On the Mexican soup spectrum, this enchilada soup is kind of the polar opposite of our Chicken Tortilla Soup. While that one is spicy and lime-y and thin and broth-y and kind of relies on the add-ins, this one is hearty and filling and tastes just like chicken enchiladas. Except soup. So either that’s really weird for you or it sounds amazing (or a little bit of both, in which case, I totally think you need to just take a walk on the wild side. You won’t regret it, I promise.)
Ingredients Needed
- Diced onion
- Fresh garlic
- Carrots
- Celery
- Bell pepper
- Jalapeño
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Ground coriander
- Dried oregano
- Smoked paprika
- Chicken broth
- Diced, canned tomatoes
- Corn tortillas
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Shredded, cooked chicken – from a rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Cream
- For garnishing, all or a few of your choice: sliced green onions, sour cream, tortilla chips or strips, shredded cheddar or pepperjack
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Soup
The following steps are a quick overview, keep scrolling for the printable recipe and more detailed instructions!
- Start by sautéing lots of veggies. These will get puréed, so if you have picky eaters, it’s a great way to sneak them in! Saute onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeño.
- While the vegetables are cooking, combine a spice mix of chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and smoked paprika. When the vegetables are tender, add the spices and stir to combine.
- Add chicken broth, some diced tomatoes, and water and bring it to a boil.
- Drop in some torn corn tortillas, which will cook down and help to thicken the soup.
- Simmer this until everything is super tender (about 30-45 minutes) and then puree it with an emmersion blender. You’ll then add more tomatoes, some shredded chicken and finish it off with just a little cream.
- You can garnish with your favorite toppings- we love sliced green onions, shredded cheese, diced avocado and crushed tortilla chips!
Frequently Asked Questions
The tortillas blend up very smoothly and create both the delicious texture, and flavor. If you don’t have them or aren’t able to include for dietary reasons, it’s okay to leave out, but the soup will be more thin and brothy. You could also substitute some masa harina (corn flour).
Yes! After sautéing the vegetables, add them to your slow cooker and continue with recipe as written, cooking on high for 4 hours or low for 8. Puree. Add the remaining diced tomatoes, shredded chicken breast and cream, stir to combine.
Of course. There’s a small amount of cream and it adds a delicious richness to the soup. If you can’t have cream, you can leave it out or use a plant-based alternative.
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped (remove the seeds and membranes to cut down on the heat)
- 5-6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 heaping teaspoon cumin
- 1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes divided
- 1 cup water
- 5-6 6-inch yellow corn tortillas
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Shredded breast meat from 1 medium rotisserie chicken Or 2-3 cooked, shredded, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup heavy cream
- chopped green onions
- sour cream
- shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, jalapeño, and sauté until fragrant and the vegetables are tender, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds more.
- While the vegetables are cooking, combine the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and smoked paprika. When the vegetables are tender, add the spices and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth, 1/2 the can of diced tomatoes (just eyeball it), and water and bring to a simmer.
- Tear up the tortillas into the soup. Cover and turn the heat down to low and simmer 30-45 minutes.
- Remove from heat or turn it down to very low. Use an immersion blender to puree soup.
- Add the remaining tomatoes, the shredded chicken breast meat and the cream and stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately and add toppings as desired, like green onions, shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
Notes
- Slow Cooker Instructions: After sautéing the vegetables, add them to your slow cooker and add the spices. Stir to combine. Blend with the chicken broth and 1/2 cup of tomatoes until smooth, either with an immersion blender or in a traditional blender. Add water and torn tortillas and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. If necessary, blend again. Add the remaining diced tomatoes, shredded chicken breast and cream, stir to combine, and serve immediately
- Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 3-4 days for best results.
- Freeze individual portions for an easy meal on busy days! For best results, freeze before adding the cream. Once reheated, add a splash of cream or a nice dollop of sour cream.
Questions & Reviews
My good golly, this was delicious! I followed your directions to a T, and it was almost perfect., and the sound of spoons scraping the bottom of bowls was music to my ears. Every one of my guests went back for seconds. Today, I warmed up the leftovers and it was so good I thought I might faint. Those flavors had morphed overnight into something even more spectacular. I will make again, and again, and again. My picky veggie-hating son even liked it. I didn’t tell him about the giant pile of veggies that went into it.
Thanks for a great recipe!
P.S. Using my immersion blender on this was so satisfying.
This looks fantastic! With two kids in evening sports, this will be perfect!
Hi Kate and Sara! I don’t know that you’ll see this since this is an old post but in case you do… I just had chicken enchilada soup from chili’s tonight and fell in love (hence why I came here searching for a recipe, you’re always my first search!!!). I just had weight loss surgery and am on liquids and purées for a while, do you think I could blend the chicken up in this? I’ve never blended chicken so I am not sure how that works! if not I can strain in of course, but I’ve gotta get a ton of protein in too, so I thought win-win! (Triple win being an OBB recipe!)
Hey Casey! Ya know, I’ve never blended chicken before, but if you have a pretty good blender, immersion blender, or food processor, it would probably work. You would probably still have some texture in there, but if you don’t mind that I think you’d be okay. I hope your recovery and weight loss goes well!