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Chicken Tortilla Soup is a healthy option for lunch or dinner that doesn’t skimp on flavor! Make it in the slow cooker, pressure cooker or on the stove top.
It’s January, which means we’re all looking for a way to lighten things up a bit after indulging over the holidays. Fortunately, this Chicken Tortilla Soup is packed with flavor while still being a healthy option for dinner or lunch!
This recipe uses a combination of fresh, canned and frozen ingredients. To keep the sodium down, use low sodium beans and broth.
Start by spraying the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and then placing the chicken breasts in the bottom of the pot. Add all the other ingredients to the pot and then stir to mix in the seasoning. Then follow the cooking directions for either slow cooking or pressure cooking.
When the cooking time is up, remove the chicken breast and shred. Then add it back into the soup to soak up more of that delicious flavor.
For an extra bit of crunch and flavor, make your own tortilla strips! If you’re trying to cut carbs, you can obviously leave these out, but they really do add a nice bit of texture and flavor without being too heavy.
Use a pizza cutter to slice corn tortillas into strips.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and lay out the strips on the pan. Don’t overlap them-they need space to cook and crisp evenly. Spray the strips, squeeze lime juice over them, and then sprinkle with lime zest and cilantro.
Bake for 5-10 minutes until golden and crispy and then add to your soup!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 10 oz can black beans low sodium (optional)
- 1 10 oz can red enchilada sauce
- 1 14 oz can green chiles
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 12 oz bag of frozen sweet corn
- 32 oz chicken broth low sodium (optional)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 lime
For tortilla strips:
- 4 corn tortillas
- 1/2 lime zest and juice
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- Salt optional
- Garnishes lime, avocado, cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, cilantro
Instructions
Directions for the soup:
- Spray the bottom of the slow cooker, place the chicken breasts in the bottom.
- Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker and stir it until the spices are more evenly distributed.
- Set your slow cooker to cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return chicken to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to warm and allow the meat to rest in the soup for 30 minutes. Squeeze half of the lime into the soup and stir before serving.
- Serve with tortilla strips piled on top with your choice of additional garnishes.
For Crockpot Express (pressure cooking)
- Add the chicken and all ingredients to the pot. Stir to evenly distribute the seasonings. Close and lock the lid, turning the steam release valve to closed. Press Soup and set to 30 minutes (high pressure.)
- When the cooking cycle is over allow a natural pressure release for at least 15 minutes. Carefully open the steam release valve in short burst to allow any remaining steam to release without sputtering and making a mess.
- Open the lid and remove the chicken breast. Shred chicken and then return to the pot. Leave on Keep Warm for 10 minutes. Squeeze half of the lime into the soup and stir before serving with tortilla strips and garnishes.
Directions for the Cilantro Lime Tortilla Strips:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Use a pizza cutter to slice the corn tortillas into little strips.
- Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the tortilla strips out evenly.
- Spray with cooking spray again. Squeeze the juice from half a lime over the strips and sprinkle the lime zest and cilantro over the strips. If desired, add a sprinkle of salt.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes or just until golden brown.
Notes
- This is a slow cooker meal but you can easily make this on the stove top as well. To make on the stove follow the same directions, but simmer the soup for about 30 minutes or until the onion is cooked through and the chicken evenly shreds with a fork.
- This recipe is very forgiving to many changes. Feel free to change the type of beans, or adjust the spices to your liking.
- To make this soup extra spicy, add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Nutrition
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