Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

My hubby REALLY liked this soup.  He says he likes it better than the Mexican Chicken Soup I made recently.  I did make a few changes to the recipe, just customizing it to my hubby's tastes a tad more.  I used 1 1/2 bell peppers instead of 3 & 1 onion, instead of 2.  I left out the canned tomatoes & I used 6 cups of broth instead of 4.  I didn't use any cheese as my hubby can't have dairy.  I didn't add any tortilla strips, just didn't have any in the house.  And I didn't have the ingredients on hand to make the avocado garnish.

Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 Tablespoons oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded & chopped
2 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup gold tequila (optional)
1 (14-15 oz) can chopped tomatoes, drained
4 Cups chicken broth
3 Cups shredded cooked chicken
salt & pepper
fried corn tortilla strips
grated colby or monterey jack cheese, for garnish
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, leaves chopped, for garnish
avocado garnish (recipe to follow)

*saute peppers & onions until softened, about 2 minutes
*add garlic, chili powder, & cumin & cook for another 2 minutes
*add tequila (if using) & cook until almost evaporated
*transfer above to the crock-pot
*add tomatoes, broth, & chicken
*cover & cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours
*season with salt & pepper
*place tortilla strips in bowl, ladle in the soup, & top with desired garnish