Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Name: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 490 min
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast; 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper; 1 cup red onion (diced); 1 bell pepper (seeded and diced); 1 serrano pepper (seeded and diced); 1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes; 1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted corn (drained); 1 (15 oz.) can low-sodium black beans (drained and rinsed); 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth; 2 1/2 cups water; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 3 cups tortilla strips; 8 ounces queso fresco; cilantro (for garnish); crema (for garnish)

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By Rebecca Hubbell, Published January 26, 2018

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This Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is loaded with delicious ingredients like chicken, peppers, tomatoes, corn, and beans and the bold flavor of garlic and cayenne! A comforting and hot meal for chilly nights!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

There’s nothing quite as comforting as a steaming bowl of soup on a cold winter day. Make it wholesome with a hint of spice, and you’ll be warmed from the inside out.

This Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe will thaw you to the bone with its hearty ingredients and fire-roasted flavor.

I love Southwestern-based soups, so in light of the cold spell that’s fallen over the country, I figured I’d try my hand at making my own.

Although I don’t work in an office setting anymore, I like having pre-made lunches readily available as a time and money saver.

If I’m working from home, taking an hour or two to prepare and eat lunch is distracting and time-consuming.

And if I’m out running errands or at my studio when hunger strikes, I’m all too capable of looking for a convenient fix and making poor food choices. (Low blood sugar makes us all crazy, amirite?)

But when I make a big batch of Tortilla Soup to keep in my fridge or pack in a thermos, I’m not only ready for the midday stomach grumbles, I’m able to resist temptation!

This smoky, spicy soup features juicy shredded chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes and corn, black beans, peppers, onions, and bold spices like cumin, garlic, and a dose of cayenne.

If you’re in the market for a new slow cooker, this one is my favorite, I love that it’s equipped for on-to-go and that it has a programmable menu.

Each cozy bowl of goodness is made extra vibrant when it’s topped with cilantro, queso fresco, crema, a squeeze of lime, and crunchy tortilla strips!

I often eat Tortilla Soup with a handful of tortilla chips too, which I use to scoop up the hearty contents of the soup.

The other reason I enjoy making this Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is that it’s easy! Throw all the ingredients together and the slow cooker does all the work.

It does take 8-10 hours to cook, so it’s a great meal to prepare for a rainy or snowy day morning, and you’ll be able to enjoy it that night.

The only additional step is to pull the chicken breasts out of the crock pot a half hour before serving to shred them, then add them back to the pot.

You can enjoy the batch for days… in fact, I think it tastes best after the flavors have been able to set for a day or so!

This easy Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is like a smoky, spicy bowl of comfort.

It’s a tasty, hearty, meal that will warm you to your core, even on the coldest of days. And it has less than 250 calories per serving!

How Do You Make Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Slow Cooker?

Place the chicken breast at the bottom of a slow cooker.
Whisk together the spices in a small bowl, then pour over the chicken and pat down firmly.
Add the red onion, bell pepper, and diced serrano, then dump in the tomatoes, corn, and black beans.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth and water, then whisk in the tomato paste.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 30 minutes before serving, carefully remove the chicken breasts and shred with a fork, then carefully stir it back into the soup.
Serve with tortilla strips and queso fresco, and garnish with cilantro and crema as desired.

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This recipe was originally published in June 2013 and was updated in January 2018.