Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I'm not sure if everyone is excited as I am for SPRING to arrive!! I'm tired of the cold, dreary, slushy days of winter. That said, I know I only have a few more weeks of soup weather left, so I decided to take full advantage of it this weekend. 

One of my favorite soup of all time is Chicken Tortilla Soup. If I see it anywhere on a menu, it's the soup  I'm bound to get. I've tried making this soup at home using a variety of recipes, but most failed to impress me...that is until a few days ago. I was looking for new recipes for my slow cooker, and came across this one on All Recipes. The reviews were amazing so I knew it was a must try! Plus, you just throw everything together in the slow cooker! It smells aaamazing in the house while it's cooking away, and I think it tastes better than some of the soups served at restaurants! It's definitely a keeper :o) 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

(Source: All Recipes)

1 pound shredded, cooked, chicken   (I used shredded rotisserie chicken meat)

1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed   (I used petite diced tomatoes)

1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

7 corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.