Crockpot Loaded Mexican Chicken Soup
Simple to make and bursting with fresh summer flavors, Crockpot Loaded Mexican Chicken Soup is perfect any time of year.
A great recipe for all your farmer’s market finds, and paleo and Whole30 friendly, too!
Does your slow cooker gather dust during the summer months?
I know some people forget about their slow cooker when it gets warm, but let me tell you, now is the time to make it work for you!
Slow cooking in the summer is the way to go because it keeps your kitchen cool no matter how high the temperatures climb outside.
Plus, if you’re like me, summer schedules are even crazier than the school year.
If you’re shuttling kids to camps or spending the day playing outside there’s nothing better than coming home to dinner already done.
In the spirit of easy summer slow cooker recipes, I’ve put together this simple soup recipe.
The flavors are so clean and bursting with flavor you’ll want to make it again and again.
And, since so many of you have asked for more grain-free slow cooker recipes, this one is also paleo and Whole30 friendly.
The inspiration for this soup came when I had a bunch of farmer’s market veggies in the crisper looking for a home.
I decided to combine them into this soup, along with chicken simmered low and slow in a Mexican-inspired broth.
At the end of the cooking process tender veggies are added and simmered a little longer, keeping them fresh and vibrant.
Everything’s topped off with handfuls of fresh herbs, sweet cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado.
This soup can also be served “deconstructed” for resistant eaters, so check out the notes below for those tips.
Feel free to play around with the veggies in this one too, using what’s fresh and what you have on hand.
Now, let’s make some Crockpot Loaded Mexican Chicken Soup
RECIPE & KID-FRIENDLY ADAPTATIONS
1 | If your child isn’t into soup, offer the shredded chicken separately on a plate, with some sliced cherry tomatoes, avocado, and a small bowl of broth.
2 | Feel free to add some fresh corn, cut off the cob, at the end of the cooking process.
3 | The toppings really make this soup, so definitely pile them on! If you’re not grain- or dairy-free, add some corn chips, cheese, or sour cream to take this one over the top.
4 | For a vegetarian option, swap 2 (15-oz) cans drained and rinsed chickpeas for the chicken and vegetable stock for chicken stock.
THIS RECIPE IS . . .
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoWhole30
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Crockpot Loaded Mexican Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 15- oz can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon mild chili powder
- 2-3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- 3 medium zucchinis, chopped
- 3 cups chopped dark leafy greens, such as kale or swiss chard
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1- pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- Optional toppings: chopped cilantro
Optional Toppings
- Easy Guacamole
- Fresh Tomato Salsa
- Chopped cilantro, chopped scallions, sliced avocado, lime wedges, hot sauce
Equipment
Instructions
- To a 6-quart slow cooker, add the onion, chicken, tomato sauce, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, chicken stock and water. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, then add back to the slow cooker along with the zucchini and greens. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the zucchini and greens are tender.
- Stir in the lime juice, then serve, topped with tomatoes and any other toppings you like.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition disclaimerThis post contains affiliate links.
Is it ok to freeze leftovers?
Hannah, yes, I think the leftovers freeze nicely!
My husband and I are doing Whole 30 this month and we made a huge batch of this on Sunday night to last us the week. My husband loved it (minus the kale) and asked me to make it again this week (minus the kale, add spinach instead)! This will definitely become a staple meal in our house! thanks!
Holly, I’m so glad that you and your husband enjoyed this meal and are making it your own with the spinach! 🙂
Yummy and so easy to make! We left out the tomatoes and cilantro (since I didn’t have any handy), and I forgot about lime juice. Also, I let the pot cook for 8 hours on low and put in the zucchini and kale 1 hour prior to serving. It was very good & I plan to make it again!
Glad you enjoyed and made this one work with what you had on hand!
When do you add the cherry tomatoes?
Hi Megan, Step 3! After the soup is cooked, as a topping so they maintain a fresh flavor.
I LOVE this soup but recently I’m trying to do more vegetarian recipes. If I were to cook this without the chicken how long should I cook it for?
Hi Kristen, you can definitely make this one vegetarian by swapping chicken stock for vegetable stock, and cooking hon high for 3 hours instead of 4–you just want the zucchini and onion to cook through, so it might be even less depending on how hot your slow cooker is. You might also want to add 1-2 cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas along with the veggies for some plant protein. If you give it a try let us know how it turns out!
I made this recipe exactly as it was written, and I added chopped cilantro and avocado at the end. It was absolutely wonderful! Thank you for posting easy, healthy recipes. I am looking forward to making more recipes from this blog.
Oh yay, so glad you enjoyed!
Do you think it would work to do this in the instant pot?
Hi Stacy, yes! Here’s the Instant Pot version: https://realfoodwholelife.com/recipes/instant-pot-loaded-mexican-chicken-soup/
Nutrition values? Calories?
Is this freezable?
Hi Malinda, yes, this recipe freezes well for up to 3 months. Just hold off on adding the tomatoes, as you want to add those fresh once you defrost. I hope you enjoy!
Thank you for the tip on tomatoes
You’re welcome!
This was delicious and really easy to make. However, I was not able to fit 32 oz of broth and 4C of water plus all of the ingredients into my 6 quart crockpot so I left out 2 C of the water and only used 2 zucchini and just one large chicken breast. The pot was full to the brim. Delicious nevertheless!
Debbie, so glad you enjoyed, and thanks for the note on the liquid being on the high side. I’ve made this one a number of times myself without any issue, but I’ll give it another test and see if perhaps the water should be adjusted down to 2 cups. Thanks for leaving a review!