepper Jack, Monterrey, sharp cheddar
- sour cream
- cilantro
- avocado
- lime juice
- hot sauce
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Lightly spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Add chicken to the bottom of your slow cooker followed by all of the Tortilla Soup Ingredients.
- Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. When chicken is tender, shred and return to slow cooker for at least 20 minutes on low.
- When ready to serve, taste soup and add additional salt, pepper, honey, lime, chipotle powder/hot sauce to taste. Top individual bowls with tortilla strips and any desired toppings.
Tortilla Strips
- While the soup is cooking, make the tortilla strips. Cut tortillas into 1/2-inch strips. (I stack them all together and use my pizza cutter.)
- Light spray a large baking sheet/jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Add tortilla strips and toss with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Arrange strips in a single layer and lightly season with freshly cracked salt.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 12-16 minutes or until light golden brown.
Notes
TIPS AND TRICKS
- *Spice Level: You can start with a little chipotle powder and add more to taste at the end. I use 1 teaspoon and it is spicy.
- Rotisserie Chicken: You can substitute chicken breasts with shredded rotisserie chicken. You will need approximately 3 cups and add it at the end of cooking, just to warm through, about 15 minutes on low.
- Consistency: I love chunky soups – the higher the ratio of chicken and veggies to broth the better – BUT the “chunkiness” of this Chicken Tortilla Soup is totally up to your personal preference. For a less chunky soup, simply add additional chicken broth.
- Tortilla Strips: You don't have to make your own tortilla strips, you can use crushed tortilla chips or purchase tortilla strips. Tortilla strips are usually located near/at the end of the produce aisles. You can also play with different flavors of tortilla chips such as lime, chipotle, etc.
- Storage: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup tastes even better the next day! It will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in your crockpot insert or an airtight container. You may need to add a little water to the soup when reheating.
- Prep Ahead: You can chop your onions, garlic, zucchini and poblano pepper ahead of time so you literally just have to dump and simmer when it comes time to make your soup. Alternatively, you can add all of the Chicken Tortilla Soup ingredients to the crockpot and store in the refrigerator until yous are ready to cook. This is a great method when you want to prep the soup at night and start cooking in the morning.
- Prep Toppings Ahead: You can prep all your topping while yours soup is cooking so you can eat as soon as the chicken is done.
HOW TO FREEZE
Chicken Tortilla Soup freezes and reheats beautifully as long as you keep the tortilla strips separate and don’t add any dairy products to the main soup (just add them to your individual portions).- Cool. Cool Chicken Tortilla Soup completely before freezing.
- Package soup in a freezer safe container. You can use sandwich size plastic bags for individual soup portions, quart size bags or freezer bags. To easy fill these bags, place them in a container that you can wrap the top around the edge of – for example, place a sandwich size bag in a mug then cuff the edges around the mug. This keeps the bag open and prevents it from collapsing when you are pouring in your Chicken Tortilla Soup. Final packaging tip, make sure to let out any excess air before you seal.
- Label. Make sure to label your bags so it doesn’t’ become a freezer mystery. You also want to label so you can be sure to use your soup within 3 months.
- Freeze. Once cooled and labeled you are ready to freeze your Chicken Tortilla Soup. Once the bag is solid you can lay it flat in a single layer so it’s stackable to save space.
- Defrost/Reheat. The easiest way to thaw your soup is in your refrigerator overnight then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. If you forget to thaw your soup beforehand or are hit with a need-Chicken Tortilla Soup-now craving then you can defrost the soup in the microwave. Transfer frozen soup into a microwave-safe container, partially cover and microwave for 2-3 increments, until the soup has become slushy, stirring in between so it thaws evenly.