Tortilla-less Chicken Soup

I love a good bowl of tortilla soup. And I do mean love...I often have it at restaurants and fish out the tortilla strips. Having no oven yet--a wonderful friend and my hubby are installing it now as I type--it had to be a crockpot meal for us again today. The boy-o was craving burritos, which he cannot have, so I decided to make a nice warm soup to go with our first really chilly day of fall. Mmm.

I had to raid the pantry for some canned goods. With so many renovations, fresh groceries are in limited supply. Most items in this soup are pantry and freezer staples. You would never know by the flavor. The chicken cubes were frozen, but with so much slow cooking, they shredded, so frozen chicken shreds would work well too. A can of tomatoes, some salsa, some spices...and a secret ingredient, yogurt. Oh yeah. Tart and creamy goes so well with the spicy! I almost forgot the other odd ingredient. Tortillas, you say? Nope. Shh, don't tell anyone, but the tortilla strips are actually bamboo shoots. Really. Not exactly the same texture and practically no flavor, but the look is there. The carbs are low and they are filling. It's a winner for me!

Tortilla-less Chicken Soup


2-3 cups diced cooked chicken (may be frozen)
14.5 ounce canned tomatoes
2 cups water
1 cup salsa
1 small red bell pepper, diced (green would be fine as well)
1/2 onion, chopped
8 ounce can bamboo shoots
1-2 Tablespoons chili powder (I chose guajillo chili powder)
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
Avocado cubes for garnish


Combine all ingredients except yogurt in the crockpot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Just before serving, stir in yogurt. Top each bowl with some cubed avocado.


The yogurt is an extra wonderful touch. The tang replaces the lemon juice I usually add to soups. The creaminess adds what sour cream or heavy cream would. It takes the bite off the heat of the salsa and chili powder. If you like the heat, I would suggest to add in some chopped jalapenos, rather than cutting back on the yogurt. Don't forget the avocado cubes. They are perfect. The cool creaminess with the tart spicy soup. Yum.

Well, now my gorgeous new oven is in place on my beautiful new flooring. I think the kitchen will be fully open soon. We need to get some help lined up to move all of our furniture back in. I still have the master bedroom to paint and re-carpet, but that won't take too long. And it won't keep me out of the kitchen!

Book sales are going really well. We have received so many excited comments about the Low Carbing Among Friends release. We are taking orders now, and the prints will be rolling really soon! I don't even have my own copy yet and I am so excited to see what all my other low carbing friends have in their sections. I love the idea of getting the best recipes from so many great cooks. The book will be on the Christmas gift  list for lots of my friends. My contractor even wants a copy. He is diabetic, and after hearing what he ate for breakfast and lunch on the job, trust me he needs it! Maybe you know someone too.

Now the guys are done with the install--I think it is time to play with my new oven. It has been 19 years since my last new one. I can't wait.