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Cozy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup: Easy One-Pot Meal

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This Cozy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is a deeply flavorful, hands-off meal made with charred vegetables, fire-roasted tomatoes, and tender shredded chicken. It’s the perfect comfort food for busy days, and it gets even better the next day.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Tortilla chips or strips (for serving)
  • Shredded Mexican blend cheese or sharp cheddar (for serving)
  • Diced avocado (for serving)
  • Sour cream or Greek yogurt (for serving)
  • Lime wedges (for serving)

Instructions

  1. Char the onion and garlic: Place a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and let it shimmer. Place the quartered onion and whole garlic cloves in the skillet. Let them sit undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned and blackened in spots. Flip them with tongs and char the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
  2. Transfer charred vegetables to the slow cooker: Scrape the onion and garlic into the bottom of the slow cooker.
  3. Add the chicken: Nestle the chicken breasts or thighs into the slow cooker on top of the charred vegetables.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients (except lime juice and cilantro): Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes (with their juices), diced green chiles, chicken broth, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to combine.
  5. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and easily pulls apart with a fork.
  6. Shred the chicken: Carefully remove the chicken pieces from the slow cooker and place them on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the broth.
  7. Finish with lime juice and cilantro: Stir in the fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste the broth and adjust salt if needed.
  8. Serve immediately: Ladle the soup into bowls and let everyone customize their toppings with tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Notes

Don’t skip the charring step—it gives the soup its deep, smoky flavor. Resist the urge to peek under the lid during cooking. Shred the chicken while it’s warm for best results. Add toppings right before serving to keep them crunchy and fresh. The soup freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker chicken tortilla soup, easy one-pot meal, chicken tortilla soup, slow cooker soup, comfort food, Mexican soup

Find it online: https://gleamgulp.com/cozy-slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup-easy-one-pot-meal/