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A ladle holds a creamy chicken enchilada soup with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and spices over a pot of the same soup.
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4.42 from 17 votes

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Creamy chicken enchilada soup is cozy, comforting and easy to make. You'll love the flavor of classic enchiladas in a hearty soup.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Soups and Stews
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8
Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (see note)
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 can (10 ounces) red enchilada sauce
  • 1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15.25 ounces) corn, drained (or 1 ½ cups frozen corn, no need to thaw)
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese (shred yourself for best results)

Optional toppings:

  • extra shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, sour cream or Greek yogurt, lime wedges, crushed tortilla chips or crispy tortilla strips

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, or until soft.
    1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup diced onion, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • Add garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder to the pan, and continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, or until fragrant.
    2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • Add enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken broth, and chicken. Stir well and make sure the chicken is fully submerged in liquid.
    1 can (10 ounces) red enchilada sauce, 1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, 1 can (15.25 ounces) corn, drained, 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Bring soup to a simmer, then cover the pan and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes (or until the chicken is fully cooked at 165°F).
  • Remove pan from heat. Take the chicken out of the soup, shred it with two forks, and return it to the pot.
  • Cut cream cheese into cubes and stir it into soup until fully melted. (Keep the soup off the heat, this helps prevent the cream cheese and shredded cheese from curdling.) Gradually stir in the shredded cheese, continuing to stir until soup is smooth and creamy. If needed, gently reheat the soup over low heat until ready to serve.
    4 ounces cream cheese, softened, 1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
  • Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings.

Video

Notes

  • Lower sodium: I prefer to use reduced sodium beans, corn, tomatoes, and broth whenever possible. This allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe. If you don’t buy reduced-sodium items, you may want to eliminate the kosher salt in this recipe, as the enchilada sauce and cheese also add salt.
  • Cooking tip: Often boneless skinless chicken breasts are quite large. If you halve each one lengthwise, they'll cook more quickly. If you want to speed things up even more, cut the raw chicken into small pieces. It will cook more quickly and you won't have to shred it. Another option is to use already cooked chicken. Just bring the soup to a simmer, add the chicken, heat briefly, then stir in the cheese. 
  • Make it spicier: Use hot enchilada sauce or add canned diced jalapeños.
  • Slow cooker instructions: Add all ingredients except cream cheese and shredded cheese. Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, then remove and shred the chicken. Turn off heat and stir in shredded chicken, cream cheese, and shredded cheese until cheese is melted.
  • Instant Pot instructions: Sauté onion and garlic using the Sauté mode. Add all remaining ingredients except cream cheese and shredded cheese. Pressure cook for 12 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then shred the chicken. Stir in shredded chicken, cream cheese, and shredded cheese until smooth and melted.
 
Recipe retested and revised 5/25. Previously published as Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup with Noodles. If you want to add noodles to this recipe, stir in 8 ounces egg noodles, either frozen or dried (step 3). 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 944mg | Potassium: 735mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 730IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 3mg

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