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Overhead view of Chicken Enchilada Soup in a white bowl with a black spoon on the side.
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5 from 20 votes

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This super flavorful Chicken Enchilada Soup features tender chicken breasts, lots of spices, and a tangy homemade enchilada sauce that cooks alongside the other soup ingredients.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American, Southwest
Total Cost: $10.18 recipe / $1.96 serving
Servings: 6 (about 1.5 cups each)
Calories: 181kcal
Author: Marsha McDougal

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp cooking oil divided, $0.12
  • 1 yellow onion diced, $0.70
  • 1 jalapeño seeded & diced, $0.33
  • 2 cloves garlic minced, $0.16
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour $0.02
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder $0.60*
  • ½ tsp ground cumin $0.05
  • ½ tsp garlic powder $0.05
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper $0.02
  • ¾ tsp salt $0.05
  • 3 oz. tomato paste $0.43**
  • 1 15oz. can black beans drained, $0.69
  • 1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes $1.18**
  • 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles $0.96**
  • 1 cup frozen corn $0.30
  • 4 cups chicken broth $0.52
  • 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, about 1½ lbs. $4.00***

Toppings

  • shredded cheese
  • cilantro
  • sliced avocado
  • sour cream
  • sliced jalapeño

Instructions

  • Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil along with the diced onion, finely diced jalapeño, and minced garlic cloves to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
  • Next, add the flour, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and remaining 2 Tbsp cooking oil to the pot. Stir well and cook the flour and spices with the vegetables for 2 minutes.
  • Add the tomato paste, drained black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, frozen corn, and chicken broth to the pot. Stir all the ingredients together making sure to dissolve the tomato paste and scrape up any spices that may be stuck at the bottom of the pot.
  • Now add the chicken breasts to the pot. Place a lid on the pot and bring the soup up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer for 45 minutes. Make sure the soup is just at a steady simmer at this point, as this will help to create tender chicken breast meat.
  • After the soup has simmered for 45 minutes, remove the chicken breasts and place them on a clean cutting board. Once cool enough to touch, shred the chicken breasts with a fork.
  • Add the shredded chicken meat back to the soup pot and stir until the chicken is evenly distributed throughout the soup.
  • Serve this soup with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, cilantro, sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, or even some more sliced jalapeño. Enjoy!

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Notes

* This soup definitely has a kick to it. The chili powder I use is mild, but other brands can carry heat. If you are using a spicy chili powder, reduce or eliminate the cayenne powder to compensate. I would say the heat level of this soup is medium spicy, like a medium salsa.
**A combination of fire-roasted tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and tomato paste adds even more flavor and texture to the soup. The tomato paste is used to make the enchilada sauce, which helps thicken the soup, so I wouldn't skip it.
***You can substitute with boneless, skinless chicken thighs to bring the price down. The cook time may vary slightly.
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Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 1075mg | Fiber: 3g