Chicken Enchilada Soup (One-Pot or Slow Cooker)
Creamy chicken enchilada soup made with cream cheese and loaded with veggies. Make it in the slow cooker or on the stovetop in under an hour.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven optional
- Slow Cooker optional
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, small diced
- 1 red bell pepper, ½-inch diced
- 1 medium zucchini, ½-inch diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon mild chili powder
- 1 15-ounc can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 cups mild red enchilada sauce
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
To Add at the End
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese (about 2 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Cook the Veggies: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened and just starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder, stirring to coat the vegetables. Pour in the kidney beans, pinto beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, enchilada sauce, broth, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Nestle the chicken into the mixture.
- Simmer: Cover, bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to gentle simmer. Cook, covered, for 15-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender (timing will depend on the type of chicken and size of pieces used). Once cooked, remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks or dice into 1-inch chunks.
- Partially Blend: Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to blend 1 to 2 cups of the soup directly in the pot. Alternatively, carefully transfer to a blender, blend on high, then return to the pot. This helps create a thicker, creamier base without added cream, while keeping plenty of texture.
- Finish and Serve: Ladle one cup of the soup broth to a small bowl. Stir in the cream cheese and whisk until fully melted and smooth. Add the cream cheese mixture along with the cooked chicken back to the pot and stir to combine. Add the lime juice, stir, then taste and add more salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and top with whatever makes you happy!
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Prepare the Veggies: Cook and season the veggies according to step 1, above. Or, for a dump-and-go option, skip this step and add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini and ½ teaspoon of the salt to a 6-quart slow cooker. Then proceed with adding the remaining ingredients, below.
- Add to the Slow Cooker: Add the cooked onion, bell pepper, and zucchini along with the cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, kidney beans, pinto beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, enchilada sauce, broth, chicken, and and the remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cook: Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or high for 5-6 hours, or until the chicken is fully cooked and everything is tender. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks, or dice into 1-inch chunks..
- Blend: Blend 1 to 2 cups of the soup using an immersion blender right in the slow cooker, or transfer carefully to a blender and then return.
- Finish and Serve: Ladle one cup of the soup broth to a small bowl. Stir in the cream cheese and whisk until fully melted and smooth. Add the cream cheese mixture along with the cooked chicken back to the pot and stir to combine. Add the lime juice, stir, then taste and add more salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and top with whatever makes you happy!
Notes
- Optional Toppings: crushed tortilla chips, avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, lime wedges.
- Spice it Up: I love that you can easily control the spice level of this soup, so feel free to use mild enchilada sauce and chili powder if you’re keeping it family-friendly, or go spicy on both if that’s more your vibe. As written it's not very spicy, so add a kick of spice if that's your thing!
- Enchilada Sauce: Use jarred enchilada sauce for this one if possible. It has better flavor and texture than canned, or you can make a quick batch of my homemade enchilada sauce to really take it over the top!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 (of 6) | Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 765mg | Potassium: 1084mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1697IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 4mg
