Chicken Tortilla Soup V

I thought this recipe was a good starting point, but found it a little vague. Here is what I did - I boiled the chicken in a little water with a garlic clove and salt until done. I let the chicken cool until I could handle it and I shredded the chicken by hand (PERFECT in this soup). In the soup pot, I sauted the onion until tender, added the chicken and spices and then added the rest. A REALLY good salsa to use that won't make it too tomato-y is a small can of "Embassa" salsa. This can be found in the international isle of your grocery store. It has a more fresh tomato taste than your normal jar of salsa and it's probably a quarter of the price - $1! I boiled the soup for about 15 minutes and I think the thing that really finished this soup and made it more of a meal - I cooked some minute rice on the side and let people add as much or as little to their soup as they liked. I also added about a 1/2 can of drained and rinsed black beans. This gave the soup a little more substance. Also - I used a LOT more chicken broth than the recipe suggested - a 48oz can of low sodium chicken broth, as well as 3/4 of a box (the resealable). I don't know if the broth would have been enough if I had followed the recipe.

This was delicious and could not have been any easier to make. My husband threw all the ingredients into the crockpot and let it cook for about 7hrs. Right before we ate it, he just took the chicken breasts out, shredded them up, and put them back in. Great flavor for such easy preparation. My recommendation is to use good chicken broth like Pacific or Imagine brand, and pepper jack cheese on top. This is a great way to use up stale tortilla chips.

Our whole family (and many friends) LOVE this recipe! I have made it many times with leftover cooked chicken or a deli roasted chicken...super easy. I use a medium spicy corn and black bean salsa, and add diced bell or poblano peppers to the saute. We then add a can of black beans and some cilantro to a double recipe. Instead of purchased chips, I use regular corn tortillas, cut them in half, then cut into narrow strips. Spray with a little cooking spray, add salt to taste and bake in the oven until crisp. They look and taste great on top of the soup.