Tuesday at the Table - Chicken Taco/Tortilla type Soup

 Go over and visit our hostess Cole for even more Tuesday at the Table recipes!

It is finally cooling off a bit down here in South Central Texas and the season for soups and stews is upon us!!  Yesterday I started off the season by putting together a Chicken Taco soup! I used the chopped veggies and seasoning from a Chicken Tortilla Soup mix at a local grocery store and dressed it up a bit!

I started by putting 2 chicken thighs and one chicken breast in my crock pot with 1/2 envelope of taco seasoning and about 1/2 cup salsa (I used a cilantro based store brand). Because the chicken was frozen I let it cook for about 3 hours on high; for thawed chicken cook for 1.5-2hrs on high) . Then I pulled the chicken apart with two forks to shred it (I left mine in pretty big pieces). Turn the crockpot to low.

After finishing the chicken shredding I sauteed 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped green pepper, one clove of  garlic (chopped) and I had a little leftover corn I through in the skillet. Sauteed these until they are tender.

If you are one of those who like a bit of a KICK in your soup, chop up a Serrano pepper and put it in with the other veggies!

Chop one or two ripe tomatoes

Mix them with your onion and pepper mixture...

Add the veggie mixture to your chicken in the crock pot!

Add 48 oz chicken stock (6 cups)

Add another packet taco seasoning and about 1/2 cup refried beans (this will thicken it up a bit!)

You can heat it up fast on hi for about an hour, or let it simmer on low for a couple of until you are ready to eat !

Garnish with fresh lime, cilantro, cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, etc.. Last night I added about a cup of whole wheat bow ties (pasta)!

Serve with homemade (from the bread maker) bread and a salad for a nummy cold weather dinner AND lunches for the week!

Have a great week all!! Cookie recipes are on their way...I won't have time to bake until after my Thanksgiving next Sunday...Sooooooo much to do Sooooooooo little time!!