Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. It has been adapted from a recipe found at allrecipes.com. Although it may seem strange to put beer in the soup, it really does add a unique flavor. I have made the soup without the beer (substituting chicken broth) and it's good that way as well. It's just a matter of taste.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can chili beans
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fl. oz.) can or bottle of beer
2 (10 oz.) cans dices tomatoes with green chilis, undrained
1 (1.25 oz.) package taco seasoning--or make your own using this recipe
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker on low, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

This recipe freezes really well. It's one of those recipes that is almost better after being refrigerated or frozen.

Do you know what's in your freezer? Get ideas on how to organize your freezer here.