recipe of the week: crock pot chicken tortilla soup

i must be on a soup kick... and there is only one word to describe this soup - fabulous! oh my gosh, it was so good. i love chicken tortilla soup and this one is better than any i've had in restaurants even! can't claim the credit for it - i found it on allrecipes.com (here's the original), made a few skinny bovine modifications and viola! best part - the crock pot does most of the work.

crock pot chicken tortilla soup

8 servings

1 chicken breast (yes, raw - let it cook with the soup and shred it at the end!)
1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 recipe "red enchilada sauce" (i'm obsessed with this enchilada sauce - it is so yummy! for the salsa part i make easy fresh salsa ala skinny bovine)
1 medium onion, chopped

1 can black beans
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilis
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 can corn corn
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro (or more if you'd like!)

1. place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. pour in chicken broth and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. stir in corn. cover, and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. shred chicken and stir in cilantro shortly before serving.

serve with crushed corn tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese. mmm....