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"A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect." Fernand Point

Healthier Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

A hearty chicken tortilla soup with tomatoes, enchilada sauce, corn and warm Mexican spices. Crispy corn tortilla strips make the perfect finishing touch.



Servings: About 6–8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 6–8 hours on Low or 3–4 hours on High

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
  • 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 banana peppers, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 (14.25-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Crispy Tortilla Strips

  • 7 corn tortillas
  • Vegetable cooking spray

Instructions:

  1. Place the chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, banana peppers and garlic in the slow cooker.
  2. Add the water and chicken broth.
  3. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and black pepper. Add the bay leaf.
  4. Stir in the frozen corn and cilantro.
  5. Cover and cook on Low for 6–8 hours or High for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
  6. Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving.

Baked Tortilla Strips

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Lightly coat both sides of the corn tortillas with cooking spray.
  3. Cut the tortillas into thin strips and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned.
  5. Ladle the soup into bowls and generously sprinkle the crispy tortilla strips over the top.

Greg’s Fried Tortilla Strips

Instead of baking the tortilla strips, heat oil to 350°F and fry the strips until crisp and lightly golden. Drain on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with salt.

Tip: I would keep your fried-tortilla variation in the permanent recipe. Freshly fried and salted tortilla strips will give this soup much better texture and flavor than the cooking-spray version.

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