Description
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish combining tender chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and spices, finished with a creamy touch of cream cheese. Perfect for a hearty lunch or dinner, it’s easy to prepare on the stovetop with optional variations for slow cooker or instant pot.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, about 1 cup, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, or 1 tablespoon, minced (1 1/2 teaspoons if using minced garlic from a jar)
- 2 (14 ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies, not drained, with juices
- 1 cup enchilada sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock or broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can corn (or 1 package of frozen corn), rinsed and drained, if canned
- 2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (approximately 2 chicken breasts, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds raw)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes, omit or reduce for less spice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 ounces full-fat or light brick cream cheese, softened and slightly warmed (use full 8 ounces for creamier soup)
Optional Toppings
- Shredded cheese
- Avocado
- Tortilla strips
- Fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
- Sliced jalapeño
- Lime juice
Instructions
- Heat oil and sauté vegetables: Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped onion and red bell pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add minced garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add main ingredients and spices: Stir in fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies (including juices), enchilada sauce, chicken stock or broth, rinsed and drained black beans, corn, shredded cooked chicken, ground cumin, salt, chili powder, dried oregano, red chili flakes, and ground black pepper. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Simmer the soup: Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup uncovered for about 30 minutes, allowing it to thicken and for flavors to meld together.
- Add cream cheese: Stir in the softened, slightly warmed cream cheese until fully melted and incorporated. Continue cooking uncovered for an additional 5 minutes to blend creaminess throughout the soup.
- Serve and garnish: Serve hot with your favorite optional toppings such as shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, sour cream, sliced jalapeño, and a squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy your creamy chicken enchilada soup!
Notes
- Slightly warm cream cheese in the microwave for 15-20 seconds unwrapped to make it easier to blend into the soup.
- For slow cooker method: After sautéing onion, bell pepper, and garlic, add all ingredients except cream cheese to crock pot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Stir in cream cheese in last 20 minutes of cooking.
- For instant pot: Use sauté mode to cook olive oil, onions, and peppers until tender. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add rest of the ingredients except cream cheese and cook on manual for 20 minutes. Perform slow release, then stir in cream cheese until melted.
- Store leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat in microwave or stovetop.
- If sensitive to spice, omit red chili flakes and reduce chili powder to 1 teaspoon. Alternatively, use regular diced tomatoes without green chilies.
- For thinner soup consistency, add 1 to 2 cups additional broth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
