Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Smoky, brothy, loaded with toppings — the ultimate set-and-forget soup.
Method · 8 steps
- 1
Place chicken breasts in a 6-quart slow cooker in a single layer.
- 2
Add onion, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, corn, green chiles, chipotles, adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, and salt.
- 3
Pour chicken broth over the top. Do not stir hard — you want the chicken at the bottom submerged.
- 4
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours. Chicken is done when it shreds easily with a fork.
- 5
Remove chicken to a cutting board. Shred with two forks, then return to the slow cooker.
- 6
Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust salt.
- 7
While the soup finishes, make tortilla strips: toss strips with oil and 1/4 tsp salt. Spread on a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes until golden and crispy, flipping once.
- 8
Ladle soup into bowls. Top generously with tortilla strips, diced avocado, shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, sliced jalapeno, and extra cilantro.
Chef's notes
- →Freeze the extra chipotles in adobo in 1-tbsp scoops on parchment, then bag them. A single can lasts 6 months.
- →Bake the tortilla strips — frying them is faster, but baking holds crunch in leftovers.
- →Add the lime juice at the end. Lime juice boiled for 6 hours turns bitter.
Storage
Fridge 4 days (store strips separately — they lose crunch in broth). Freezer 3 months.
