Chicken Tortilla Soup

This chicken tortilla soup is one of my personal favorites to batch-cook for freezer meals. By dumping all the ingredients into each Ziplock bag, I can easily whip up several batches of this in little to no more time than it takes to prepare it one. Plus, since it works well in the Crockpot, this is one of the most effortless meals I make.

To round out the meal and make the soup stretch even further, we will add filling, fat-rich toppings like siggi’s plain yogurt, diced avocado, Food Should Taste Good multi-grain chips, and freshly shredded cheese. When the soup starts to run out for leftovers or as lunches, we will add on a side of black bean and cheese quesadillas plus bell pepper crudites with guac!

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus time to prepare shredded chicken)

Cook Time: 4-6 hours on high or 8 hours on low in the Crockpot

Makes: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb chicken breast, raw

  • 2 cups chicken stock, preferably low-sodium

  • 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained & rinsed

  • 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

  • 1 can Rotel (10 oz)

  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed

  • 1 medium bell pepper, diced

  • ½ medium onion, diced

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • ½ teaspoons cumin

  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt*

  • 1 teaspoon pepper

  • 6 cups chicken stock, preferably low-sodium

* NOTE: Adjust salt to taste based on if canned goods and/or stock are no-salt added or reduced sodium

Instructions:

  1. Add 1 pound of chicken with 2 cups chicken stock to crockpot for each batch being made. Heat on low for 4-6 hours, or until chicken is easy to shred. Drain juices, and let cool. Once cool, shred chicken using a hand-mixer or KitchenAid.
  2. Add shredded chicken and remaining ingredients to Crockpot. Cook for 4-6 hours on high or 8 hours on low. 
  3. Serve warm, adding freshly shredded cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), sliced avocados, and corn tortilla chips to taste. Enjoy!

Tips for this Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe:

Meal Prep: Consider preparing your shredded chicken in advance. Make it as part of your weekly meal prep, or make it overnight so you can get it into the Crockpot in the morning with all of the other ingredients.

This recipe is very forgiving: Feel free to adjust cooking times in the Crockpot, or to cook on the stove top if you need to expedite how quickly it gets cooked. Consider cooking for 30 minutes on a low simmer, then taste to see if the flavors have combined. Continue to cook until desired flavors and doneness is achieved.

To Batch-Cook This Recipe for Freezer Meals:

  1. Decide how many batches you will make. Verify you have enough of each ingredient for that number of batches (i.e. 1 pound chicken breast per batch).
  2. Label one gallon-sized Ziplock for each batch with name, date, and cooking instructions. Open bag with zipper folded out so it will stand upright on its own.
  3. Prepare shredded chicken as directed above. Let cool, then transfer an estimated 1-pound portion into each Ziplock. Follow with adding the remaining ingredients to each Ziplock (1 can of corn per Ziplock). Do this in an assembly line, adding  each of the listed ingredient amounts to each bag you are making. Then, move on down the list until all ingredients have been added to each bag.
  4. Remove as much air as possible from bag and seal. Freeze Ziplock(s) lying flat for up to three months.
  5. To thaw, remove from freezer at least 24 hours prior to serving. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator, then transfer to cooking pot or Crockpot.
Ashley SmithComment