Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe was passed to me by one of our readers who told me it is one of her families go-to week night meals for two simple reasons: it is healthy and easy to make. The Mr. is a sucker for anything with a Mexican twist so I asked her for the recipe to see if I could add it to my arsenal. I have been sitting on it for a while and finally decided to give it a try last week. Tuesdays are always crazy around here. I have physical therapy in the morning followed by preschool for B and I close out the evening volunteering with Langley Residential Support Services. Which means on days that I am co-oping at B's school I have zero time or energy to get dinner on the table before I head out of the house again. Every Tuesday I find myself in need of a time saver meal to get by. Some weeks its a packaged deal, others its leftovers and sometimes, if they are really lucky I leave something in the crock pot for my boys.
I am so glad I finally tried this soup, it is perfect for crazy days like these and the recipe can be altered to make as much or as little as you need. Meals like this make me feel accomplished for still managing to put a healthy meal on the table even if I have to dash out the door before it is served. I also love that it uses frozen chicken which means I never have to remember to defrost the night before.

2 boneless chicken breasts (frozen if you like)

2 cans of black beans, undrained

2 cans of diced tomatoes (I used one Mexican one and one fire roasted)

1 C salsa (I used my favorite pineapple salsa from Trader Joes which brings a bit of sweetness to the dish)

2 C frozen corn (I love the Trader Joes Fire Roasted Corn)

1 C chopped carrots

1 C chopped roasted red peppers

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

S&P

Additional Items: Corn tortillas, 2 per person, avocado, Greek yogurt, shredded cheese

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and spices. Combine all ingredients in Crock Pot. Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Remove chicken, shred. Return chicken to pot, put on low, stir, and cover until ready to serve.  Slice tortillas into bite sized strips and sprinkle on the bottom of each bowl before adding the soup. An alternative to the fresh tortillas is serving with a side of chips

I served mine (as recommended by Suzanne) with avocado, Greek yogurt (as sour cream), shredded cheese, on a bed of fresh sliced corn tortillas.  

This recipe made enough to serve 4 adults and 2 toddlers. I have been told that it also freezes well which means it would be a great recipe to double when making.