crockpot chicken taco soup

Happy Wednesday! I was about to say "Happy Saturday," because my last final exam was yesterday and school is officially out for the summer! Yippee! My to-do list for today consisted of: work out {done}, make headbands {done}, craft, wash car, and blog. I added a nifty little About Me page on here earlier, and I'm blogging now! It's been pretty swell. 🙂 I am so excited to be sharing this amazing crockpot recipe with you guys today! Chicken taco soup. It's super simple and packs a TON of flavor. Wanna see how I make it?

I know I don't have that many crockpot recipes on here {read: ONE}, but it's because I honestly don't use the slow cooker that much. Yet, every time I do use it, I'm like, "Man, I should use this thing more often!" Pfftt, whatever. I love this recipe because even though it's mostly hands-off, it still gives you a little bit of hands-on prepping, which is basically what keeps me from going crazy. Throwing everything in the crockpot and leaving it all day is just too easy! And I don't like easy. 🙂 Haha! I used ground chicken, but you can also use beef or turkey if you want to... or leave it out altogether! It's easy to customize. The only thing you HAVE to do is make this! It will blow your mind how such simple ingredients taste so good. And the smell while it's cooking is to die for! Promise me you'll make this tomorrow night. Deal? Deal.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup
Yields: 4 generous servings

1 lb ground chicken {or other protein}
2 stalks celery
2-3 carrots
½ white onion
1 bell pepper
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can Ranch Style beans {undrained}
1 can Rotel {chopped tomatoes and chilies}
½ cup black olives, halved
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoon taco seasoning {or salt and pepper}
water, as needed

First things first, wash and dry your veggies. Dice your onion, pepper, celery, and carrots, and smash the garlic cloves. Pour the olive oil in a large, nonstick pot, and add in all the veggies. Turn the heat on to medium-high, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the mixture starts smelling fragrant. Add in the ground chicken, and stir everything together. Season with taco seasoning {or salt and pepper}, and keep cooking until the chicken is no longer pink. Drain the fat, and add the chicken and veggies to your crockpot. Add in the Rotel, tomatoes, olives, and undrained Ranch beans, followed with some water. How much you add is up to you, just make sure to at least cover everything! More water will make it more soupy, less water will make it more like a chicken chili. Cook for 6-8 hrs on low, or 3-4 hrs high. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, and hot sauce. Enjoy!

This soup is linked up at Saturday Dishes by Coffee With Us 3!