Slow Cooker

{ white-girl mexican soup }

by:
November 19, 2014
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{ white-girl mexican soup }
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

I'm having an affair. What’s that? An affair you say? It’s not nearly as titillating…my current love is my slow cooker. Steamy stuff, I know.

My slow cooker has been sitting, completely ignored and dusty in the back of the hallway closet. He burned me not quite a decade ago. I was making spaghetti and meatballs and thought this was slow-cooker perfection. What happened was a way too metallic-tasting sauce. Logically, I knew it was the temperature that did it (too high). But in the heat of the moment I blamed the slow cooker and banished him from the kitchen. A bit petulant? Yes. Can I hold a grudge? It would appear.

The Enchilada Soup in The Skinnytaste Cookbook inspired me to create this little recipe. It also inspired me to dust off the slow cooker. This tastes like an awesome mix of enchiladas and chili and tortilla soup…three of my favorite things. I call it ‘White-Girl Mexican’ because this is about as authentic to Mexico as the Huaraches I wore in college. Definitely not ‘Hecho en Mexico’. More hecho en California. It’s perfect for those of us viviente en California that are pretending it’s cold outside. —Rebecca @ DisplacedHousewife.com

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the Soup:
  • 2 teaspoons olive or veggie oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 pound boneless, skinless thigh chicken meat
  • 32 ounces chicken stock
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels or hominy...both would be great. Depends on your taste.
  • 1 teaspoon fresh poblano chili, seeded and chopped (you could add more for additional heat)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • For Serving...
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt (you could use sour cream if you'd like)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 corn tortillas, cut in half and then cut into skinny strips
  • 6 limes (or more!)
  • 1 cup cooked rice...I like a mix of 1/2 brown rice, 1/2 white rice
Directions
  1. Put your raw chicken in the slow cooker. This doesn’t need to be cook or chopped or anything. Just throw it in as is.
  2. Put the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Put the onions in and sauté for two minutes. Keep an eye on them. You just want them to soften. Throw in the garlic and sauté for another 30ish seconds. Throw on top of the chicken.
  3. Here’s where it gets complicated…basically throw everything on top of the chicken. Why I ever divorced this beautiful piece of kitchen equipment is beyond me. Set the temperature on low. Set the timer on 6-8 hours and walk away. You heard me. Walk away and pretend none of this ever happened. Go see a matinee or get a massage. You suddenly have so much time. Or, you can be like the rest of us and go to work. Sigh.
  4. Between the 6 & 8 hour mark, shred your chicken with two forks. I just did the shredding in the cooker. But if you’re worried about hurting your slow cooker, then take it out and do this step…just return it to the cooker when you’re done.
  5. Just when you’re ready to eat, warm up a large skillet with that veggie oil in it. I’m thinking medium-high heat. Have some tongs handy. Put your tortilla strips in there. Let them get all toasty and tanned up and then flip ‘em and repeat with the other side.
  6. Put the rice at the bottom of the bowl. Ladle the soup. Then go garnish crazy with the cilantro, Greek yogurt, cilantro and cheese. Don’t forget the lime. Best part. I really wanted to add the Bouchon Bakery corn muffins with this meal…but I was trying to be pious. Can you see my halo?
  7. *IF* you don’t have a slow cooker or are fundamentally opposed to them OR you too divorced your slow cooker, don’t fret. I would start out browning the chicken on a med-high-ish heat in some oil…in an oven-safe Dutch oven. Take the chicken out of the pan when they are browned and yummy, but not cooked, and set aside. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté a bit. Add the rest of the ingredients, plus the chicken, to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Erstwhile, heat your oven to a happy 250 degrees F. Put the pot in the oven and forgetaboutit. Check in about three hours. Is it ready to shred? Trust your judgment. It can hang in the oven longer. Follow the rest of the instructions. Easy peasy.
  8. One more quick note…let’s say you don’t have time or energy to prepare either way? Get a rotisserie chicken (one big bird or two smaller) and shred it up. Throw everything in a pot, bring to a boil and simmer for thirty. Done.
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