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Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 to 3 cups (about 1 pound) shredded cooked chicken
- 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) enchilada sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup masa harina
- 8 ounces freshly-grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- optional toppings: tortilla chips/strips, diced avocado, extra shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, or pico de gallo
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Simmer. Add the chicken stock, cooked chicken, enchilada sauce, black beans, tomatoes, green chiles, cumin and stir to combine. Continue cooking the soup until it reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer.
- Mix in the masa harina. Ladle out 2 cups of the hot broth into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup. Add the masa harina and whisk until combined. Add the mixture back to the hot soup and stir until combined.
- Add the cheeses. Add the cheeses and stir until melted and evenly combined. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve. Serve warm, garnished with lots of your favorite toppings.
Notes
Source: Recipe inspired by the amazing chicken enchilada soup from Chili's.
Update: Recipe updated slightly in 2022.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Made a double batch of this to feed 12 for a game night. I actually did not put in any meat, and added southwest style corn. I omitted the green chiles since I didn’t know if everyone would tolerate the heat level (used them in my test run earlier in the week – they do add a bit of spice). I used the homemade enchilada sauce linked here. I also did not put in the cheese because of some dairy restrictions, but grated a big bowl of it and let the everyone add it on their own. I just made sure the soup was kept hot to ensure it would melt well in the bowls. I actually even made the soup a day early and simply reheated about 30 minutes before the group arrived. It allows for all the flavors to really come together.
It was a hit! I had homemade tortilla chips, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole and cornbread as a variety of additions and all of those things taste wonderful added into this soup. Perfect match for the cold weather.
Thanks for sharing with us Catherine, we’re so glad this was a hit! :D
Amazing the best soup I have ever tasted. 10/10 stars. It’s way easier and less messy to make this then it is to make enchiladas. Amazing recipe
Wow, what a wonderful compliment Mary, thanks for sharing with us! We’re so happy you’re a fan! :D
Can the green chiles be omitted without messing the taste? I’m concerned about it getting too spicy. I’m hoping my toddlers will br able to eat it too.
Hi Dariela! The green chiles can be omitted, they’re really more for spice, but you can always use a can of mild green chiles – they will deliver good flavor without too much heat. You could also just use half a can of the mild ones if you wanted. Make sure if you make the homemade red enchilada sauce as well, that you don’t do the full amount of chili powder (just add gradually to taste); or if you use the store-bought kind, just make sure it isn’t advertised as spicy. We hope this helps and that you and your family enjoy the soup!
Just made this for dinner. Wow!! Added some fire roasted corn from Trader Joes. Thank you for the recipe, it’s a new family favorite.
Thanks for sharing Ashley, we’re glad you and your family enjoyed this!
Made this today but used shredded pork roast left over from dinner yesterday. I was delicious.
Awesome, we’re so glad you enjoyed this Christine! :)
I made the 20-minute Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup for dinner last night. It was so delicious! Hubby said, “Keep that recipe. It was good!” as he dug into a second bowl. I loved it, too!
Thanks Deanne, we’re so happy you and your husband enjoyed this! :)
Does this reheat well in the microwave? I’d love to bring for my work lunch.
Yes, definitely! We hope you enjoy!
Made this Tonight myself and hubby loved it. Taking some for my lunch tomorrow. Was an easy recipe to follow and the ingredients are so easy to find. Did not have a problem finding the mass flour and I live in the deep south .I did add some fresh corn and it took it to a new level of freshness. Thank you for the recipe. Looking forward to trying more.
We’re glad to hear that Beth, thanks for sharing! :D
This was perfect for a cold and windy day in Oklahoma! I made it to direction without adding as much cheese, as I used an ultra sharp cheddar block, and it was perfectly thick with about 2/3-3/4 of the cheese the recipe called for (I used some of the rest for garnish). I also added corn for an extra veggie. For anyone saying this looks good, it tastes even better! Be sure to make the tortillas for the added crunch (if you don’t soak them)! I added one more garnish, a small amount of sour cream on top, YUM! By the way, Ali, thank you for letting me know about Masa Harina (I used the yellow corn version), as this worked great and I am positive it tastes better than flour or corn meal as a thickener.
We’re so happy to hear that Josh, thanks for sharing with us! We’re glad you liked using the Masa Harina too! :)
Made this last night. OMGSH!!! I thought Chili’s made the best chicken enchilada soup. This is our winter time soup of the year. Honestly this is SUPER YUMMY. Thank you for posting it. This family LOVES IT!!!
Thanks Kathi, we’re so happy you and your family loved this! Thanks for sharing. :)