Chicken Tortilla Soup

I meant to start the slow-cooker early in the day, but it just didn’t happen.   So when it got to be close to dinner-time last night and I realized my mistake – I decided to wing it…

I used the same recipe and cooked it on the stove top in about 30 minutes.   Sure the flavors might not have been married like they would have been if I’d let it sit all day, but still – this was great.   And, I’m really looking forward to tonight’s leftovers!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 7 corn tortillas
• vegetable oil

The original instructions:

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

The quick instructions:

I started by sauteing the onions.   When the onions are transparent, add the garlic and spices.   Stir until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.   Next, start adding the canned stuff, water, broth, corn, and shredded chicken.   Stir. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, then serve!   I used tortilla chips instead of making my own strips – because, let’s face it, I’m all about easy.