Warm bellies

I love this time of year.  Once again, I'm knee deep in soups and stews.  Honestly, I could eat them every day, twice a day...so many choices and varieties...so comforting and warming.  Sarah's choice for our latest recipe swap was exactly that, and I love that it's going to add a bunch of different recipes to my ever-growing pile.

I received a recipe from Jenna at Jenna's Cooking Journey for six can chicken tortilla soup.  After reviewing the recipe, I decided to find something similar that better suited our lifestyle...something that used fresh ingredients, and also one that I could make in the crockpot (I'm looking to add a few more slow cooker recipes for the sake of convenience).  I came across one that seemed perfect, especially for Frank's bean aversion.

What a winner!  I made a few slight changes based on what I had in the house, and it really was delicious.  Frank's words as he walked in the door were "it smells f'in awesome in here".  And it tasted pretty f'in awesome, too.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
slightly adapted from Gimme Some Oven

1 pound boneless chicken breasts
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chunky salsa
1 cup homemade enchilada sauce (or one 10 ounce can)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 bay leaf

For the homemade tortilla crisps:
2 whole wheat low carb flour tortillas (or corn tortillas), cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Optional garnishes:
diced avocado
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped cilantro
sour cream

Place all soup ingredients in crockpot and stir to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.  About 30-60 minutes before soup will finish, remove chicken, shred, and return to crockpot.

To make tortilla crisps:  add oil to hot skillet, then add tortilla strips.  Cook until golden brown, stirring/flipping as needed.  Drain on paper towel and season with salt.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla crisps and other additional toppings.