Slow-Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

This recipe is from the new “The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor” by Gina Homolka, the popular blogger, mother of two, and home cook behind the Skinnytaste website. 

Photo credit: Penny De Los Santos

Slow-Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
by Gina Homolka
Serves 6

Call me lazy, but I love a meal that can pretty much cook itself. I also love turning classics meals into a hearty bowl of soup, and the slow cooker allows me to do both. For this dish, I took my standard chicken enchilada recipe and threw the ingredients into a slow cooker. What emerged a few hours later was this delicious, chunky soup that I topped with cheese, scallions, cilantro, and avocado. If I don’t have avocado, I add a touch of light sour cream or crushed chips on top. It’s everything I love about enchiladas in one neat bowl. 

Soup
2 tsp. olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups Swanson 33 percent less sodium chicken broth*
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
1-2 tsp. chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-oz.) can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 tsp. ground cumin, plus more to taste
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Toppings
¾ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped scallions
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium (4 oz.) Hass avocado, sliced
6 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream (optional)

*Read the label to be sure this product is gluten-free

For the soup: In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes. Add to the slow-cooker along with the broth, tomato sauce, chipotle in adobo, cilantro, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin, and oregano. Add the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, and return it to the slow cooker.

For the toppings: To serve, ladle into 6 servings bowls and dividing evenly, top each with 2 Tbsp. cheddar, scallions, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream (if using).

Skinny scoop: If you’re not a fan of the smoky taste of chipotle peppers, you can replace them with other spicy chiles, such as jalapeños or serranos.

This dish is freezer friendly.

From the Yahoo Food Team: If you make this recipe at home, let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you!