Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

When it's cold outside, there's nothing better than soup to warm up from the inside.  And slow cookers are perfect for this.  I first made this soup in the fall and loved it.  My Heart's Desire liked it too.  This recipe makes a really big batch, so we had some for lunches and froze the rest.  I got the original recipe from the Crockin' Girls and changed it to fit my taste. It's a little spicy but you could easily make it more or less so by adjusting the chili powder. Adding a can of green chilis would make it spicier too.  It's also easy to make without meat, just lose the chicken, triple the beans (maybe a mixture of black and kidney) and use veggie broth.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T minced garlic
1 c diced onions (I use the frozen kind)
28 oz diced tomatoes
15.5 oz black beans, drained
10 oz enchilada sauce
1.5 c frozen corn
1 Q chicken broth
1 c water
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 t lime juice

Toppings:
chopped avocado
shredded cheese
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips

Put everything into the slow cooker and mix well.  Cook for 3-4 hours on low.  Take out the chicken and shred it.  Add the shredded chicken back into the crock.  Cook for 3-4 more hours on low or 1.5-2 hours on high.

Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, avocado, and some crushed tortilla chips. It's very quickly become one of my favorites.

When I know my morning's going to busy, I put all of the ingredients except the chicken into a very large (5 Q) container the night before.  Then in the morning, all I have to do is pour it into the slow cooker, add the chicken, and go.