With the holidays behind us and the bright new year fully in front of us, why not start things off right with this Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup, that is healthy too? It’s loaded with protein packed ingredients and the best part is that you can toss them all in your slow cooker in the morning and let it work its magic all day long.
I absolutely love the holidays. I begrudgingly take down the last of my Christmas decorations on New Years Day, having savored every minute of the pine tree smell and pretty lights. One thing seems to happen without fail, every year. I don’t realize how many treats I’ve had until I almost can’t stand to look at another rich food. I take into account what I’ve eaten for most of December and ham, cakes, pies, candies and the sort – not to mention the many varieties of CHEESE (my most favorite thing) are the majority of my diet. No wonder I’m feeling a wee bit full and sluggish.
There is a time and a place for all good things. Now is the time to make a fresh start.
What better way to start the New Year off right than with this Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup. All of the ingredients are so colorful and bright during a time when things can sometimes be dreary. This beautiful soup will spice up your life as soon as the flavors start wafting into your senses. Not to mention, it is very budget friendly!
Just look at all the colors, the yellow corn, red tomatoes, black beans, green avocado and cilantro, and the orange and white shreds of cheese. I love this because the chicken, black beans and avocado make this dish filling enough to be a main course, but the broth and veggies make it feel like it’s just downright good for you, with the cheese, sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and tortilla chips giving it just a touch of that comfort food feel.
One thing not mentioned in this recipe is that if you are preparing this soup in a hurry, cook and shred the chicken ahead of time. This will save you a step when combining everything in the Slow Cooker. Can you smell the goodness through your screen?
So for anyone having the post holiday blues, cheer up! Make this spicy chicken tortilla soup, bursting with color and flavor and you will not only get the pep in your step back, you won’t feel bad coming back for seconds.
- 2 - 32 oz containers of chicken stock
- 6 – 8 chicken tenderloins, cooked and shredded
- 1 - 15 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 - 15 oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup of frozen corn
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1 cup medium salsa
- ½ Tablespoon chili powder
- ½ Tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Tortilla chips
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Combine all soup ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours.
- For the garnish, heat oven to 325.
- Spread tortilla chips on baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes. Check to make sure they are toasting but not burned.
- Let cool, then crumble and put on soup.
- Then top with lime, cheese, and sour cream if desired.