Chicken Lime Tortilla Soup

"Delicioius as it is, and easy to modify and make your own version in a crock pot or on the stove top!"
Serves 4 | Prep Time 10 | Cook Time 20Why I Love This Recipe
Hearty chicken Mexican style soup, flexible enough to customize to the stove-top or crock-pot, adding and revising based on your taste buds.
Great known additions/modifications:
Double the cumin
Fire-roasted corn or creamed corn
Black beans
Green chilies
Juice of two limes
Season tortillas with Morton's Seasoned Salt, don't add salt to soup
Top with avocado
Ingredients You'll Need
4 5- to 6-inch diameter corn tortillas (or flour, gluten-free, flavored, or skip the tortillas and it's taco soup!)
2 tsps olive oil
2 14 1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
2 Cups water
3/4 Cup stewed tomatoes with juices (canned tomatoes with spices work great, like Muir Glen Fire-Roasted diced tomatoes with garlic)
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, pressed (or more, if you like garlic)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
12 oz skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 Cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp lime juice
Directions
For Crock-pot:
Combine seasonings, chicken and garlic in pan with a small portion of broth and cook until chicken is slightly browned.
Add the rest of the broth, tomatoes, bay leaf to crock pot, adding cooked chicken mixture and let cook for 4 - 6 hours on med/low, stirring occasionally.
Fifteen minutes before cooking, bake tortilla shells cut in 1/4 strips and coated with oil (both sides) at 350 until golden (15 mins); add as topping.
Five minutes before serving, add in green onion, cilantro and lime juice.
Serve, and top as desired (tortilla strips crumbled, cheese, cilantro, green onion, sour cream).
For Stove-top:
Coat tortillas with oil and cut into 1/4 inch strips and cook until golden (Oven at 350° for 15 mins, or pan-fry)..
Mix broth, water, tomatoes, bay leaf, garlic, cumin and red pepper in saucepan; bring to a boil then reduce to simmer about 5 minutes.
Add chicken and continue to simmer until just cooked through, about 20-30 minutes.
Add in green onions, cilantro and lime juice, adding salt and pepper if desired.
Serve and top as desired (tortilla strips, green onion, cilantro, sour cream, etc.)
Pairs Well With
green salad