Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

5 from 8 votes

Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup is loaded with veggies, quinoa, beans, and tender chicken. Add your favorite toppings and get ready to fall in love with every cozy bite!

Prep Time30

Cooking Time3

Total Time3 30

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Healthy

Keyword: Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $8.92

Equipment

Crock-Pot 6-quart

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely diced yellow onion
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons finely minced jalapeño optional, if you like heat
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder see note 1
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies like Ro*Tel, see note 3
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, see note 2
1/2 cup quinoa white or tri-colored, thoroughly rinsed
1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
1 (10-ounce) can mild red enchilada sauce see note 4
1-1/2 cups frozen corn or 1 can drained
1 (32-ounce) carton chicken stock or broth, 4 cups, see note 5
3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro optional finishing touch
1 lime optional finishing touch
Toppings as desired see note 6

US - Metric

Instructions

Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Trim the chicken of fat and cut each piece into 2-inch chunks. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.
If you have the option to sauté in your slow cooker base, use that; otherwise, use a pot. Add olive oil and heat to medium-high. Add onion and sauté until turning golden, about 5–7 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and the seasonings: chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, but add to preference). Sauté for 1–2 minutes or until very fragrant. Pour the entire can (don’t drain) diced tomatoes and mix, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Use a spatula to scrape every bit of this mixture into the base of the slow cooker.
Add the remaining ingredients (except for the finishing touches and toppings) into the slow cooker. Stir well, submerge chicken below the liquid, and cook on high for 2-1/2 up to 3-1/2 hours or until chicken easily shreds (see note 7). Remove chicken and transfer to a bowl. Shred the chicken with two forks and return to the slow cooker.
Add cilantro and 2 tablespoons lime juice, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt/pepper if desired. Serve into bowls. Add desired toppings and enjoy immediately!

Notes

Note 1: Chili Powder is not to be confused with chilli powder, which is very hot. (I use McCormick, which is much milder.)

Note 2: While chicken breasts work, I highly recommend chicken thighs. Thigh meat becomes exceptionally tender in the slow cooker and shreds quickly and easily. It’s also more forgiving if it is cooked longer, since chicken breasts tend to dry out if they’re cooked too long.

Note 3: If you’re concerned about heat, use regular diced tomatoes or regular fire-roasted tomatoes instead of tomatoes with green chiles added.

Note 4: Enchilada sauce varies greatly in heat from brand to brand. I love and recommend Old El Paso® mild red enchilada sauce (not sponsored). If you aren’t able to find this brand, I’d recommend tasting the enchilada sauce first and making sure it isn’t too spicy.

Note 5: A high-quality, flavorful stock adds loads of flavor and allows us to cut down on spices or other additions. I highly recommend Swanson® chicken stock—it’s my favorite in this soup.

Note 6: Optional toppings: freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, diced ripe avocado, extra squeeze of lime, fried or baked tortilla strips or chips, sour cream, additional cilantro, etc. While this soup is tasty right out of the slow cooker, the toppings truly seal the deal!

Note 7: Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t cook well on low. The quinoa needs higher heat to “pop” and cook through. Each slow cooker is a little different, so the cooking time varies. Look for chicken that shreds easily, quinoa that is fully cooked through, and tender veggies. The longer this soup cooks, the more liquid the quinoa absorbs. For a heartier soup, that’s great, but if you want it to remain more broth-y, stop cooking as soon as the quinoa has “popped.”

Storage: This soup will continue to thicken as the quinoa expands. I think it tastes great, but it does get thicker as it stands. This soup is best eaten within 2–3 days. Reheat over low on the stovetop and add a splash of chicken stock as needed. It does not freeze well; the soup continues to absorb liquid and quinoa gets overly bloated.

Nutrition