Home » Soups » Crock-pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Published: January 11, 2014Updated: February 24, 2024Author: Jenn Laughlin
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My friends and family can’t get enough of this crock-pot chicken tortilla soup. This slow cooker soup is healthy, freezer-friendly, and full of flavor!
As promised, here is the recipe that launched a thousand requests: my crockpot chicken tortilla soup!
Every time I make it my friendsrave that it’s the best they’ve ever had and promptly demand the recipe. Naturally I had to finally post itforthem, and share the deliciousness with you too!
tortilla soup for everyone!
Though this is a slow cooker recipe, can absolutely belt this one out on your stove top if you’re hungry and in a hurry!
I, however, am a serial slow cooker-er (pretend that works) and crazy for my crock-pot!
Here are a few awesome options if you’re still in the market for one. Plus once you own one you can make myCrock-Pot Loaded Baked Potato SoupandSlow Cooker Black Beansand before you know it you’ll be just as obsessed with them as I am!
Crock-pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
This tasty crockpot chicken tortilla soup recipe yields one 6 quart slow cooker full of deliciousness! Scarf some now, stock your freezer for later, or feel free to halve the recipe for a smaller amount of soup.
Crock-pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
My friends and family can’t get enough of this crock-pot chicken tortilla soup. It’s the best! This slow cooker soup is healthy, easy, freezer-friendly and full of veggies.
Recipe yields 6-8 servings.
5 from 44 votes
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Course: Main Dish, Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Crock-pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours hours
Total Time: 6 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Jenn Laughlin – Peas and Crayons
Ingredients
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/4-1/2 cup tomatillo salsa verde
- 3 TBSP tomato paste
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 3 cups black beans (cooked or canned)
- 1-2 cups pinto beans (cooked or canned)
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 small corn tortillas (torn into small pieces)
- 2 small onions (2 cups chopped)
- 2 jalapeños (seeds and stem removed)
- 1 large bell pepper
- ½ lime, juiced
- 2-4 TBSP fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- salt, to taste (amount added will vary on sodium content of broth + tomatoes/beans)
TASTY TOPPINGS:
- greek yogurt or sour cream (I add lime zest to mine for extra oomph!)
- shredded mexican cheese blend
- tortilla chips
- chopped red onion
- chopped green onion
- fresh cilantro
- sliced jalapeños
- pico de gallo
- guacamole or sliced avocado
Instructions
Essentially you’re going to toss everything in and walk away, but because I like to explain the methods to my madness I’ll go into a bit more detail for ya:
Turn your slow cooker to high and add broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomatillo salsa, beans and chicken breasts, whole.
Next dice your bell pepper, jalapeno, and onion and tear your corn tortilla into small pieces before tossing them into the pot as well. The corn tortillas help the soup to thicken a bit and also act as noodles!
Add your seasonings, fresh cilantro, olive oil, and lime juice + cover.
Within a few hours the chicken breasts should be juicy and perfectly cooked, if you happen to be around, feel free to scoop them out with tongs or a fork, place them on a cutting board, and chop each breast into six large pieces. Now it’ll shred oh-so-easily! Use two forks to create pulled/shredded chicken and add it back to your slow cooker. If you aren’t home yet you can complete this step once you return. No worries!
The soup will simmer away on high for four-six hours [total time] and make your kitchen smell absolutely divine.
Steal a taste towards the end and add any extra spices or add-ins that float your boat. I typically add a little extra chili and garlic powder and a little fiery cayenne depending on my mood. You may want to add salt or might find that there was enough in your beans/tomatoes/broth to start and leave it as is! Since I add crushed tortilla chips to my final product I only add a pinch of salt to the entire pot. The chips add it in at the end and create the perfect ratio for me! As noted above you can add more broth or keep the soup nice and chunky. I love mine super-hearty so I can attack it with the tortilla chips and a small mountain of grated cheese and scoop up the soup nacho-style. Hot soup, melty cheese, and crunchy tortilla chips… I’m swooning again just thinking about it. Clearly it’s time to make another pot!
Notes
If using canned beans,simply drain and rinse and you’re ready to go!
For a brothier soup,keep a bit of extra vegetable or chicken broth on hand to add towards the end.
Nutrition facts below are an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Values calculated before toppings, feel free to top this soup with all your favorite extras!
Nutrition
Calories: 361kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 1209mg, Potassium: 1017mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 1660IU, Vitamin C: 41.9mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 4.1mg
Did you make this recipe?I want to see! Tag @peasandcrayons on Instagram and Facebook!
If you get a chance to try this crock-pot chicken tortilla soup, let me know!Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your tasty creation!
special diets and swaps
Vegetarian? Skip the chicken and load up on lots of extra beans and veggies for a tasty vegetarian version of this soup. Just be sure to amp up the seasonings so you don’t sacrifice flavor. Easy peasy!
Corn makes a great add-in as well if you’re a fan.
Check out my lentil tortilla soupfor an option that is gloriously vegetarian and can be made in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stove top. It can also be made vegan too!
tortilla soup tips and tricks
Depending on the chaos-factor of your lifestyle, you can prep the chopped ingredients and measure everything out ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to fire up the slow cooker, or simply whip the entire thing up on the fly.
I cook a huge batch of beans in the slow cooker early on in the weekso I can make this crock-pot chicken tortilla soup along with a few other favorites. It’s a lifesaver!
The great thing about slow cooker soups, especially this chicken tortilla soup, is how flexible it is!
I use the recipe to empty out my crisper drawer on a regular basis and love how it can rescue veggies that are about to wind up a forgotten mess in the back of my fridge.
The crock-pot chicken tortilla soup recipe above is the all-time favorite combination of ingredients and the one my friends and family go ape over!
no crock pot? no problem!
To make this crock-pot chicken tortilla soup on the stove top, you’ll want to boil the chicken breasts in the broth. Chop and shred once tender, then return to the pot to add the remainder of your ingredients. You’ll want to simmer it for a while to cook the onions and peppers to tender perfection or you can choose to sauté them on the side and then add them to your pot of yum.
Top with your choice of toppings and dig in! This soup tastes great right away and even better the following day.
leftovers for the win!
It’s crazy how much I look forward to the leftovers!
You can keep the soup in an airtight container in your fridge for up to four days or stash it away in the freezer for a later date.
you’ve got to try this chicken tortilla soup!
It’s so flipping good that I think a need a bigger crock-pot!
Though it makes a metric ton, there never seems to be enough leftover to freeze because it’s alwaysdevoured within two days of making it.
I may have even had a bowl for breakfast tomorrow morning.
Eggs are so last week.
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About The Author:
Jenn Laughlin
Hi! I’m Jenn and I’m here to help you eat your veggies! It'll be fun, painless, and pretty darn delicious as I teach you to plan your meals around fresh, seasonal produce with a little help from healthy freezer and pantry staples.
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