Chicken Enchilada Soup
It’s everything you love about one of your favorite Mexican dishes but in an easy-to-make, warm comforting soup! Our Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe is packed full of flavor and is one of our new family favorites!
You all… this soup!! We have a lot of soup recipes here and they all are delicious. So delicious. But let me just say, this soup, this Chicken Enchilada Soup is really good. So so good that it’s become one of our new favorites!
It has all of the flavors you want in your favorite chicken enchiladas, but in a big ol’ warm comforting soup. Plus, it’s ready in about 45 minutes, gluten-free, and healthy! When my 5 year old asks to take it to school for lunch, I know it’s a good one!
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken – We prefer chicken breasts is best because we think white meat is best for this recipe. You could also use a bone-in breast, although that may adjust cooking time and they’re a touch more work to shred.
- Black Beans – A classic bean for any Mexican inspired dish! But of course you can substitute your favorite or whatever you have on hand.
- Corn – The subtle sweetness in this is compliments all of the flavors in this soup, perfectly!
- Garlic, Onion, and Butter – Sautéing the allums in butter first adds so much flavor!
- Fresh Jalapeño – Also sautéed in the beginning to add flavor. Use just a little or a lot based on the heat you want to add.
- Tomato Paste – The mixture of the paste with the spices is what gives this soup the enchilada flavor.
- Spices – Speaking of which: cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and salt, all combined make up that classic enchiada sauce flavor. It should, it’s what we use in our Enchilada Sauce From Scratch!
- Chicken Stock – Vegetable is great, too!
- Cheddar Cheese – Our standard is always Tillamook’s Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese.
- Fresh Cilantro – Great to finish with, but if cilantro isn’t your flavor, you can totallt omit it.
- Fresh Lime Juice and Apple Cider Vinegar – This adds just the right amount of acidity to round out and elevate all of the flavors of the whole soup!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Create the base, it’s where the flavor is built!
- Sauté garlic and onion in butter then add the jalapeño.
- Add spices to toast with the garlic and onion and then add tomato paste.
- Mix and whisk in the stock.
Add the chicken to cook in this flavor bombed stock- which will only develop even more flavor while the chicken cooks!
After the chicken has cooked in the enchilada-fied stock, remove it and add your corn and beans. Let them cook while you shred your chicken.
Add the cheese, cilantro, and apple cider vinegar and give it a good mix to let that cheese melt, and then return your chicken to the pot.
Finish with some fresh lime juice and you are ready to serve!
Then done! Chicken Enchilada Soup! This is a good one, friends. Like really good. My 5-year-old declared that it was her favorite soup yet. Which for that little soup lovin’ soul, that’s saying something!
Cooking Tips and Questions
Definitely! Just follow all of the instructions but just add the chicken closer to the end of the cooking time. See recipe notes.
For the best melty cheese results, you always want to shred your own cheese. That’s because pre-shredded cheeses have additives that prevent clumping in the bag which make them not melt as well as when you shred from a block. If that’s all you have though, it definitely won’t adjust the taste, though!
Yup! See recipe notes for adjustments to make this enchilada soup recipe in either.
Absolutely! It’s also delicious without the chicken and with veggie stock.
Because the sauteeing of onions, garlic, and jalapeno can go fast, and your don’t want anything to burn, it’s best to get your spices, tomato paste, and stock ready so that when you need to add each, they’re all ready and in place.
This soup can be as hot or as mild as you’d like! That fresh jalapeno – especially the seeds – can add even more heat to the soup. For a mild soup, we use just 1 tablespoon (without any seeds) chopped. But you can add as much as you’d like to bring up the heat!
Plate and serve this Chicken Enchilada Soup with your favorite tortilla chips (my kiddos favorite), more fresh sliced jalapeno, some cotija cheese (or more cheddar cheese), a dollop of sour cream, more cilantro, or fresh avocado. The possibilities are endless!
I’m telling you, if you’re looking for a new soup to make, this one will not disappoint!
Other Mexican Inspired Dishes
- Enchilada Skillet Pasta
- 15 Minute Black Bean and Spinach Burritos
- Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Tacos
Mexican Street Corn Salad - Mexican Corn Ribs
- Sweet Sriracha Chicken Tacos
- Crock Pot Taco Soup
- Turkey Taco Cups
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
If you want to see more, be sure to sign up for my 5 Easy Ways to Start Cooking From Scratch!
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 cups corn
- 1 1/2 cups black beans approximately 1 can
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
Optional Toppings
- cotija cheese
- sliced jalapenos
- avocado
- sour cream
- More shredded cheese
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium. Prep spices by measuring and adding them all to a small bowl. Measure out tomato paste and have chicken stock ready.
- Add garlic and onion to butter and saute for 2 minutes. Add jalapeno, mix, and saute for another minute. Add salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and oregano, mix and then add tomato paste. Mix so that the paste is well coated with onions and spices. Saute for another minute.
- Slowly add chicken stock, whisking while you add to incorporate all of the tomato paste.
- Add chicken and turn heat up to high to bring it to a boil. Let boil for 20 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Remove chicken and add to a medium sized bowl, and add beans and corn.
- Shred chicken.
- Add cheese and stir to melt. Add apple cider vinegar and cilantro, and return chicken to the pot. Finish with lime juice.
- Top with tortilla strips, avocado, more fresh cilantro, sour cream, or additional shredded cheese and enjoy!
I think I would add strips of corn tortillas to the soup because they are one of the signature ingredients in enchiladas.
A delicious addition on top, for sure!
I made this soup for a family holiday get together and it was delicious! It came together quickly, and was perfect for making a few hours in advance then serving later. The addition of tomato paste in the recipe adds a lot of flavor and really sets this one apart from other chicken-tortilla-type soups. I’d cook this again and again!
SO great to hear, Ruth!! Thanks so much for sharing and taking the time to leave a review! 😀
This is a yummy soup, I made it without the cumin though. I’m Mexican but I don’t usually add that spice to my food, funny ha?
Love the flavors in this soup. The whole family enjoyed it. I definitely will make again.