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Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken enchilada soup that delivers a thick, smoky, dark red broth with shredded chicken, black beans, and corn. This enchilada soup recipe simmers until the flavors meld, then finishes with a melty cheese + sour cream + tortilla strip topping.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cooked chicken, shredded
  • 3 cup cooked chicken Use shredded, cooked chicken (rotisserie works).
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.25 salt Adjust to taste.
  • 0.25 pepper Adjust to taste.
Enchilada base
  • 1 can (28 oz) red enchilada sauce
  • 3 cup chicken broth
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel) Undrained.
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans Drained and rinsed.
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drained.
Toppings
  • 0.5 cup shredded cheddar For topping.
  • 0.5 cup sour cream For topping.
  • 1 avocado Sliced/diced for topping.
  • 0.25 cup cilantro Chopped for topping.
  • 1 cup tortilla strips For topping.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Build the soup base
  1. Add red enchilada sauce, chicken broth, diced tomatoes with green chiles, black beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a large pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice so the flavors meld and the broth thickens slightly.
Finish with chicken
  1. Stir in the shredded chicken and simmer for 10 minutes, until heated through and the chicken is evenly distributed in the dark red broth.
  2. Taste and adjust seasoning with more cumin, chili powder, or salt as desired, then simmer 1-2 minutes to blend the changes.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls.
  2. Top each bowl generously with shredded cheddar, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and tortilla strips, letting the cheese melt from the hot broth.
  3. Serve immediately while the toppings are fresh and the broth is hot.

Notes

Pro tip: If your enchilada sauce is mild, start by adding only 1/2 teaspoon extra chili powder or cumin after simmering, then adjust until the broth tastes bold. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or microwave. Freezing is not recommended because sour cream and avocado toppings don’t hold up well—add fresh toppings after reheating. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cheddar and swap some of the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.