Chipotle and garbanzo bean soup (crock pot)

I have bookmarked hundreds of recipes to try from magazines, tv shows, and cookbooks. None of them are conducive to planning ahead, so I find myself rushing to cook dinner between the girls bath and bedtime routines, which can get pretty hectic. A great solution for that is slow cooker meals, so you will probably see more of those on the blog in the coming weeks. First up is this chipotle and garbanzo bean soup from a cookbook my mom got me on her recent trip to New Mexico. I was able to prepare it during morning naps, and it was ready to serve when Robert got home from work. This soup is spicy, hearty, and delicious!! We will definitely make this one again.

Chipotle and garbanzo bean soup
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, seeded
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from can of chipotle chiles)
• 6 green chilies, chopped (I used fresh jalapenos, sliced. 2-3 depending on your spice tolerance)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 cup chopped green onion

• 1 cup cubed monterey jack cheese

• 2 limes
• cilantro

Combine first 8 ingredients (through garlic powder) in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, remove the chicken from the soup, shred, and return to the slow cooker. Add the green onions. Continue cooking on low until ready to serve.

Divide the cheese equally into soup bowls. Ladle the soup into bowls over the cheese, add juice from half a lime into each bowl, and garnish with cilantro.