Enchilada Soup Recipe

This enchilada soup recipe is one of the most satisfying meals in a bowl you can make. Sure, most people tend to think of soup as a side dish, but when you top this savory soup with a pile of corn chips or tortilla shreds or mix in some cooked rice, it really is a complete lunch or dinner (or breakfast, why not?) that packs in the protein and veggies and tastes sublime. 

And along with being nourishing and filling, this soup is also quite versatile. You can make it as spicy or mild as you want, and you can make an enchilada soup that will be a hit with everyone at the table. "I lean on the vegetarian side most nights, so I would make this without chicken and with another bean like pinto," says chef, food writer, and registered dietician Kristen Carli. 

Not into the whole "meal in a bowl" thing? No problem! This enchilada soup recipe pairs perfectly with all your favorite Mexican, Tex-Mex, or Southwest staples, like fajitas, tacos, and burritos. You can also keep it nice and simple, says Carli, as the soup "pairs well with Mexican rice or tortillas for dipping." Now let's get cooking!

This enchilada soup recipe calls for shredding pre-cooked chicken, and you can cook said chicken well in advance of making the soup, or you can buy pre-cooked meat. But assuming you want to cook it yourself, let's quickly talk through three ways to cook a medium-sized boneless, skinless chicken breast.

To bake/roast chicken, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and then cook the chicken for between 15 to 20 minutes until its center reads 165 degrees with your meat thermometer. To grill chicken, pre-heat your grill to a medium heat setting, then cook the breast on one side for six to seven minutes, then flip and repeat, again checking for that 165-degree internal temp. Finally, you can poach chicken breasts by bringing water to a steady boil and submerging the chicken for between seven to ten minutes — check on progress at that seven-minute mark.

This enchilada soup recipe may involve a lot of ingredients, but it also involves very few steps, so don't be intimidated! You'll need olive oil, half of a yellow onion, minced garlic, a red bell pepper, a green bell pepper, vegetable broth, enchilada sauce, a can of black beans, a can of white corn (or corn from a frozen bag), a can of green chiles, chili powder, ground cumin, and shredded chicken.

Of course, you can always replace the chicken with more beans if you want to make this veggie-friendly.

If time is not a factor, there is a super-easy way to make this enchilada soup recipe. "This can be slow cooked in a slow cooker easily," says Carli. "Just dump all ingredients and cook on low for six hours."

To get things going in less than 20 minutes instead, to start, in a large stock pot, add olive oil over medium heat. Then, add onion, garlic, and peppers, and sauté until they soften, which will take about five minutes.

There really are just two steps to this enchilada soup recipe, not counting prepping a few ingredients (meaning chopping your veggies and shredding the chicken). 

Once the onions, garlic, and peppers are soft and fragrant, add the black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, vegetable broth, green chiles, chili powder, and cumin to the pot. Now, bring things to a boil, then add in the shredded chicken. Finally, lower the pot to a simmer and let things cook for about ten minutes.

And that's it! Spice and top your soup however you want, and note that Carli says it "stores well in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container."