Do you know I've NEVER made chicken tortilla soup? I'm not even sure I've ever had it! I know...what rock have I been hiding under?!?!! I'm not sure, but I'm glad I got out from under it.
I had plans to make my chicken chili but found that I didn't have everything I needed....cream cheese, Ro-tel, corn...bad planning on my part.
So I decided to go a different way and was pretty pleased with how things turned out.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used Purdue individually frozen breasts, my go-to for Crock-Pot meals)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can black beans(I didn't drain but you can if you'd like. It did make the soup a little more brown than normal)
3-4 cups chicken broth (I used hot water/dissolved bouillon cubes. Better flavor, in my opinion)
1 packet fajita seasoning (you could also use taco, or just some cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and any other spices to flavor it appropriately)
1 packet Ranch dressing (I know, I know. This isn't taco soup. But the flavors in the ranch packet really brighten up this soup. )
shredded cheddar, monterey jack, or mexican cheese blend, they'd all be super in it
cornmeal
flour tortillas, cut into strips
1. Dump your chicken into a Crock-Pot. Pour beans and tomatoes over them, then sprinkle with fajita and ranch packets, or your seasonings. Next, pour broth over it all. Cook on low 4-6 hours.
2. Shred chicken up after about 4 hours and stir soup well. Cover and let cook for another 1-2 hours.
3. The soup will be a little thin, but you can mix a little cornmeal and a warm water together to thicken it up slightly. Just mix up then pour in. That simple!
4. Check for seasonings! If it needs more garlic flavor, add it! I added in a little dried cilantro but fresh would be SO SO good in this. I'll squeeze some lime in it next time too.
5. A few minutes before serving, add in tortillas. I used flour, which I had on-hand. You can definitely use corn tortillas if you like. Personally, I'm not really a fan.
For some added crunch on top, I baked up some tortilla strips as well.
Just drizzle a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and toss around well. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. I turned mine over about halfway through. SO good on their own but amazing in the soup!
I ran out of foil, so I had to work with it. HA!
Other great toppings include your cheese, of course!!!! Everything's better with cheese! Diced onion, pico de gallo, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, etc.
This was so good and still hearty and filling without being as heavy as the chili with the cream cheese.
I hope you give it a try and enjoy it like we did!!
Happy Friday!
Looks yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
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