Description
A comforting and flavorful creamy chicken enchilada soup packed with tender chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, beans, corn, and a blend of spices, finished with creamy cheese for a perfect hearty meal.
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, rotisserie chicken works great, 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
Optional Toppings
- Shredded cheese
- Avocado
- Tortilla strips
- Fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
- Sliced jalapeño
- Lime juice
Instructions
- Heat the 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 an additional 2 minutes.
- Add main ingredients and simmer: Stir in fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices, enchilada sauce, chicken stock, black beans, corn, shredded cooked chicken, and all spices (cumin, salt, chili powder, oregano, red chili flakes, and black pepper). Stir well to combine. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the soup thickens and flavors blend.
- Incorporate cream cheese: After simmering, stir in the softened cream cheese until melted and fully combined into the soup. Continue cooking uncovered for an additional 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with your choice of optional toppings such as shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, sour cream, sliced jalapeño, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
- Slightly warm the cream cheese in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, unwrapped, on a microwave-safe plate to make it easier to mix into the soup.
- For a slow cooker version, after sautéing onion, bell pepper, and garlic, add all ingredients except cream cheese to the crock pot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Stir in the cream cheese during the last 20 minutes.
- For Instant Pot, sauté olive oil, onions, and peppers on “sauté” mode until tender. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients except cream cheese, cook on “manual” for 20 minutes, then slowly release steam. Stir in cream cheese until melted.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in microwave or stovetop.
- Adjust spice level by omitting red chili flakes and reducing chili powder to 1 teaspoon for less heat.
- If you prefer a thinner soup, add 1 to 2 cups more chicken broth when simmering.
- Regular diced tomatoes without green chilies can be substituted if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
