Southwest Chicken and Summer Vegetable Soup

This soup came from my website, Perry’s Plate, and used to call for rice, corn, beans, and barley. It was a staple, and everyone in my family (including my extended family) loves it. After swapping out the grains and legumes with more nutritious alternatives, it’s still super tasty, is more colorful, and is a perfect way to use fresh summer vegetables!

Prep time 20 minutes
Serves 10 to 12

11/2 to 2 pounds (680 to 905 g) boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs)
1 large onion, diced
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium yellow squash, diced
4 to 5 large stems of Swiss chard
1 7-ounce (198 g) can diced green chillies
1 14.5-ounce (411 g) can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce (425 g) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
6 cups (1.4 liters) Simple Chicken Stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
Juice from 1 lime
1 cup (16 g) fresh, chopped cilantro
Diced avocados and hot sauce, for serving

1 Add the chicken, onion, bell peppers, garlic, zucchini, and yellow squash to the cooker. Remove the leaves from the Swiss chard stems. Chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces and dice the stems. Place the leaves and the stems into the cooker.
2 Add the green chillies, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, stock, and salt to the slow cooker.
3 Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (or 3 to 4 hours on high).
4 Remove the chicken, shred it, and stir it back into the soup. Squeeze the juice from the lime into the soup, and stir in the cilantro. Taste, and add more salt if necessary. If the soup tastes acidic, add 2 tablespoons (40 g) of honey.
5 Serve with diced avocados and hot sauce.