Chicken Tortilla Soup (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)

Hi all! How are you? I hope well. Busy as I am? Phew…it never stops. Work has been crazy, and now we are almost at the holiday season. Today I will share a favorite soup, chicken tortilla soup in the Instant Pot (but you can make in the slow cooker too) and also a quick catch up.

Fall has just flown. High school girl has been busy applying to colleges and yes, it affects parents too. Long gone are the days when I crammed 6 applications into Christmas break. The tours start as early as sophomore year and beyond. You can catch our tour of a few southern colleges from last summer. We had a few last minute ones too but closer to home. The good news is that she is into one school (IU) as it has rolling admissions.

With my eyes on Thanksgiving, I am already planning my menu and will likely cook much of last year’s menu (which was delicious….that stuffing is the best I promise) as well as trying at least one or two new recipes. This recipe for a fall, butternut, greens salad caught my eye yesterday from Smitten Kitchen (love her!). I am trying it tonight at home so will share the feedback if it is as good as it sounds. I plan to use dried cranberries instead of the pomegranate.

It is also countdown to Christmas. I have learned this is a great time of year to organize. I went through each closet and identified what to give away. Cleaning out the fridge and pantry are next as I prepare for holiday cooking. Now is the time to figure out if you have enough baking supplies and other ingredients. Trust me…am a pro at this point!

With all that is going on, something easy and tasty for dinner and lunch is a must. I adore soup especially in the fall and winter. Lentil and bean are two favorites, but I found myself craving something with a bit more heat. This chicken tortilla soup fits the bill perfectly. I think you could easily sub in chicken breasts or make it vegetarian and add another can of beans for some extra protein and staying power. You can also vary the spice too. By accident, when fiddling with my recipe, I added an entire can of chilies in adobo (fortunately I realized it and was able to remove all but two!). The toppings are optional (but are they really?). A squeeze of lime, some grated cheese, a dollop of sour cream and chopped cilantro taste so fresh and flavorful. If you want to lighten up, replace sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.

Without further ado, here is the recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup. Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Either Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)

A flavorful, healthy, budget-friendly soup that is perfect for supper or lunch.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword Beans, budget friendly, Soup, Supper
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Cost $7

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil I use avocado
  • 1 medium yellow or white onion diced
  • 2 medium jalapeno seeded membranes removed, and diced
  • 1 red or green bell pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic minced about 2 teaspoons
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt plus additional to taste
  • 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts (about 2 breasts if you are using breasts)
  • 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 chipotle chiles in adobo chopped NOTE: I purchase these in a can and save the rest for another use – they freeze well. DO NOT use the whole can in this recipe as the soup will be too hot
  • 1 15- ounce can pinto beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 can of Mexican style corn
  • 4 cups chicken stock or broth
  • Corn tortilla strips or corn tortillas or tortilla chips. I also like the tortilla strips you buy as salad toppings.
  • Shredded cheddar or Mexican style cheese
  • Diced avocado
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Lime add a slice on the side to squeeze over
  • Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • Optional: Trader Joe’s Chili Lime seasoning delicious on top if you can find it!

Instructions

  • Turn Instant pot to saute, or if using your slow cooker heat a pan on the stove and heat on medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, jalapeno and bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes or so. Stir in the garlic, cumin and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Transfer mixture from the skillet to the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker or if using Instant pot, turn off saute function.
  • Arrange the chicken breasts on top of the mixture. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, chilies in adobo and salt. Stir gently.
  • Turn Instant Pot to slow cooking function. Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, until the chicken is falling apart tender. Dice or shred the chicken, then return it to the slow cooker. Add the canned pinto beans and Mexican corn. Let cook on low for 20 more minutes to allow the flavors to combine and everything to heat.
  • Taste and add salt or seasonings as needed. If the soup is thicker than you would like, add in the remaining 1 cup chicken broth until it reaches your desired consistency. Enjoy!

Easy Thai Green Curry with Shrimp and Noodles

Easy Thai Curry with Shrimp and Noodles is such an easy and delicious recipe. It can also be made vegetarian by replacing the shrimp with tofu.

Thai curry is usually one of my favorite take-out foods. The creamy coconut curry sauce paired with shrimp really hits the spot. The coconut milk offers a sweetness that is complemented by the heat of the curry. Vegetables, that are not cooked too much, round out the dish adding some crunch and plenty of vitamins and fiber to make Thai curry healthy too.

When I make Thai Curry with Noodles at home, I like to pile the curry over a mound of Thai rice noodles or regular linguine or maybe rice. Then I add just a squeeze of lime, and some chopped, fresh cilantro. Perfection.

An Easy & Budget-friendly Recipe

It was a great surprise when I realized how easy and versatile Thai curry is to make at home. Making a take-out copy cat at home is especially helpful these days when we are not going out to dinner as frequently (or hardly at all!). Similar to a soup or stew Thai curry with noodles is also a great way to use up vegetables – carrots, celery, onions, and this time of year zucchini!

You can also adjust the heat level (spice wise) to your own tastes. Additionally, I love this recipe because it uses the stems of cilantro. I hate waste! The stems are full of flavor and while they may not work in a salad they are perfect for curry.

By the way green curry refers to the green chilies used in the sauce. While its origins are Thai, apparently it has been adapted by Thai expats to the rest of the world.

As a last note, I really like Maesri curry paste. If you have an Asian grocery story you should be able to find this brand of curry there for a reasonable price. It is also available on Amazon.

Ok, so how do you make easy Thai-curry noodles?

Thai-curry with shrimp and linguine

Easy Thai Curry with Shrimp and Noodles

Easy Thai Curry with Noodles tastes like my favorite Thai restaurant version but at half the price.
Print Pin
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Thai
Keyword: curry, dinner, easy, seafood, shrimp, tofu
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Cost: 15

Equipment

  • wok or frying pan
  • sauce pan
  • cutting board

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz linguine or asian noodles
  • 1 medium zucchini or as I note you can sub in other vegetables
  • 1 medium onion sliced thin
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of Maesri green curry paste or another curry paste of your choice.
  • ¼ cup of fresh cilantro stems chopped
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil I use avocado oil as it has a high heat point
  • 1 can of light coconut milk
  • 1 pound of uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined (if using tofu then chop into squares and drain liquid before adding to dish)
  • 2 limes for juice and garnish
  • A handful of fresh basil leaves Thai basil if you can find them – if not, standard basil leaves are tasty too.
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp Cornstarch (optional)

Instructions

Instructions:

  • Cook noodles, linguine or rice to instructions.
  • In a large wok or frying pan saute the onion in a tablespoon of oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove onions and garlic from pan.
  • Cook the curry paste and cilantro stems in oil over medium heat until very fragrant. Stir frequently. Remove and put aside with onion mixture.
  • Add another tablespoon of oil. Saute the zucchini until bright green (you do not want zucchini to be olive green and they will cook a bit more with the sauce so keep that in mind). If using other vegetables such as carrots, then cook accordingly (carrots will take longer to cook than zucchini).
  • Put all the cooked vegetables back in the pan. Add the coconut milk. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook about 2 minutes until thickened slightly.
  • Stir in shrimp and cook until opaque and pink
  • If sauce seems thin, add a teaspoon of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Serve over choice of noodles, rice or linguine. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro leaves.