Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute more. Add the cooked onion to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker.
Add the jalapeño, tomatoes, black beans, corn, broth, chili powder, cumin, coriander, bay leaf, 1?2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1?2 teaspoon black pepper to the slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low 8–10 hours, or high 4-6 hours. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
To freeze, allow the soup to cool, then freeze it in a large freezer bag or airtight plastic container, omitting the tortilla strips.
To reheat, take the soup out of the freezer and let it thaw in your refrigerator. If you’ve frozen
the soup in a microwave-safe plastic container, you can use the thaw setting on your microwave to thaw it. Once thawed, cook soup on the stovetop on medium heat until heated through or microwave in a microwave-safe container, stirring every 2-3 minutes, until heated through. Serve with tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, cheese, fresh cilantro and any other toppings you like.
Notes
CRISPY TORTILLA STRIPS:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using a pizza cutter or large chef’s knife, cut 8 corn tortillas into several ½-inch-wide by 3-inch-long strips. Spread tortilla strips in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake, turning once, for 10-12 minutes, just until hard and crunchy. Remove from oven and let cool.
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