Southwest Chicken Soup

6 cups chicken broth
14.5 oz. can dice or crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
6 - 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into strips, 1/2 in. wide and 2-3 in. long
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, or 3 thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Combine broth and tomatoes in a soup pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add tortilla strips in a couple of batches and cook, stirring once or twice, until crisp, 5-7 minutes. Remove fried strips to paper towels to drain. In same skillet, cook chicken 3-5 minutes without stirring, until nicely browned on first side. Add onion, garlic, jalapenos, cumin and salt; cook 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are softened. Add contents of skillet to simmering broth; cook 10 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with tortilla strips, cheese and cilantro; serve each bowl with a wedge of lime.

**Note: I don't have any tortillas so I'm skipping that part. I boiled my chicken so I'm using cooked chicken and the broth from that instead of sauteing the chicken. I also added some chopped green bell peppers and some fresh spinach for color right before I took the soup off the heat. And finally, I'm substituting mild cheddar cheese for the Monterey Jack.

I'm sure this recipe could be easily adapted for the crockpot.