Tortilla Soup

Tacos in soup form. I like tacos any way I can get them. In a shell, tortilla, nacho form. Soup form is great, because you can still add all the toppings you love, but it's typically healthier! So here is my favorite version! 


For the taco seasoning (if making your own):

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and reserve until needed.
For the soup:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 lbs. combined)
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 16-ounce jar salsa
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 fresh jalapenos, stems/seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 2-3 ears fresh corn, removed from the cob (or 1 bag of frozen) Honestly you can omit this if you are on the 21 day fix and saving your yellows! 
• 5 corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips (recipe to follow), yogurt/sour cream, lime wedges

1. Measure 1 tablespoon of your taco seasoning and set aside. Combine the remaining seasoning with the can of diced tomatoes, and pour into the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the 3 chicken breasts in a single layer over the tomato mixture, and top with the whole jar of salsa. Cover, turn on low, and cook for 8-11 hours (I did the full 11, because of my work schedule).
2. In the meantime, prepare your tortilla strips. Turn your oven on to broil. Cut the tortillas in half and then into slices. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and broil for 2-minutes (make sure you keep an eye on these, they will burn quickly! Remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use.
3. With the slow cooker still on low after 8-11 hours of cooking, shred the chicken using two forks until all of the large pieces are gone. This step should be very easy as the chicken should be nice and tender. Add the onion, jalapenos, black beans, chicken broth, and water; stir to combine. If you are pressed for time, saute the onion and jalapenos for a few minutes beforehand. Add the zucchini and corn and continue to cook on low for another hour.
4. Serve with suggested toppings above. Makes enough for 6-8 people.1 red, 1/4 purple, 1 1/2 yellow, 1/2 green. If you use homemade salsa, you can count it as a green instead of a purple! And don't forget to add a blue if you add avocado and cheese to the top! I measure this with my green container and eat 1 1/2 greens worth! 

Okay so my cranberry sauce turned out pretty good! And it couldn't have been easier! I put one bag of cranberries in the crock pot. Put about 3/4 of a cup of OJ, the fresh kind not from concentrate. A generous drizzle of honey and about 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. I tried to do without the sugar but it was too tart! I left it on high for about 5 hours and then mashed up the cranberries a bit with a fork. Done! Even tho there is still sugar in there it's way healthier than the canned stuff where the 2nd and 3rd ingredient is corn syrup. And that was for the entire batch, and I only used about 2 tablespoons on my sandwich! I put it on my turkey burger with some melted Brie and it was amazing!