Does your slow cooker need a little attention? I was inspired to dust mine off after teaching a cooking class with the UNLV Nutrition Center this week. We showed families how to use a slow cooker to make brown rice, healthy fruit compote, and a variation of this delicious soup!

It started out as a chicken tortilla soup, but the idea of an enchilada soup had me drooling. I tweaked a few things to make this soup a healthy comfort food. To make this soup cheesy yet lower calorie, put the gooey stuff where it counts- on top! By broiling the cheese on top of the soup rather than in the broth, you get all the flavor hitting your palate right away without getting diluted. The golden cheese topping makes this dish reminiscent of french onion soup. The classic latin American flavors shine through, so I hope you’ll curl up with a bowl of it on a night that you’re craving Mexican food!

Ingredients:
(serves 7)

1 lb cooked shredded chicken

15 oz can of crushed tomatoes

10 oz green enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz frozen corn

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

7 oz shredded cheese (Cheddar or Mexican blend)

7 corn tortillas

Canola oil spray

chopped cilantro, lime, avocado, and/or sour cream for garnish

Directions: 

1. Combine chicken, vegetables, chicken stock, water, and spices in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
2. Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 400 degrees. Cut corn tortillas into slices or strips, spritz evenly with canola oil spray, and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and crispy.
3. When ready to serve the soup, ladle into ceramic bowls and top each portion with one with 1 oz of shredded cheese.
4. Broil the soup until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Top with tortilla crisps and serve with cilantro, lime, sliced avocado, and/or sour cream.

**I forgot to put the tortilla strips on my soup for photographs.. dang it! I’ll get it right next time.

Here’s what the soup looks like “naked” (without the cheese topping):

And here it is all dressed up in its glorious cheese crust… mmmmmm….