Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 Tbsp chili powder *
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne, optional
• Cracked pepper
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 can black beans
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• Pinch salt
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 bunch cilantro
• 6 Tbsp sour cream
• 1 lime

Directions

1. Chop the onion into dice and mince the garlic. Into the slow cooker, add the onion, garlic, chicken breast, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, freshly cracked pepper, about 10 turns of a pepper mill, the fire roasted tomatoes with their juices, the diced tomatoes with chiles with their juices, drained black beans, corn, and chicken broth.
2. Stir the pot just enough to combine everything, then cover the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, or set it on low for 8 hours. Once it has cooked on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, lift out the chicken breast carefully, pull it apart with a fork, and add it back to the soup.
3. For the tortilla crisps, heat the oven to 400ºF. Stack the tortillas and cut them into strips about 1/4-inch wide and 2 to 3-inches long. Transfer the strips to a bowl, add the cooking oil and a pinch of salt, and toss gently until the oil coats them all over.
4. Arrange the oiled tortilla strips on a baking sheet in one layer, keeping overlap to a minimum. Bake at 400ºF for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the strips are very golden and crisp. Their exact time will vary with the strip size and how full the baking sheet is, so keep an eye on them and adjust as needed.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a handful of tortilla crisps, chopped cilantro, avocado slices, and a spoonful of sour cream, then squeeze fresh lime over each bowl right before you eat.