Description
This Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup is a flavorful Tex-Mex inspired dish combining tender shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and green chiles simmered in a rich broth with enchilada sauce and fire-roasted tomatoes. Finished with cream cheese, heavy cream, and melted cheddar, it offers a comforting and creamy soup perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauté Base
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1 small red bell pepper (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Soup Liquids and Core Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth (950 ml)
- 10 oz red enchilada sauce (300 ml, canned)
- 14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes (430 g, canned)
- 4 oz diced green chiles (118 g, canned)
- 15 oz black beans (450 g, canned, drained and rinsed)
- 1½ cups frozen or canned corn (drained)
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie works well)
Creamy Components
- 4 oz cream cheese (118 g, softened and cubed)
- 1 cup heavy cream (240 ml or half-and-half)
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend cheese)
Toppings
- Chopped cilantro
- Sliced avocado
- Sour cream
- Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
- Lime wedges
- Canned or fresh jalapeños or chilies
Instructions
- Prepare the base: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano, cooking for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add liquids and simmer: Pour in the chicken broth, red enchilada sauce, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and diced green chiles. Stir well and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add beans, corn, and chicken: Stir in the black beans, corn, and cooked shredded chicken. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld together.
- Incorporate creams and cheese: Reduce heat to low. Stir in the softened cream cheese and heavy cream, whisking continuously until the cream cheese melts completely and the soup turns creamy. Add shredded cheddar cheese, stirring continuously until it melts smoothly into the soup.
- Season and serve: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot topped with chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, sour cream, tortilla strips or crushed chips, lime wedges, and jalapeños or chilies as desired.
Notes
- This soup makes a fast, weeknight dinner with Tex-Mex flavors in just 30 minutes using one pan.
- Rotisserie chicken is convenient but any cooked shredded chicken will work well.
- You can easily adapt this recipe for a slow cooker or Instant Pot as an alternative to stovetop cooking.
- Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a lighter version, but the soup will be slightly less rich.
- Adjust spice levels by adding more chili powder or jalapeños according to your heat preference.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and can be reheated gently on the stovetop.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 617 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 1530 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
