Healthier Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
You can call this soup or chili, but either way it is wonderful! This recipe is also very adaptable to your personal taste. This healthier version includes more fresh veggies/herbs and uses seasoning mix from the Healthier Taco Seasoning recipe. Serve topped with a variety of reduced-fat options.
You can call this soup or chili, but either way it is wonderful! This recipe is also very adaptable to your personal taste. This healthier version includes more fresh veggies/herbs and uses seasoning mix from the Healthier Taco Seasoning recipe. Serve topped with a variety of reduced-fat options.
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
- 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn drained
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies undrained
- 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
- 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning reduced sodium
- 3 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (optional)
- 1/4 cup light sour cream (optional)
- 2 ounces crushed baked tortilla chips (optional)
- Carbohydrate 4.05150147757906 g
- Cholesterol 25.665 mg
- Fat 0.567121000015572 g
- Fiber 0.192602494603799 g
- Protein 10.2927802500638 g
- Saturated Fat 0.146520950000419 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (59g)
- Sodium 70.4799250013775 mg
- Sugar 3.85889898297526 g
- Trans Fat 0.15279117500572 g
- Calories 65 calories
Step-by-step
- Place onion, chili beans, black beans, chopped carrot, corn, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and beer in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by other ingredients. Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours.
- Remove chicken breasts from soup and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Shred chicken and stir back into soup. Continue cooking on Low for 2 hours. Serve with cilantro, Cheddar cheese, light sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips.
Canned green chilies and tomatoes provide an acidic backbone that cuts through the starchy weight of the beans and corn while tying the pot together. Building this dish requires balancing moisture and density so the slow cooker functions effectively.
- Pour in a crisp pilsner or pale ale rather than a heavy stout; malt-heavy beers overpower the delicate poultry and fresh cilantro.
- Submerge the chicken breasts entirely beneath the liquid ingredients to prevent the exposed meat from drying out during the initial five-hour low-heat phase.
- Shred the cooked meat on a wooden cutting board using two forks once the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Store leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to four days, noting that the starches will continue to thicken the broth as it chills.
Transforming second-day portions into a thick casserole requires simmering the mixture uncovered in a skillet to reduce excess liquid. Solid accompaniments like radishes, pickled jalapeños, and lime wedges provide essential textural contrast to the soft beans.
