December is here, and that means soup. I love soup because there so many varieties to choose from, and it is really easy to find a delicious option that is hearty and extremely healthy. Plus, meal prep is a dream. Every fall and winter, I cook soup over the weekend. That way I have an easy dinner for the week ready to go. I also love to make a huge batch and freeze the other half for weeks to come. I mean, who doesn’t love a two-for-one recipe?

Now to the debate. What cooking method do you love the most for soups? I did a poll recently on my blog, and 84% of readers told me that they would rather cook their soups in the crockpot versus the stovetop or Instant Pot. I found this very intriguing! Therefore, this recipe uses the crockpot. Now, let’s dive deep into this delicious tortilla soup.

hearty crockpot tortilla soup

Cook time: 6 hours

1 lb. ground chicken thigh
1 yellow onion
1 jalapeño
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
48 oz. chicken broth
1 c chili verde sauce
15 oz. can of black beans
15 oz. can of corn (unsweetened)
28 oz. can of fire-roasted tomatoes
4 oz. cream cheese or 4 oz. sour cream
(optional to thicken)
¼ c fresh chopped cilantro

Directions

  1. Chop yellow onion into bite-sized pieces. Deseed jalapeño and chop it into small pieces as well. Put 2 tbsp of olive oil into a frying pan and heat on medium heat. Add in half of the diced yellow onion and jalapeño. Let sauté for 1 minute. Then add in 3 cloves of minced garlic. Let sauté for 2 more minutes.
  2. Add the ground chicken thigh into the frying pan. Cook it for about 4 minutes on medium heat. While it is cooking, add in 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Mix the seasonings thoroughly into the meat and onion mixture. Then pour it all into your crockpot.
  3. Add in the remaining 3 cloves of garlic and the other half of your diced onion and jalapeño. Pour your chili verde sauce, black beans (drained and rinsed), corn (drained) and fire-roasted tomatoes into the crockpot and give it a stir.
  4. Sprinkle over the mixture 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 1 ½ tsp cumin and 1 tsp chili powder. Stir to incorporate the seasonings. Pour the chicken broth on top and stir again. Turn the crockpot on high and cook for 4 hours. At 4 hours, break apart the cream cheese or sour cream and stir it in. Then cook for another 2 hours on high, stirring occasionally. Once you are ready to serve, stir in the chopped cilantro and let the soup simmer in the crockpot with the lid off for 5 minutes.

crispy tortilla strips

2 ready-to-cook tortillas
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp paprika

Directions

  1. Cut the uncooked tortillas into ½ inch strips with kitchen shears. Then cut those strips in half to create two mini strips. Pour olive oil into a frying pan on medium heat. Cook batches of the strips, sprinkling chili powder and paprika over the top, until they are brown and crispy on both sides (about 5–7 minutes).
  2. Transfer to a plate with a paper towel underneath to soak up any oil and let sit until ready to serve on top of soup!

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