Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

this is from allrecipes.com, rated 4.5 stars by 1152 reviewers. its a family favorite! toppings we enjoy on it included: shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa and guacamole. keeps very well in the fridge and reheats great for leftovers.

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 7 corn tortillas
• vegetable oil

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup. *a note. i have made this many times and finally wised up to a few things. it tastes better if 1) i cook it on high for 3-4 hours and not use the low setting. my chicken looks disgusting if i cook it for 8 hours. and 2) i don't add cilantro to the soup while it is cooking. it over-powers the taste and i much prefer a generous handful of the fresh stuff on top of my soup in my bowl.