Easy and delicious, this crock pot chicken tortilla soup is the perfect healthy hearty soup. Just follow these simple step by step photo instructions. Top with tortilla strips and other toppings of your choice.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published January 11, 2014. Updated with expanded discussion, clarified instructions, and re-edited photos.
I have a nice stovetop version, but it wouldn’t scale down well, so I needed to look around. Nothing was quite what I wanted, so I combined a few. Add a little this, take out some of that, um done.
Mostly this recipe is opening cans. The hardest part is chopping the onion. You can do this with only 10 minutes of active time.
Last year, I did a Week of Soup where I featured 9 of my best soups/stews. Check them out soon.
My Rating
A nice solid higher 4.
Recipe Notes for Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
The Chicken
We like our chicken soup with lots of meat. Some recipes use as little as 3/4 pounds of chicken for this volume of soup. I suggest 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts which will generally be about 1 1/2 pounds. But could range from 1 to 2 pounds. You may use skinless boneless chicken thighs if you want.
You can trim and cube the chicken before cooking or toss in the whole chicken breast and shred near the end of cooking — your choice.
The Spicing
The RoTel provides a lot of the spicing here. The heat level is about 3/10. If you want more heat, RoTel comes in hotter versions, and there is an option for some cayenne pepper.
Final notes:
This is soup so put in what you want or have, and it will be good.
We prefer white corn for this soup — a touch of sweetness and more tender.
Other Crock Pot Soups
Healthy Crockpot White Bean Chili Spiced Up
Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Soup
Or Maybe this Classic Soup: Soup Nazi’s Mexican Chicken Chili
I choose skinless boneless chicken breast but thighs would be fine.
Chop one medium onion and a couple of celery stalks.
Mix veggies in a crock pot with one 10 oz can RoTel (Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies), one 14 oz can diced tomatoes, 1 cup frozen corn or 1 can corn (drained), one 14.5 oz can black beans rinsed, 2 cloves crushed garlic, two 14 oz cans lower sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder,1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional). Mix this all together in the crock pot. This will not fit in a smaller crock pot so use a 6 quart.
Trim and cut two medium skinless boneless chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Add to the pot. OR you can just toss in whole chicken breasts. If you do the whole breast then about 1 hour before the end point remove, shred then replace.
Cook for 6 hours on low.
Make your own tortilla strips
While soup is cooking, make some tortilla strips for topping. Preheat oven to 375. Thinly slice up a couple of tortillas.
Spread the tortilla strips in a baking pan, give a light spray of PAM and bake until golden brown. About 10-15 minutes. This will vary some by your tortillas, and the oven so watch it.
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Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - medium
- 1 onion - medium
- 2 stalks celery
- 10 oz RoTel - Diced tomatoes with Green Chilies
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn - or 1 can corn drained. White corn preferred.
- 14 oz black beans - rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 28 oz lower sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
Instructions
- Chop one medium onion and a couple of celery stalks.
- Mix veggies in a 6 qt crock pot with one 10 oz can RoTel (Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies), one 14 oz can diced tomatoes, 1 cup frozen corn or 1 can corn (drained), one 14.5 oz can black beans rinsed, 2 cloves crushed garlic, two 14 oz cans lower sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder,1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional). Mix this all together in the crock pot.
- Trim and cut two medium skinless boneless chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Add to the pot. OR you can just toss in whole chicken breasts. If you do the whole breast then about 1 hour before the end, remove, shred then replace.
- Cook for 6 hours on low.
To Make Your Own Tortilla Strips
- While soup is cooking, make some tortilla strips for topping. Preheat oven to 375. Thinly slice up a couple of tortillas.
- Spread the tortilla strips in a baking pan, give a light spray of PAM and bake until golden brown. About 10-15 minutes. This will vary some by your tortillas and the oven so watch it.
Recipe Notes
Expert Tips:
- You need 1-2 pounds of skinless chicken. I use breasts, but thighs will work well.
- You can cook the chicken breasts whole and shred near the end or cube at the beginning.
- Tortilla strips are not required, obviously and if you want you could use commercial ones.
- Top as you wish: Cheese, Sour Cream, Avocado, Cilantro, etc.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. Freezes very nicely for 4-6 months.
Check Out Other Great Recipes
Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Originally Published January 11, 2014
Dave
Do you add water to this?
Mine looks more like a thick stew after adding all ingredients. Thanks.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Dave,
Welcome to the blog.
This is not a really brothy soup. Remember that as it cooks, the chicken and veggies will release some fluid. So if you are nearing the end of cooking and want thinner, add more broth.
Hope that helps.
Dan