' Fire Roasted Tomato Chicken Tortilla Soup'

This is a recipe out of a Pillsbury Slow Cooker book.Prep time: 20 Min
Start to finish: 7 hours & 20 minutes
Servings: 7( 1 1/4 cups each)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 carton(32 oz) Progresso Chicken Broth
2 cups Green Giant Niblets frozen whole kernal corn
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) Progresso black beans, drained, rinsed
1 sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
9 corn tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper(cayenne)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
lime wedges, if desired
chopped avocado, if desired

1. In 3-4 quart slow cooker, combine chicken, chicken broth, corn, tomatoes, black beans, bell pepper, onion, 6 of the tortillas, chili powder, cumin, salt, and red pepper. Cover; cook on low heat setting 5-7 hours or on high setting 3-4 hours or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut(165 F).

2. Remove chicken; shred with 2 forks. Return to slow cooker. Stir in cilantro.

3. Heat oil in 9-inch skillet. Cook strips from remaining 3 tortillas in oil over medium heat about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp and light golden brown. Top individual servings of soup with tortilla strips, lime wedges, and/or avocado.

A few notes:
Fire roasted tomatoes add a subtle smoky flavor to the chili. Regular diced tomatoes can be substituted if you have those on hand instead.
To easily chop cilantro leaves, place the leaves in a small glass measuring cup and snip them into smaller pieces using kitchen scissors.

My notes:
I use rotel with chilies(gives it great taste!!) & I add refried beans to this. When it's ready to serve I add fritos instead of tortilla strips, sour cream, & cheese to the top of soup! I love this! Enjoy!