Crock Pot Soup for the Autumnal Soul

#SpookySzn has been here and the weather is finally in agreement that it is time for some Autumnal vibes. This time of year has people staying inside and eating soup either because they are feeling cozy due to the cold or because they are feeling sick due to an actual cold. (Here is my shameless plug to please remember to get your flu shots people!)

Up until this season, I always depended on my mom’s home-made chicken noodle soup to make me feel better. I happen to be lucky enough to have only gone to school about 20 minutes where I’ve grown up, so it has always been easy to access. I decided this year, though, that I need to be more independent and home cook more of my own meals. This is partly because Matthew’s grandma bought us a kick ass new crock pot when we moved in and partly because I made a Pinterest over summer, so I was constantly finding new recipes.

What I am trying to get at here is that even if you happen to be a new, or basic cook like myself, following a recipe is always easy and the crock pot can be your new best friend. It’s extremely convenient as a student during these cold days to throw things in a pot in the morning and commuting home in this weather after a long day of class to a warm bowl of soup. You could be as elaborate or as simple as you like, depending on your taste buds.

I decided to get a little fancy last week and do a chicken tortilla soup with a little bit of a kick to it. I’ve linked the recipe below, along with a bunch of other favorites I have tried and hope to try soon! My favorite adaptation I made to this one was adding some mixed cheeses on top, because you can never have too much cheese, and a bit of sour cream. Another amazing option if you have time is to deep fry quickly some corn tortilla strips in a pan with oil to add some crunch to your soup.

I really enjoy channeling my inner Antoni from Queer Eye here, who you can read about in my profile piece on him this week. Matthew, my boyfriend, tends to find me just a bit annoying running around the kitchen acting like a master chef just because I used the crock pot, but I say he needs to have a little more fun. Here’s a picture of the final product below, and please comment back any recipes you try. I hope you all enjoy!

Recipes can be found here! Published to Delish website, which I should mention is great for recipes other than soup as well!