Can I tell you one thing that makes me unreasonably happy on a day-to-day basis?
Strangers smiling at me.
Even better?
Strangers waving, or nodding, or offering a pleasant hello, or even (my favorite) the ol’ one-finger-raise-on-the-steering wheel.
For whatever reason, I always notice those little things and they make me so happy for a moment or two. Actually, I think the best way to say it is that my heart genuinely feels warmed. And I’m reminded how much I just really like people. And how cool it is that two complete and utter strangers can make an encouraging connection in this big world, however fleeting. And how a moment so brief can have the power to make your day just a little brighter…just like that!
Crazy. And very cool. And call me cheesy, but it makes me want to return the favor to the world and smile or wave or say hi to strangers more often. Yes. That is exactly what I want to do.
What does that have to do with this soup? Nada. But it’s wonderful and also makes me smile, and it will keep you feeling warm and happy all winter long. Here’s how to make it…
Actually when I had the craving to make a batch of chicken enchilada soup, I took to Facebook to ask all of you if you would prefer a slow cooker or a 20-minute version. Both are quick and easy, but I couldn’t decide…and apparently, neither could you! It looks like the responses were pretty much split down the middle.
So because I aim to please and make you smile, and because there’s no such thing as too much chicken enchilada soup in my world, I went ahead and developed both recipes! Thus, today you get the slow cooker version. And if you tune back in on Wednesday, it’ll be a stovetop 20-minute cheesy version that a slightly different flavor variation too. (Actually it’s a copycat take on my old-time favorite chicken enchilada soup from Chili’s — you’ll have to check it out!)
Today, though, it’s all about the slow cooker. And I think this may be a winner for one of the easiest slow cooker recipes I’ve ever published on this site. You basically just toss everything in the slow cooker. (Or if you love color as much as I do, you can line the ingredients all up to look extra pretty…which is also pretty much 100% useless but…pretty!)
Then add in the key ingredient — enchilada sauce.
Since it is the key ingredient and will basically serve as the seasoning for the soup, I can’t recommend enough that you use a really good enchilada sauce for this recipe. And — ahem — I happen to have a homemade red enchilada sauce recipe on here that is my all-time-forever-and-ever-favorite. So if you are so inclined, I highly suggest you make a batch of that. But any enchilada sauce will work.
Then just let it cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours — whatever fits your schedule.
And once it’s done, shred the chicken and you’re ready to go!
Seriously, just look at that! I can hardly believe it only took about 10 minutes of prep time.
SO good, so much flavor, and it’s actually pretty light and good for you too.
You can either serve it just plain…
…or garnish it up with whatever toppings sound good. (I’ve included a mega list of suggestions below if you like to go topping-crazy.)
However you serve it, I’m pretty sure that this one will make you and your friends and family smile. And then we can all go on with our days and pass on the smiles to some other people.
Deal?
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- 2 cups good-quality chicken stock
- 1 1/4 cup (or a 10-ounce can) red enchilada sauce*, homemade or store-bought
- 2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole-kernel corn**, drained
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 white onion, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more/less to taste
- optional garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado, diced red onion, shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips/chips
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 hours on high heat or 6-8 hours on low heat, until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
- Serve warm, with optional garnishes.
- You can also refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!This post contains affiliate links.
Hello! Great recipe! Do I need to add anything if I’m making this for 6 hungry people?
Thanks, Sean! Just to ensure you have enough (since some people might want larger portions or seconds), we would make 1 1/2 the recipe. Maybe you could do some in the slow cooker and some on the stovetop (otherwise, the slow cooker might be overloaded). We hope this helps!
I love this soup. It’s a regular with my family.
Quick question… have you ever used ground turkey/beef instead of chicken?
We’re glad to hear that, Ella! We haven’t tried ground turkey or beef instead of chicken, but you certainly could (we bet either one would be yummy)! :)
Oops – I didn’t realize there were pages of comments, and you had already answered my above question!
Best recipe ever!
You are so sweet, Tammy — we’re so happy you love this!
I don’t own a slow cooker. Could I simmer this on the stove for 3-4 hours instead? Would I need to precook the chicken?
No worries, Lauren, you can definitely do this on the stovetop! Yes, you should pre-cook the chicken and you wouldn’t need to simmer for that long (about 30 min should do it). We hope you enjoy! :)
Every time I make this, someone asks for the recipe. Sometimes I use hominy instead of corn. Great recipe. Thank you.
We’re so glad to hear that, Heidi! And oooh, we’ll have to experiment with the hominy sometime!
Hi! I just made enchiladas with your sauce recipe ?? it was fantastic!! I didn’t use all the sauce or shredded chicken filling (with green chilies and onion), and I want to add variety by useing the leftovers for soup instead of more enchiladas! I have about 3-4 ounces of sauce, how can I dilute it to make the soup? Should I make it on the stove instead of the crock pot?
Thanks!
Hi Stephanie! Thanks for sharing with us — we’re glad to hear you enjoyed the sauce and the enchiladas! For this soup, if you only have about half of the enchilada sauce for the recipe, you might want to supplement it with some jarred enchilada sauce, or you could add more chicken stock to it so you have enough liquid. We’d still recommend doing it in the slow cooker (per the recipe), but you could totally do it on the stovetop instead! We hope you enjoy! :)
Can I use green enchilada sauce instead? I’m not a huge fan of red. It looks delicious so i might try it with red anyways
Hi Rontia! We haven’t tried this with green enchilada sauce, but if you prefer that, we say go for it! :)
On a cold rainy night this soup was sooo delicious. Thanks for sharing. I always love your recipes.
Marsha
Thank you, Marsha — we’re so happy you enjoyed it! :)
I seriously can’t stop making this. I have made it gluten-free by making the enchilada sauce with corn masa instead of flour., and I’ve also made it vegan by omitting chicken and using veggie stock. I just added more veggies… you don’t miss the meat! It freezes great and it makes enough to share with friends and family. I send my son out to make deliveries! Everyone loves it.