Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

I’ve been all about soups lately. Besides it just being cold outside, I have night classes three days a week and need easy things I can grab and go before 5 or 6PM. Mondays I have class from 5-8, Tuesdays from 6-8, and Wednesdays from 6-9. I hate eating late, so eating before class is definitely the best thing for me to do. But.. to do this, I need something I can make QUICK.

Crockpots work well for this quick kind of cooking I’m looking for. Though it does take all day for the meal to cook, when it’s time for me to eat, I can eat quick. I can wake up early in the morning, throw everything in the pot, turn it on, go about my day, and come home to a house smelling delicious and dinner hot and ready. It’s like having a personal cook.

Except I’m the one doing the cooking.

This chicken tortilla soup was packed with flavor. It was great the first day, but even better the second.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 cans Ro-tel
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn
1 onion, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chile powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried cilantro
96 tortilla chips
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. In a crockpot combine the chicken, Ro-tel, beans, corn, onion, chicken broth, water, and spices.  Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

2. Serve the soup with 12 chips and 1 tbsp of sour cream.

* serves 8
* 346 calories per serving
* This recipe is being shared with Souper Sunday at Kahakai Kitchen.

Peanut Butter Chili

I’ve been talking about how cold it is around here lately and I’m really not lying. I just attempted to chase my cat outside but gave up and decided he can come home when he’s ready, because unless I bundle up there’s no way I can manage the cold. I mean, I’m cold just sitting on my couch. There’s no way in hell I was going to chase him out for further than I did; he’s covered in fur. I don’t have much of that.

To keep warm on nights like tonight I have to make things that are known for their ability to warm up a cold person on a cold day. Soup works well for this. Chili does as well. I saw this recipe on Serious Eats and needed to give it a try.

The peanut butter in this chili gave it a very different flavor than what I normally associate chili flavors to taste like. I’m not complaining though. The addition of the peanut butter was definitely complimentary to the taste buds and also made the chili very creamy.

PS – while I was typing this the cat came home. I guess he got cold too.

Peanut Butter Chili

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 12-oz can tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 15-oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn

Directions

 1. In  a large pot heat the olive oil. Add onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent.

2. Add the fire roasted tomatoes and their liquid, the pepper, salt, chili powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Let simmer for 5 minutes and then add the tomato paste, vegetable broth, and peanut butter. Stir until the tomato paste and the peanut butter are well incorporated. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat and add all of the beans and the corn. Simmer for 20 minutes.

* serves 8
* 380 calories per serving
* This post is being shared with Ms. enPlace‘s See Ya in the Gumbo!