Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup – Creme De La Crumb

Why This Recipe Works

Slow cooker — It’s really hard to make something bad in a slow cooker. Even if you overcook it a bit — it still tastes good! And soups seem like they were created solely for the purpose of slow cooking. There’s just nothing like the ease of putting all the ingredients into the slow cooker crock, adding a lid, and going on about your day. Then when you’re ready to eat? Dinner is ready, too. 

Simple ingredients — The ingredients in this enchilada soup recipe couldn’t be any simpler. Chicken, a few spices, some cream cheese, canned beans and corn, enchilada sauce, tomato sauce, and chicken broth — that’s about it and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand right now! 

Kid-approved — My kids can be picky but this is not a soup they’ll turn away. In fact, sometimes I get a bit miffed when they eat more than one serving because that just means less for me tomorrow! 

Customizable — I mentioned my kids love this dish, and that’s mostly because it’s tasty but not spicy. That’s where the customization comes in. I keep it mild for them but then add crushed red pepper flakes and hot sauce to mine. Sliced jalapenos work well too. You can also change up the kind of beans you put in, skip the corn, use a can of chili-ready tomatoes, try out some chipotles — really, anything you like to make it yours.

Ingredients

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts — I use a rotisserie chicken most often for this creamy enchilada soup, but you could also use leftover chicken you have or cook and shred chicken before adding to the crock pot. 
• Chicken Broth — I think low-sodium chicken broth is the way to go, then just add salt later to taste. 
• Cumin and Garlic Powder — Any brand of cumin and garlic powder will do. 
• Onion Salt — Onion salt isn’t as common in the spice drawer as you would think. So if you don’t have any, use a combo of onion powder and salt to create your own. 
• Light Cream Cheese — I use light cream cheese to lighten the fat content of this dish a bit but you could also use full-fat cream cheese too. 
• Black Beans — Any kind of canned beans is great in this chicken enchilada soup recipe. You’ll want to pour them out and rinse them off first before adding to the slow cooker. 
• Yellow Corn — I use a low-salt version of canned corn kernels. Again, rinse and drain before adding to the soup. 
• Enchilada Sauce — You can use one large can of enchilada sauce or you can use two of one kind and one of another, or just use one 30-ounce can. 
• Tomato Sauce — Any kind of name brand tomato sauce is great in this recipe. 
• Water or Chicken Broth — Chicken broth will be more flavorful in this recipe but you can also substitute water if you don’t have any broth on hand. 
• Masa Harina or Flour — Either kind of flour will work in this recipe. It helps to make a roux with it to thicken the soup before serving. 
• Optional Toppings: And now for the best part of any soup: the toppings! My favorites to add to this cream enchilada soup include tomatoes, shredded cheese, tortilla chip strips, avocados, and cilantro. 

Here’s How You Make It

1. First, add all the ingredients to the slow cooker: the shredded chicken, 3 cups broth, cumin, garlic powder, onion salt, cream cheese, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and tomato sauce.
2. Add the lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low 7-8 hours.
3. Just about 10-15 minutes before serving, shred the chicken with 2 forks and stir the soup until the cream cheese is combined all together with the soup. Then, whisk the remaining 1/3 cup chicken broth (or water) and flour (or masa harina). Add to the slow cooker and stir until thickened. 
4. Serve warm with additional toppings as desired.