A chicken enchilada soup that’s packed with vegetables and plenty of melted cheese!
Chicken enchiladas are always a crowd pleaser and the flavours work amazingly well as a soup! This is pretty simple Mexican/Texmex style soup that uses enchilada sauce as a main component of the soups broth. Other than the enchilada sauce, the main ingredient is the chicken which is cooked by simmering it in the soup before removing it, shredding it and returning it to the soup. The other ingredients are onions, tomatoes, beans, corn and I like to add zucchini! Up until now this soup is pretty light and healthy and although you can enjoy it like this, I like to add plenty of melted cheese! Enchiladas are often topped with melted cheese and I incorporate that into the soup by melting cream cheese, cheddar cheese and monterey jack cheese into the broth making it one really creamy/cheesy soup! I like to top soups like this with taco filling inspired ingredients such as shredded or crumbled cheese, sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips, etc.!
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
Prep Time:10 minutes Cook Time:40 minutes Total Time:50 minutes Servings: 8
A chicken enchilada soup that’s packed with vegetables and plenty of melted cheese!
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon (chipotle) chili powder
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups enchilada sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
- 1 medium zucchini, diced (optional)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, warmed (optional)
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
- 4 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)
directions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the onions and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cumin and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the broth, enchilada sauce, tomatoes and chicken, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is falling apart tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken, shred, return to the soup along with the beans, corn, and zucchini and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese and cook until the cheese has melted into the soup, about 3-5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, mix in the cilantro and enjoy!
Option: Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, along with the garlic and cumin.
Option: Add 1 teaspoon oregano, along with the broth.
Option: For a thicker broth, add 1/4 cup masa harina, at the same time as the broth.
Option: Add extra vegetables, such as diced bell peppers, along with the zucchini.
Option: Add a splash of lime juice or apple cider vinegar at the end.
Option: Omit the cheese for a lighter, dairy free version.
Option: For a faster version, use cooked and shredded chicken instead of raw chicken and cut the simmer time down to 5-10 minutes.
Option: Garnish with tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc.
