Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup – Doesn’t Get Any Easier Than This

I feel like a loser.  A blog loser.  Like who am I to sit here and ask you all to read my post as I have not had the decency to read any of yours?  Rude, is all I have to say about that.  But you know when you are in that place, where you are suffering deeply in an area of your life and it consumes you?  Where you can’t drum up anything else to talk about as you are utterly drained with this uncertainty?  I think every day, I want to write!  I want to write a blog post but what do I say?  There is no anonymity here.  What I say here will travel to people I actually know.  And it’s none of anybody’s business.  I don’t want to talk about it, to dilute it and make it a topic that is allowed to be spoken freely of.  This is mine.  My sacred uncertainty.  And it’s condensed.  The way it should be.  I have a beautiful inner circle of women I share my innards with.  They are trustworthy, respectful and most importantly they are non-judgemental.

That is why I sit down here and wonder.  How does one B.S.?  I’ve never been good at it.  Either delivering it or receiving it.  I tend to look at the B.S.-er with a blank stare.  Both of us knowing that he/she is full of B.S.  I don’t know how to respond, without calling that person out.  So it makes it hard to practice it myself.  I’ve done it a few times in this blog and those are my most shameful posts.  They make me shiver with embarrassment.

Anyways…

Whew.

When I am a bit over-worked (not usually due to actual work, but because my brain does not freakin’ stop) I tend to want to make other areas in my life a tiny bit easier – to give myself a bit of a reprieve.  I deserve to give myself a little slack.  This is perfect timing as it is soup season.  Nothing easier than soup.  Here are some soups I’ve already posted and do not want to repeat but also, I want my new followers to be aware of: Moroccan Chicken Soup, Spinach-Artichoke Soup, and good ‘ol fashioned chicken and dumplings.

Here is another to add to the list.  I’ve been making this one for years.  It’s a wonderful slow-cooker recipe that you just dump into the crock pot before work and enjoy the fruits of your non-labor when you get home.

Happy no-cooking friends.  Be kind to you.

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken, de-boned and meat shredded

1-15 oz can of organic diced tomatoes

1-10 oz can mild (or if you like it hot…) red enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1-4 oz can of diced green chilies

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups water

1-14.5 oz can of chicken broth

1 teaspoon each cumin, chili powder and salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1-10 oz bag of frozen organic corn

Corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

Garnish:

• Chopped cilantro
• Diced avocado
• Lime wedges
• Crispy tortilla strips
• Cheddar cheese
• Tapatio
• Sour cream

Preparation

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilies, 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.

High Altitude Adjustment

• None

Compost

• Onion, garlic and cilantro trimmings

Recycle

• All rinsed cans and lids

Reuse

• Plastic bags vegetables and herbs came in.

Spinach-Artichoke Soup and Pita Chips

I love spinach.  I grow spinach by the pound during the growing season.  There is nothing like walking to your garden and picking some fresh, organic spinach from your land and bringing it inside, washing it thoroughly and steaming it.  Yum.  I love it so much I’d prefer it just steamed with maybe a little bit of sea salt.  Now that I am on Day 3 of a 9 day cleanse, I put a huge handful of fresh, organic spinach into my shakes.  Doesn’t change the taste, but it does make it look super green and watching the faces of my kids, husband and strangers watch me as I drink this green shake is hilarious.  Because truly, it tastes like the mango and coconut I had put into the shake, not the spinach.

We had our first snow last night that actually stuck.  A few weeks back we had flakes but nothing hung around.  So this morning it was nearly as exciting as Christmas morning.  Watching my kids look out the windows and seeing their absolute glee that there is snow.  After taking my oldest to preschool I came home, started a big fire and got to business doing some campaigning.  And then this soup dawned on me.  It is perfect for a cold day.  I will not be able to have any as I am on this cleanse, but this soup is actually so good my husband enjoys it, he is not a big soup guy.

This recipe is out of my beloved Cuisine at Home Soups Stews and Chilies magazine I received from my lovely friend several years back.  It is amazing.  This soup tastes just like the dip but with WAY fewer calories.  You can even make it meat-less by adding vegetable stock as opposed to the chicken stock and substituting the chicken with a navy bean or other bean you enjoy.  I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make this.

This soups comes together fast, and it is so tasty.  The only change I make is that I add 1/2 cup more chicken broth to deglaze with as opposed to the white wine as I tend to not cook with liquor.  I kept the wine ingredient in to give you that option.  Pair it with some crunchy Italian bread or make pita chips (recipe after soup).  I look forward to watching my family slurp up this warm, wholesome, tasty meal while I gulp down my green shake (insert sarcasm).  Happy cooking!

Ingredients

1 cup leek, sliced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 (14 ounce) can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Saute leeks and garlic in oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook until leeks are soft, about 2 min., then add chicken and artichokes.

Saute 2 min., then stir in flour and cook for 1 minute

Deglaze with wine and simmer until nearly evaporated, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pot.

Stir in broth, milk, and cream, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, add the spinach and Parmesan, and stir until spinach wilts

Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Pita Chips

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

cayenne to taste

4 rounds pita bread

olive oil

Preheat broiler to high.

Combine seasonings in a small bowl.  Lightly brush pitas on both sides with oil and sprinkle with seasoning mixture.  Transfer pitas to a baking sheet and broil until golden, 2 minutes per side.  Cut each pita into 8 wedges.

High Altitude Adjustment

• None

Compost

• leek, garlic and spinach trimmings

Recycle

• artichoke can/lid, chicken broth container, heavy cream container, parmesan container

Reuse

• Plastic bag leeks came in for another use
• rotisserie chicken carcass for a home-made stock