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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!
I have looked at countless stores in my city, but I cannot find masa harina. What would you recommend I substitute it for?
Hi Jennifer! You could try chickpea flour or cornmeal (both will thicken, but the flavor won’t be quite the same). We hope that helps!
This looks delicious! I have some leftover home-made enchilada sauce, so I was looking for ways to use it up. I have a mainly vegetarian diet. Any suggestions for veggie alternatives to the chicken?
Thank you Fin — we hope you enjoy it! And hmmm, we would suggest adding more beans (maybe another can of black beans, or a can of pinto beans), and/or you could add some roasted sweet potato. We hope that helps!
This soup is DELICIOUS!! ?. I’ve made this many times! I often make a double recipe of Oven Baked Fajitas for dinner one night then a few days later use the leftovers to make this soup! Today I ran out of enchilada sauce so… I’ve got your homemade Enchilada Sauce simmering on the stove! Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for great recipes!
Thanks Lisa — we’re so glad to hear you love it! We hope you enjoy the enchilada sauce as well! :)
Can I use chickpea flour instead?
Hi Muzna! We haven’t tried chickpea flour in this, but we think you could give it a try!
Is there some alternative for Masa Harina?
You could try chickpea flour or cornmeal (both will thicken, but the flavor won’t be quite the same).
This looks so amazing! My husband and I absolutely love Chili’s and we always get bottomless chips and salsa and queso and their chicken enchilada soup is my absolute favorite. I can’t wait to try this out!
Thanks Charlsi — we hope you both enjoy this!
If using arrowroot as a substitute, as mentioned earlier due to an allergy, should I use the same amount of recommended for Masa Harina, 1/2 C?
Hi Brittany! Yes, you can use the same amount. We hope you enjoy this!
This soup is SOO good!! My kids and I loved it! Only thing I added to original recipe is a can of drained Mexican corn. Thank you for a great recipe :)
Thanks Chrissi — we’re happy to hear you and your kiddos enjoyed it! :)
Can I sub anything for the corn flour? We have an allergy in my family?
Yes, you can use arrowroot powder as a thickener. We hope that helps!
Made this today with mild green Chiles and my family loved it. My 10 year old helped mix and prep everything and my 4 year old and 3 year old helped too. And they all ate it! Including my picky husband. Thank you for the recipe it is a keeper!! Will add it to my collection.
Do you know if it freezes well?
We’re so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this Cala! We think you could try and freeze this soup, but it’s not ideal because of the cheese.