Description
Rich, hearty pioneer woman slow cooker chicken tortilla soup delivers comfort with minimal effort. Warm spices and tender chicken create a satisfying meal you’ll crave during chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 chicken breasts
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (28 oz/794 g) whole or diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 4 oz/113 g tomato paste
- 2 tsps chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (add 2 to 3 for more heat)
- 1 lime, juiced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Sour cream (for garnish)
- Avocado (for garnish)
- Cilantro leaves (for garnish)
- Grated cheese (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preparation: Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker, creating an even cooking surface.
- Seasoning: Generously coat chicken with chili powder, ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper, ensuring comprehensive flavor distribution.
- Vegetable Layer: Spread diced onions and bell peppers (red and yellow) uniformly over the seasoned chicken, building a robust aromatic foundation.
- Liquid Components: Pour diced tomatoes, fire-roasted Rotel tomatoes, chicken broth, and tomato paste into the slow cooker, creating a rich, moisturizing base.
- Final Ingredient Integration: Add minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and rinsed black beans, gently stirring to ensure comprehensive ingredient incorporation.
- Slow Cooking Process: Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours, allowing flavors to meld and chicken to become supremely tender.
- Finishing Touches: Squeeze fresh lime juice into the mixture, then shred chicken directly in the slow cooker using two forks; adjust seasoning to taste and garnish with sour cream, avocado slices, grated cheese, and chopped cilantro before serving.
Notes
- Optimize Chicken Placement: Arrange chicken breasts in a single, flat layer to ensure even cooking and consistent flavor absorption throughout the soup.
- Boost Spice Impact: Liberally apply dry spices directly onto chicken before adding other ingredients to maximize seasoning penetration and develop a robust taste profile.
- Control Cooking Time: Choose high or low temperature settings based on your schedule, understanding that longer, slower cooking intensifies flavor complexity and ensures meat tenderness.
- Perfect Final Garnishing: Add fresh toppings like sour cream, avocado, cheese, and cilantro just before serving to maintain texture and provide vibrant, contrasting flavors and temperatures.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg