Chicken Tortilla Soup - a pinterest test

If I remember correctly, I first fell in love with chicken tortilla soup at California Pizza Kitchen.  Theirs is a soup that I have yet to imitate perfectly at home, although I've tried, nor have I tasted anything quite like it elsewhere either.  This copycat version I tried a while ago came out pretty good, but I thought I'd give one that looked appetizing on Pinterest a whirl, especially since this one utilizes a crock pot, my new go-to appliance during chilly weather.  This one is courtesy of Baked By Rachel.

Pretty basic ingredients other than the serrano pepper.

Everything in!

The final product - with monterrey jack cheese & tortilla chips sprinkled in.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1lb chicken breast, trimmed
15oz can sweet whole corn kernels, drained
15oz can diced tomatoes, drained
5C chicken stock
3/4C onion, chopped
3/4C green bell pepper, chopped
1 serrano pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp ground pepper, divided
Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
Seasoned tortilla strips

To your slow cooker add first 9 ingredients plus 1 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp ground pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  (We did low for 8.)

Prior to serving, remove chicken breasts. Transfer chicken to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for easy shredding. Alternately you may shred chicken by hand. Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Return shredded seasoned chicken to slow cooker bowl. Stir gently.  (We shredded the chicken via two forks.)

If serving immediately, divide among bowls. Top off with a generous helping of shredded cheese and seasoned tortilla strips. Soup may be stored in the fridge for up to several days.  

This soup was much thinner in consistency than CPK's, but nonetheless tasty with a good kick.  It may seem a bit "watery" straight from the crock pot, but thickens up a bit when you add the cheese and tortillas.  This recipe's a repeat!