This effortless soup is loaded with chunks of tender chicken, creamy black beans and sweet corn in a taco-seasoned broth. It’s easy to tweak it to your spice preferences by choosing mild, medium or hot salsa and, if you like, tossing in an extra can of green chiles or even some minced fresh jalapeños. But whatever you do, don’t forget to load up your bowl with the (not-so-optional) garnishes! While tasty without them, this soup is even better swirled with sour cream and topped with plenty of crushed tortilla chips and extra cheese.
YIELD: 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
2 lb (910 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and thighs
12 oz (340 g) dried black beans, picked over, rinsed and drained
1 lb (454 g) frozen corn, thawed
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 (4-oz [113-g]) can diced mild green chiles
1 (16-oz [454-g]) jar salsa
3 tbsp (30 g) Taco Seasoning
8 cups (2 L) low-sodium chicken broth
Sour cream, for serving
Tortilla chips, for serving
Shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese, for serving
Place the chicken in a large slow cooker. Top the chicken with the black beans, corn, garlic, green chiles and salsa. Sprinkle the chicken mixture with the Taco Seasoning, pour the chicken broth over the top, and stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beans are completely tender.
When the soup is done cooking, transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Remove the skin, bones and any cartilage from the chicken and discard them. Pull the chicken into bite-size chunks and return it to the slow cooker. Stir the soup to combine, cover the slow cooker and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the soup is heated through.
To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl, stir in a dollop of the sour cream, and top with a generous amount of crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese.