Chicken Enchilada Soup

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Our Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe is full of healthy and bold flavors, loaded with veggies and protein. You can make it on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or even the instant pot.

How to make Enchilada Soup:

Sauté Veggies: Add a little more oil, if needed, and sauté the veggies. If using skin-on chicken thighs, brown the skin really well before adding to the soup.

Add chicken broth, spices, and diced tomatoes. Add chicken and corn tortillas. Cover and cook on medium-low for about 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F). Remove chicken from broth and shred it. Ladle soup broth into a blender and blend until smooth.

Serve: Return soup broth back to the pot, add shredded chicken, green chiles, and black beans. Garnish with a scoop of sour cream, sprinkle of shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, avocado and green onion, if desired.

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

Store leftovers chicken enchilada soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Freeze in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator then reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.

Recipe Variations:

• Loaded Enchilada Soup: Feel free to stir in some cooked rice, shredded cheese, sautéed vegetables, or corn to make it more hearty.
• Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup: Sauté veggies as instructed. Add to slow cooker with broth, spices, diced tomato, corn tortillas and chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Blend soup broth, then return to slow cooker. Add the shredded chicken, green chiles and black beans.
• Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

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Chicken Enchilada Soup

Author: Lauren Allen

Our easy Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe is bold and flavorful and can be made on the stove or in a slow cooker, for a healthy soup everyone loves.

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion, , chopped
• ▢ 5-6 cloves garlic, , chopped
• ▢ 2 carrots, , peeled and chopped
• ▢ 2 ribs celery, , chopped
• ▢ 1 bell pepper, , chopped
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• ▢ 2-3 chicken breasts, , or 4-5 skinless chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless)
• ▢ 5-6 6 inch yellow corn tortillas
• ▢ salt and freshly ground black pepper, , to taste
• ▢ 15 oz can black beans
• ▢ 4 oz can diced green chiles
• ▢ 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Toppings:

• ▢ sour cream, , for topping
• ▢ shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, , for topping
• ▢ fresh cilantro, , for topping
• ▢ green onion, , chopped for topping
• ▢ avocado, , chopped

Instructions 

• Saute veggies: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and sauté for several minutes until tender. 
• Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and paprika. Stir to combine. Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes. cook for 5 minutes.
• Add chicken and corn tortillas and cook for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate, shred the meat and remove any bones. 
• Blend: Ladle soup into a blender, in batches, and blend until smooth. 
• Finish: Return broth to the soup pot and stir in shredded chicken, black beans, and green chiles. Stir in cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
• Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro and green onions, if desired.

Notes

Servings size is about 1 ¾ cup.

Chicken: I prefer chicken thighs when cooking this soup in the slow cooker, because thighs don’t dry out as easily. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup: Sauté veggies as instructed. Add to slow cooker with broth, spices, diced tomato, corn tortillas and chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Blend soup broth, then return to slow cooker. Add the shredded chicken, green chiles and black beans.

Storing Instructions: store leftover chicken enchilada soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Freezing Instructions: Add to a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator then reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.

Loaded Enchilada Soup: Feel free to stir in some cooked rice, shredded cheese, sautéed vegetables, or corn to make it heartier.

Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

 

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Sodium: 734mg, Potassium: 454mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 3370IU, Vitamin C: 34.4mg, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 1.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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I originally shared this recipe November 2014. Updated September 2018, November 2021 and December 2024.

Recipe originally adapted from Our Best Bites. I omit the jalapeño, use raw chicken and add black beans and green chiles.