Crock Pot Tortilla Soup

I had a hankering for some tortilla soup last week and ran across a recipe in a crock pot cookbook.  As I put everything in and tasted it after it cooked for a bit, I knew it was way too spicy for our tastes.  So I started doctoring it up and ended up with a fantastic tortilla soup.

So easy....just throw everything into a 4-5 quart crockpot, turn it on low, and in about 8 hours, you'll have a wonderful tortilla soup.

CROCK POT TORTILLA SOUP (about 6 servings)

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast (thawed or frozen)
1 can black bean, undrained
1 can mild Rotel
2 cup chicken stock
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2/3 cup green pepper, chopped
2/3 cup white onion, chopped
1 can crisp corn
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup cream
4 corn tortillas
sour cream
Mexican blend grated cheese
chopped cilantro, optional

Place first 12 ingredients (chicken breasts through cilantro) in a crock pot.  Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Meanwhile, slice the tortillas in 1/4" strips and place on a lined baking sheet.  Cook in a 350F oven until crisp (5-10 minutes).

Remove chicken breasts from crock pot and shred or cube.  Return to crock pot.  Stir in cream.

Garnish with baked tortilla strips, sour cream, cheese, and extra cilantro, if desired.