Best Chicken Enchilada Soup
Shredded chicken, beans, and corn in smoky enchilada broth, finished with cheese and cream. 30-minute fiesta in a bowl.
Ingredients
- For the Soup Base:
- 3 cups 420 g cooked shredded chicken
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can 10 oz red enchilada sauce
- 1 can 15 oz black beans, rinsed
- 1 can 15 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 4 cups 960 ml chicken broth
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Creamy Finish:
- 1 cup 100 g shredded cheddar
- ½ cup 120 ml heavy cream
- Toppings:
- Tortilla strips
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Sauté onion + pepper in oil 5–7 min until soft; add garlic 30 sec.
- Stir in spices 1 min to bloom.
- Add enchilada sauce, tomatoes, broth; scrape fond. Bring to simmer.
- Mix in chicken, beans, corn; simmer 10–15 min.
- Off heat, gradually add cheese + cream. Stir until smooth.
- Rest 2 min to thicken.
- Ladle into bowls; pile with toppings.
- Serve hot with lime squeeze.
Notes
- Low heat after cream = no curdling; critical step.
- Rotisserie chicken = instant flavor; shred while warm.
- Freeze base (no dairy) up to 3 months; add cream + cheese on reheat.
- Mild sauce + toppings control heat for all palates.
- GF: Use corn tortilla strips; naturally gluten-light.
- Topping bar = interactive fun; set out bowls for custom bowls.