Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup

As this soup was cooking, I was pretty skeptical about how it would taste. It made the whole house smell like V8 (which isn't a surprise since there's a whole bottle in it), and while that isn't a bad thing, I'm not such a fan of the stuff that I wanted my dinner to taste like it. Well, no worries there...it may smell like V8, but it tastes like yummy Mexican chicken soup! This was VERY good, especially if you add the cheddar and sour cream. It makes a lot, so this is a great recipe if you're having people over, or if it's a busy day for the family and everyone's running on different schedules...this would be perfect to leave sitting out on the counter on warm and let the family eat a bowl of it whenever they can. It cooks up pretty fast too, only 3-4 hours. I'd definitely recommend it if you're heading out to one of the kids games, or dropping them off for practice. You can start this pretty late in the day but have a hot dinner by the time everyone gets home. I'm absolutely going to be making this again. Heath will love it!

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'Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup'

Source: Taste of Home

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 cup water

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can (32 ounces) V8 juice

1 jar (16 ounces) salsa

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained (I used Goya)

1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn, thawed

*For garnish- sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, minced cilantro*

In a large nonstick skillet, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. Add water and taco seasoning; simmer, uncovered, until chicken is well coated.

Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the V8 juice, salsa, beans and corn. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through. Serve with cheese, sour cream and cilantro.