Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Trim off all visible fat)
1 (15 oz.) can Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes (or any crushed or petite diced canned tomatoes without added sugar)
1 (10 oz.) can Old El Paso Mild Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
1/2 to 1 whole medium onion, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can Kroger Green Chili Pepper, chopped
2 to 4 cloves of minced garlic, to taste (I use Spice World minced garlic in olive oi)
29 oz. of Kitchen Basics Chicken Cooking Stock or 2 (14.5 oz) cans of chicken broth or stock
1 to 2 tsp. ground cumin, to taste
1.5 tsp. ground chili powder
1 to 3 tsp. garlic powder, to taste
1 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper
1 can Bush's Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Bay leaf
Golden Flake Maizetos Tortilla Chips
Optional: Chopped cilantro (1 tsp to 1 tbls, to taste), finely chopped green onions, grated cheese, low fat or fat free sour cream

If you prefer spicy foods, use more of the spicy seasonings. My husband doesn't like things too spicy.

Use slow cooker liners to practically eliminate clean up for the slow cooker. (Look for them with the aluminum foils.) Without them, I just don't use my slow cooker because it's so difficult to clean.

Place trimmed chicken breasts, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chopped onion, green chili peppers, and minced garlic into slow cooker. Pour in the chicken stock and add the seasonings. Stir in the black beans (rinsed well and drained) last.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for about 4 hours. About 30 to 45 minutes before serving, use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken pieces. Use 2 forks to shred them. Return to the slow cooker and stir back into the liquid.

To Serve: Ladle soup into a soup bowl and top with grated cheese, chopped green onions, and/or a dollop of sour cream and Golden Flake Maizetos Tortilla Chips.

Serving Size: 8 servings

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SSSCOLLINS.