Tortilla Soup (slow cooker recipe)

Here is the recipe that was simmering in my slow cooker when the lid met its demise. Some of you asked for the recipe, so I hope you enjoy it. This recipe came from the Fix It and Forget It Cookbook. A woman named Joy Mintzer came up with it.

I make one change in this recipe. In her version, you cook and shred the chicken before putting it into the slow cooker. I find it much easier to cook the chicken in the slow cooker for a couple hours (be sure that you're home; meat cooks much faster, even on low). The chicken shreds beautifully and I simply pour the remaining ingredients into the pot. Less mess, plus the taste of the chicken juices. This soup smells so good after it's cooked all day. My husband can often smell it when he pulls the car into the garage!! I like the recipe because of its ease. Of course, now my quest is to find ways to cut calories & fat to fit in with my new diet.

Tortilla Soup (makes 6 servings)

4 Chicken breast halves (I've used more and even a rotissere chicken from the store)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp. margarine

29 oz of canned chicken broth (I use the 32 oz box of chicken broth and measure it out)

2-14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes

1 cup salsa, any level of heat (sometimes it's fun to mix 2 different kinds of salsa)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1Tbsp. or more ground cumin

8oz. Monterey Jack Cheese, cubed (shredded works too)

sour cream

tortilla chips

Cook & shred chicken. Add minced garlic to the margarine in the slow cooker. Saute. Combine all ingredients except the cheese, sour cream, & chips. Cover and cook the soup on LOW for 8-10 hours. Divide cubed cheese among 6 individual soup bowls. Ladle soup bowls over the cheese. Sprinkle with chips and top each bowl with a dollup of sour cream.

My Slow Cooker's Demise

CRASH! The slow cooker lid slipped out of my grasp (the handle broke months ago) and landed with a bang on the stove. Immediately, shards of glass scattered on the floor and kitchen counter.

Of course, this accident occurred after my chicken tortilla soup had been simmering for a couple hours, ready for a Sunday evening dinner. My husband rushed upstairs to see what was wrong and found me standing amid lots of broken glass. He kindly cleaned up the mess (thank God I had worn shoes in the kitchen!), cutting two of his fingers in the process. I inspected the soup for extra shards of glass. We decided in the end to not eat the soup. The thought of minuscule glass shards cutting our intestines just didn't sit well with us. So we ended up eating out after Mass. I meant to get a picture of the pathetic, broken lid and glass-ridden floor, but forgot.

My slow cooker is one of the most frequently used appliances in the house, especially during soup season. There's nothing like opening the garage and catching a whiff of fragrant soup that has cooked all day long. Time to hunt for a newer model! "The best laid plans of mice and men..."