Chicken-Tortilla Soup

Serve this zesty soup with a tossed green salad for an easy weeknight supper. The creamy avocado, sweet corn and cilantro add a splash of color and fresh flavor and the tortilla chips deliver a pleasant salty crunch to the soup. Here, we’ve used frozen corn, which is almost as good as fresh, but if making this soup in the summer, by all means use fresh corn from the farmers’ market.

 

Chicken-Tortilla Soup

 

1 can (15 oz./470 g) tomato purée or crushed tomatoes

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 to 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and chopped

5 1⁄2 cups (44 fl. oz./1.4 l) chicken stock

2 lb. (1 kg) skinless, bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

3 limes

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. ground cumin

3 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 1⁄2 cups (15 oz./470 g) thawed frozen corn kernels

2 small avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and diced

2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Tortilla chips for garnish

 

In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño chiles to taste and 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) of the stock and process until smooth. Pour into a slow cooker.

 

Add the chicken thighs, the remaining 4 1⁄2 cups (36 fl. oz./1.1 l) stock, the juice of 1 lime, the vinegar, cumin, bay leaves, 3⁄4 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper. Cover and cook on the low setting for 5 hours. The chicken should be very tender.

 

Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate. Remove the meat from the bones, and discard the bones. Chop or shred the meat. Using a large spoon, skim away the fat from the braising liquid. Return the chicken meat to the slow cooker. Add the corn kernels, cover, and cook on the low setting until the corn is tender, about 15 minutes more. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

 

Cut the remaining 2 limes into wedges. Ladle the soup into warm shallow bowls, distributing all the
ingredients evenly. Garnish each bowl with some of the avocados, cilantro, and tortilla chips. Serve at once. Pass the lime wedges at the table. Serves 6.

 

 

Find more fresh and satisfying recipes for your slow cooker in our
The New Slow Cooker, by Brigit Binns.