Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is my favorite soup.  I do not limit it to the cold months it is just too good to deprive myself of it throughout the year.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can (4 oz.) chopped mild green chilies, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cans (15 oz. each) diced tomatoes, including juice

½ to 1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp. cumin

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Juice of 1 lime

corn/flour tortillas, sliced into ¼ inch strips

½ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 avocado, seeded, peeled, diced and tossed with lime juice to prevent browning

  

Place Chicken in crock-pot slow cooker.

Combine chilies, garlic, onion, tomatoes, ½ c. chicken broth and cumin in a small bowl.  Pour mixture over chicken.

Cook on HIGH for 3 hours.  When chicken is tender, use the tines of 2 forks to shred the meat.  Adjust seasonings adding additional broth if necessary.

Just before serving, add tortillas and cilantro to Crock-Pot slow cooker.  Stir to blend.

Serve in soup bowls, topping each serving with cheese, avocado, and a squeeze of lime juice.

*Recipe Notes
We use my homemade flour tortillas and have them on the side keeping them big.  Some like to tear them up and put them in the soup others like to tear pieces off and fill the soup mixture in the tortilla and eat.  The leftovers make for a different meal- we drain the juice and use it as burritos the next night.