My sister-in-law makes a fabulous soup for cold days. When she and my husband’s brother visited us, they brought a frozen tub of it for us to have for a meal. Her recipe makes a lot, and freezes really well. Of course, I had to ask her for it, and then (you all know me) I made just a couple of tweaks to it. This is the kind of recipe that takes well to tweaking, add a bit more of this, a little less of that, and make it your own. She uses the breast of chicken while I used thighs as I think they hold up to long cooking times better. I used a bit less liquid than her recipe, and a bit more corn and beans. I like a larger ratio of meat/veg to broth.

Now, I know you all are accustomed to my recipes being scaled down for 2, or even four, but this one is just the opposite. It makes a 4-quart slow cooker full, but you can freeze it in appropriate portions for future meals. Make additions or substitutions as you like. First, gather your ingredients.

1/2 cup chopped onion
3 pounds chicken thighs (or legs)
1 15-oz can low sodium chicken broth
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 cup fresh mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 15-oz can cheddar cheese soup
1 15-oz can tomatoes with green chilis
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix, divided
8 oz shredded Colby jack cheese
Assorted garnishes such as additional cheese, green onions, sour cream, avocado, and tortilla strips.

Remove skin from thighs but leave the bones in. Spray the crock of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Scatter half the chopped onion on the bottom. Top with 2-3 chicken thighs. Repeat with more chicken and onion until all are in the pot. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of seasoning mix. Add broth, and cook on low 4-5 hours.

Remove chicken and shred meat, discarding bones and gristle. Return to pot. Add black beans, corn and mushrooms to pot.

Blend soup, tomatoes with chilies and remaining seasoning mix in a blender until smooth. Pour over chicken and veggies in pot and stir. Cook on low 1-2 hours.

Get your garnishes ready. I would have had avocado too, but I didn’t get one at the store in time for it to ripen for this meal.

Add cheese, stir well, and cook 15 more minutes. Serve in bowls.

Garnish as desired. Serves 12-16. 

It freezes beautifully. If you don’t use tortilla strips as a garnish, the soup is gluten free, too. You can make it into a fajita soup by adding strips of onion and colorful bell peppers. Add more heat with a shot of hot sauce. Ladle in the salsa as a garnish. Make it as a beef soup with a pot roast cut into bite size chunks. Add what you like, leave out what you don’t.

I know you want a pdf, here it is – Slow Cooker Mexican Soup

Do you have a favorite Mexican soup recipe?