This Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe combines the convenience of rotisserie chicken with a medley of fresh vegetables, aromatic spices, and a velvety base of cream cheese. In just a few simple steps, and in less than 30-minutes, you can create a flavorful, comforting soup your entire family will love. Plus, it’s perfect for weeknight dinners, or chilly evenings when you crave something hearty and satisfying.
USING ROTISSERIE CHICKEN TO MAKE SOUP
Utilizing rotisserie chicken in soup recipes like this low-carb Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup offers a multitude of advantages, primarily revolving around convenience and time-saving benefits. Rotisserie chicken is pre-cooked, seasoned, and readily available at most grocery stores, making it a go-to ingredient for quick and easy meals. When used in soups or casseroles, rotisserie chicken shreds effortlessly, adding a hearty texture and a depth of flavor to the dish.
Substituting with Cooked Chicken
While rotisserie chicken is convenient, cooking your own chicken allows for greater control over the cooking process and flavor profile. When you cook chicken at home, you can customize the seasoning to compliment the specific recipe you’re preparing.
To substitute with cooked chicken, you can either roast, grill, boil, or even use a slow cooker. Roasting or grilling adds a lovely smokiness, similar to the rotisserie chicken, while boiling in a seasoned broth keeps the meat moist and flavorful. Once cooked, allow the chicken to cool slightly before shredding.
WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS ENCHILADA SOUP RECIPE
- Quick and Easy: Utilize rotisserie chicken for a hassle-free meal preparation. It’s a hearty soup that can be on your dinner table in 30-minutes!
- Flavor-Packed: The combination of spices, tomatoes, and creamy base creates a burst of flavors in every spoonful.
- Customizable: Adjust the spice level by controlling the amount of jalapeños and chili powder, making it suitable for everyone’s taste.
- Nutrient-Rich: Packed with veggies, protein, and wholesome ingredients, it’s a balanced meal on its own.
TIPS ON MAKING THE BEST CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP
- Balance the Heat: Adjust the spiciness to your preference. If you enjoy a milder soup, remove the seeds and membranes from jalapeños, or leave them out for a more kid-friendly option. For extra heat, add the seeds, and/or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Sauté Vegetables Well: Sautéing the carrots, onions, celery, and jalapeños before adding liquids enhances their natural sweetness. This step builds a robust foundation for your soup’s flavor.
- Layer Flavors: Sautéing the spices briefly with vegetables intensifies their flavors.
- Cream Cheese: Adding the cream cheese prior to blending will result in a creamier soup base.
- Fresh Lime Juice: Squeeze fresh lime juice just before serving. The acidity brightens the flavors and balances the richness of the soup.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP
- Prepare the Base: In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the carrots, jalapeños, onions, and celery until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add the spices and allow to toast up for a few minutes. Pour in the tomatoes. Stir. Cook for a few more minutes to develop even more flavor.
- Simmer and Blend: Pour in chicken stock and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves
- Creamy Addition: Return the soup to the pot over low heat. Add cream cheese. Blend with an immersion blender or stand-up blender until smooth and creamy.
- Finishing: Taste for salt. Add the corn, black beans, shredded chicken and fresh cilantro. Simmer on low for another 5 minutes to heat through. Squeeze fresh lime juice into the soup and mix well.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh sliced jalapeños, avocado slices, lime wedges, shredded cheese, and/or a dollop of sour cream.
HOW TO SERVE AND STORE CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP
Transform this easy, Homemade Chicken Enchilada Soup into a well-rounded, satisfying meal with these optional pairings:
- Cheese quesadillas
- Cornbread or warm tortillas
- Side salad
- Mexican rice
To store leftovers:
- Cool Down: Allow this comforting chicken soup to cool to room temperature before storing it.
- Airtight Container: Transfer the cooled soup into airtight containers or resealable plastic bags. Divide the soup into smaller portions if you plan to freeze it.
- Refrigeration: If you plan to consume the soup within a few days, store it in the refrigerator. It can stay fresh for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: If you want to store this creamy enchilada soup for a longer period, freezing is the best option. Cream-based soups can be frozen, but they might undergo a slight texture change upon thawing. To freeze, ensure the soup has cooled completely. Seal it in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag, leaving some space for expansion. For better results, remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing.
- Thawing and Reheating: Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even heating. Avoid high heat to prevent the soup from curdling.
MORE TO LOVE
If you love this Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup, give these soup recipes a try:
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Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe combines the convenience of rotisserie chicken with a medley of fresh vegetables, aromatic spices, and a velvety base of cream cheese. In just a few simple steps, and in just about 30-minutes, you can create a flavorful, comforting soup your entire family will love. Plus, it’s perfect for weeknight dinners, or chilly evenings when you crave something hearty and satisfying.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño, roughly chopped
- 1, 10-ounce can Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chiles
- 1, 14.5-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 6-ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1, 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the roughly chopped celery, onions, carrots and jalapeño. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sauté for a few minutes to soften the vegetables.
- Add the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and paprika. Toast the spices for a minute, or two to develop even more flavor.
- Add in all of the tomatoes and bay leaves. Stir and allow to cook for a few minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock. Turn up the heat to almost a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- On low heat, add the cream cheese.
- Blend using an immersion blender or stand-up blender until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the corn, black beans, shredded chicken and fresh cilantro. Stir to combine. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes to warm through.
- Add in the fresh lime juice. Taste for salt.
- Ladle the Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup into bowls. Optionally, serve garnished with fresh sliced jalapeño, sliced avocado, lime wedges, shredded cheese and/or sour cream.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- Use shredded rotisserie chicken for ease. Alternatively, cook your own chicken.
- This Chicken Enchilada Soup is spicy. Leave out the jalapeño to make it more mild in flavor.
- Be sure to remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Add the cream cheese prior to blending to create a creamier soup base.
- If using a stand-up blender, you may have to blend in batches. Be careful when blending as the mixture is HOT!
- If the soup is too thick after blending, add in a touch more chicken stock.
- To thicken the soup, add more cream cheese.
- Optionally, garnish with fresh sliced jalapeño, sour cream, sliced avocado and/or shredded cheese.
- For a complete meal, serve with Mexican rice, a side salad, cheese quesadillas or cornbread.
- See post for additional tips and notes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup, Dinner
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American, Mexican-Influenced
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