Chicken Tortilla Soup (eh...)

Ok...so this is another recipe try from my pinterest crock-pot board.  I didn't love it.  Tim said it was ok and went back for seconds (he's a sweet man).  I didn't think it was that great.  The picture online looked SO good and then when I was putting it all together the soup didn't look like the right color at all.  I added some cream cheese thinking...it can't hurt it, it only make it better, and this will make it look lighter.  It just wasn't a huge hit though/wasn't really what I expected.  So...probably won't do this recipe again :-( but I wanted to post about it so that if you think all of my pins are hits, well here is me trying them out and saying...not all of them are.  Again though...I didn't follow the recipe exactly-I mean really, I'm just not that kind of person.  Who always has cilantro? Did I just use cheddar instead of Monterrey Jack cheese? Yes. Yes I did.  I'm not convinced that following the recipe to the T would make it much better.  Don't get me wrong though-it isn't AWFUL-definitely edible.  But if I'm going to be using a couple cans of diced tomatoes etc...I might as well just make taco soup-cuz that's always a hit.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (original recipe found here)  

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies, drained (hot or mild, depending on preference)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, including juice
1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt and pepper
4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 avocado diced and tossed with lime juice to prevent browning
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Place chicken in Crock-Pot® slow cooker.
2. In a separate bowl, combine chilies, garlic, onion, tomatoes, 1/2 c chicken broth and cumin. Blend and pour over chicken.
3. Cook on high for 3 hours. When chicken is tender, use the tines of 2 forks to shred. Adjust seasoning and add additional chicken broth if necessary.
4. Just before serving, add tortillas and cilantro to Crock-Pot® slow cooker. Stir to incorporate. Adjust seasoning to taste.
5. Serve in soup bowls, topping each with shredded cheese, diced avocado and a squeeze of lime.

Serves: 4-6
Size: 3-6 quarts