If you love the original Bella’s Taco Soup, give this chicken version a try! Major bonus: no meat to brown. You simply throw the chicken in raw and it cooks. Then, you take it out, shred it, and add it back in. Easy peasy.

YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 package chicken breasts (2-3 breasts)
• 1 can of black beans-drained and rinsed
• 1 can of white beans (I like northern beans) drained and rinsed
• 1 can of rotel tomatoes (I use mild)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 package of ranch dressing mix
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 can of corn-drained (can sub 1 cup frozen corn)
• 2-3 cups chicken broth (depending how thick you like the soup; you can always start with less and add more at the end)

TO MAKE:

Add all ingredients on the stovetop, instant pot, or crockpot.

On the stove: Allow to come to a boil for approx 10 minutes then reduce to a simmer for 20-30 minutes. Using a fork, fish out the chicken breasts and shred them on a plate using two forks. Once shredded, return shredded chicken to the pot and stir. Keep on a low simmer on the stove till ready to eat, or serve immediately. 

In the Instant Pot: Set the instant pot to manual high pressure for 25 minutes, then allow to naturally release (this will take another 10-20 minutes). Once the pressure is released, use a fork to fish out the chicken breasts and shred them on a plate using two forks. Once shredded, return shredded chicken to the instant pot and stir. Keep on warm in the instant pot till ready to eat, or serve immediately. 

In the Crock Pot: Set the crock pot to LOW 6 hours (depending on your crock pot and size of the chicken breasts, the chicken might be cooked through in as little as 4 hours). Once the chicken is cooked through (test by taking out a breast and seeing if it easily shreds), use a fork to fish out the chicken breasts and shred them on a plate using two forks. Once shredded, return shredded chicken to the crock pot and stir. Keep on warm in the crock pot till ready to eat, or serve immediately. 

NOTES:

This usually makes enough for our family of five to eat with some left over.

This recipe is very freezer-friendly! Just freeze the leftovers in whatever size portions you want for later. Defrost overnight in the fridge, or in a bowl of hot water if in a pinch. Reheat on stove (preferred) or in microwave.

Feel free to add more beans and tomatoes to stretch it if needed.

To get fancy we top it with sour cream and grated cheese. If I have it on hand I will dice up an avocado on top and sprinkle tortilla strips as well. Also goes great with corn bread!