Chicken Tortilla Soup - Crock Pot Style

Ingredients

• 4 boneless thawed chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
• 2 cans (15 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (4 oz) chopped mild green chilies, drained
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 avocado, seeded, peeled, diced and tossed with lime juice to prevent browning
• lime wedges
• sour cream

Directions

Place chicken in the crockpot. Combine tomatoes with juice, chiles, onion, garlic 1/2 cup chicken broth and cumin in small bowl. Pour mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or until chicken is tender and cooked through.

Remove chicken from crock pot and shred with 2 forks. Return to the cooking liquid. Adjust seasoning and add more broth if necessary.

Just before serving, add tortillas and cilantro to the crock pot. Stir to blend. Serve in bowls, topping each with cheese, avocado and a squeeze of lime juice. I top mine with a dollap of sour cream as well :)

Ribollita

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling at the table
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 zucchini, sliced and diced
• 1 yellow butternut squash, sliced and diced
• 2 pckgs sliced mushrooms, any variety
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cans small white beans, such as Goya brand, cannellini beans may be substituted
  but look for cans marked "small white beans" on international foods aisle of
  market
• 6 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 3 cups stale chewy Italian bread, crust removed and bread torn into pieces, about
  1/2 a loaf
• 1 small white onion, thinly sliced or finely chopped, for
  garnish
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish
  

Directions
Heat a deep, heavy bottomed pot over moderate heat. Add oil, garlic, and all vegetables to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and saute until they begin to soften 5 to 7 minutes. Add beans, stock and tomato sauce. Bring soup to a boil over medium high heat. I often let simmer for quite awhile until veggies are soft and full of flavor. Remove lid and stir in torn stale bread. Stir soup and incorporate bread as it breaks down. When soup becomes thick and bread is distributed evenly, adjust seasoning and serve the soup in shallow bowls.

Some ribolittas are so thick, the spoon can stand upright. This is a subjective technique. Our family makes ours thick with more yummy bread.

Top shallow bowlfuls of soup with thinly sliced or finely chopped raw onion, a drizzle of extra- virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

"Worries go down better with soup." ~Jewish Proverb