Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

~ Absolutely a family favorite! This deliciously hearty, super-easy tortilla soup is full of yummy Mexican flavors! Just toss everything in the slow cooker, and you’ll have an amazing dinner waiting! Filling and so nutritious … you’ll be making this crock-pot chicken taco soup again and again! ~

First off, we need to get one thing straight. The title of this recipe is Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup.

“Yes, Gretchen,” you say. “That’s what I read.”

“No, no,” I say. “I’m pretty sure you aren’t saying it right.”

I promised my youngest that I would tell the world how to properly pronounce this.

In our house, this is called Crock-Pot Chicken TOR-TILLLL-LLA Soup.

You’ve got to pronounce all the Ls there.

So it’s tortillllla. Not tor-tee-a. Tor-til-la.

And so, for the rest of your life (or just today if that works better for you) … you’ve gotta humor my kiddo and say tort-tilll-lla. Thank you.

Mmmmmkay. Moving on …

So, a few years ago, I had made an enormous batch of 3-Ingredient Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos. Can ya blame me?! It’s so incredibly simple! A family fave at our house, for sure! My kids beg for it!

Anyhoo, we happened to have loads of leftovers. (And I love leftovers. We actually try to cook big a few days each week so that we can have yummy leftovers to grab on those really busy evenings.)

So we had lots of taco chicken left over … and I decided I wanted to change things up a bit. I’d had chicken tortilla soup before, but hadn’t ever tried to make it myself. Since I had a little time that day … I figured, why not? I’ll try making my own.

Call it luck … call it what you want … but it was so delicious the very first time I made it! Don’t you love that?!?

I can remember standing over my stove top. (Yes, my very first version simmered for several hours on the stove. But as my kids are getting older and more involved in lots of after-school activities, I just don’t have time to stand and stir. Know what I mean?)

I remember breathing in that fantastic aroma. Tasting it repeatedly. Mmmmm …

And when I served it for dinner that night, my family (who, you’ll recall, LOVES chicken tacos) enthusiastically told me they LOVED this, too … and were hoping for leftovers!

Is that not the best compliment ever? They love it so much, they want to eat it two days in a row!

I’ve been making it for years now, and once I shared it with Shelley … we knew it was totally THKable!

So the only trick was adapting this for the slow cooker. (And, of course, rewriting it from the beginning for those who don’t always happen to have leftover 3-Ingredient Chicken Taco meat in their fridge like I do.)

Shelley and I had put this recipe on the calendar to share in the fall – it’s just so warming and toasty and really hearty – perfect for a chilly day.

Well. You know what season comes right before fall? That’s right. Summer.

And summer was when I was doing the final testing of this recipe.

Now, you may be thinking, “Ugh! Hot soup on a hot day?! How awful!”

But … you’d be wrong.

In fact, on a recent 90º day, my little one asked what was for dinner. When I told her Chicken Tor-til-la Soup, she cheered. Like, literally cheered. Jumping and squealing and carrying on. So super excited.

Honestly, I was really excited, too. It had been a crazy day, and I hadn’t been home much. So to come home to a dinner that was all set – it was truly a gift. (I mean, it wasn’t wrapped in a little blue box, but it was still like a gift!)

So if you’re looking for an awesomely-easy, supremely-delicious, fantastically-family-pleasing crock-pot chicken tortilla soup recipe, one that gives you a warm hug and is ready when you are … you’ve come to the right place!

I’m so thrilled to share this recipe with you … and I just know that your family will cheer for you when you make it, too!

And please … just remember how to pronounce it properly. TOR-TILLLL-LLA … I’m thinkin’ it’ll catch on eventually!

We’d Love to Hear From You!

We really value your feedback and love to answer your questions and hear how our recipes worked for you! Just head on down to the comment box located at the very bottom of this post. Email addresses are never published, and last names are optional. We can’t wait to hear from you!

And to make sure you don’t miss a single deliciously healthy moment … you can like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check out our awesome recipe boards on Pinterest. You can also be the first to know about our latest posts by simply entering your email in the box at the top right corner of our page!

While We’re Talking Mexican … You’ve Gotta Check Out:

Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Shared By: Two Healthy Kitchens Yield: About 15 cups
Ingredients

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1.25-ounce packet low-sodium taco seasoning (see note)
1 16-ounce jar of your favorite salsa
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 15-ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 12-ounce bag frozen corn kernels
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies (such as Ro-Tel)
½ cup uncooked quinoa
¼ cup tomato paste
1½ teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon salt
5 corn tortillas, cut into 2-inch strips
For serving: your choice of optional toppings such as shredded cheese, green onions, chopped avocados, reduced-fat sour cream, and chopped cilantro

Preparation

Place chicken in slow cooker. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and then pour salsa on top.
Add chicken broth, water, black beans, corn, tomatoes with chilies, quinoa, tomato paste, cumin, and salt.
Stir to incorporate tomato paste.
Cook on high for 5-6 hours, or on low for 7-8 hours.
Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks.
Stir shredded chicken back into soup, as well as tortilla strips.
Serve with shredded cheese, green onions, avocados, reduced-fat sour cream, cilantro, or other additional toppings, if desired.

Notes We recommend avoiding taco seasoning mixes that contain MSG. Also, there are differences in the amounts of sodium (and other ingredients) in various brands, so it’s a good idea to read the nutrition information for the brands offered at your store.