Ready in less than one hour, Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup is loaded with superb Tex-Mex flavor. A creamy, seasoned broth, filled with tender precooked chicken, black beans, cheese and corn, is savored in each delicious spoonful.
Made with precooked chicken, this tasty tortilla soup is incredibly easy to whip together, making it the perfect choice for busy weeknights.
A can of red enchilada sauce adds a perfectly sweet, mildly spicy flavor. And the cream cheese, that gets swirled in before serving, gives this hearty soup a luxurious, creamy taste that takes it to the next level.
My kids will tell you though that the best part about enjoying this soup is the toppings. Just like with Easy Stove Top Chili, toppings make this tortilla soup more zesty, flavorful and fun.
From sour cream and shredded cheese, to tortilla strips, green onions, jalapeños, sliced avocado and more, Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup is a customizable big bowl of yum!
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👪Why you'll love it
| Easy recipe that's great for chicken leftovers- Have leftover chicken in the fridge? This is a great way to use it. Plus, when you use precooked chicken, Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup is a one pot meal cooked exclusively on your stove top. If you have more chicken to use, find more recipe ideas here: Easy Leftover Chicken Recipes. Great for busy nights- This tasty tortilla soup is ready in less than one hour. 'Nuff said. Simple ingredients- This recipe uses basic ingredients that you most likely already have on hand, including chicken broth, corn, black beans and cream cheese. |
🥘Ingredients
- low sodium chicken broth- provides a nice hearty base
- red enchilada sauce- gives the broth a sweet, spicy kick
- precooked chicken, cut into small pieces- this soup is perfect for chicken leftovers or rotisserie chicken
- frozen corn- you can also use canned corn
- black beans- add a nice flavor, texture and added protein; feel free to add a can of pinto beans too
- reduced fat cream cheese- I use Philadelphia brand; you don't need the full fat version
- shredded Mexican cheese blend- most of this will be swirled into the soup to make it cheesy and creamy; be sure to save some to sprinkle on top!
- sour cream for topping- provides a nice tang; you'll likely use one cup or less
- tortilla strips- no enchilada soup is complete without that crispy crunch on top!
Additional toppings of your choice could include scallions, diced avocado, red pepper flakes and more!
🔪Instructions
For a more complete set of instructions, see the printable recipe card below.
- Before starting, thaw the frozen corn and soften the cream cheese on your counter.
- Pour the chicken broth and enchilada sauce into a large pot; stir. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the precooked chicken, corn and black beans. Stir occasionally while soup simmers, about 10-15 minutes.
- Break up the softened cream cheese into small chunks and add to the pot. Also add some of the shredded cheese; stir until smooth.
- Once blended well, return the heat to its lowest setting, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and allow to stand about 5 minutes.
- Spoon Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup into bowls, then add the toppings. Dollop sour cream over each portion. Sprinkle on the cheese, tortilla strips, and any other desired toppings.
Hint: When I'm in an extra spicy mood, I add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
🥣Substitutions
Sauce: If you want to dial back the spice, use a can of plain tomato sauce instead of enchilada sauce.
Meat: Instead of precooked chicken, you can use turkey leftovers.
📖Variations
Spicy: A dash of hot sauce will provide an extra kick. Add this to individual bowls just before serving.
Authentic: Add freshly squeezed lime juice to the broth and chopped cilantro as a topping to brighten the soup's flavors and give it more of a traditional Mexican taste.
Extra chunky: Add a can of crushed tomatoes or Rotel to the soup. You could also use fresh diced tomatoes.
🍽Equipment
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- large pot with lid, or 6 quart Dutch oven
- stirring spoon
- ladle
- measuring cups and measuring spoons
🍶Storage
Allow to cool, then store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within 3 days. When reheating the soup, stir occasionally until evenly heated over low to medium heat on your stovetop. (You can also reheat it in the microwave.)
You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
💭Top tip
To save time, I often soften the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You definitely want the cream cheese softened and at least at room temperature before adding it to the soup. Otherwise, you'll end up with white flecks in the broth, which tastes fine, but doesn't look very appealing.
🗨️FAQ
In this recipe, cream cheese. If you're looking to make it even creamier, add ½ cup of heavy cream after the cream cheese has been added and blended.
No. Chicken tortilla soup and this recipe use chicken, while taco soup typically uses beef. Taco soup is also heartier and thicker.
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍴Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup:
📋Recipe
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (15 ounces) red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups pre-cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed You can substitute 1 (12 ounce) can corn, drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese Philadelphia brand highly recommended
- ¼ cup reduced fat shredded 4 cheese Mexican blend You will be using more of this for the topping, see below
Toppings
- 1 cup reduced fat sour cream Daisy or Breakstone's preferred
- ½ cup tortilla strips
- ½ cup reduced fat shredded 4 cheese Mexican blend Sargento's recommended
Instructions
- Before starting the soup, soften the cream cheese on your counter to room temperature. Also begin to thaw frozen corn in a separate bowl.
- Pour chicken broth and enchilada sauce into a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir gently until blended. Partially cover and bring to a boil over medium to high heat, stirring occasionally. After it boils, turn heat on burner down to lowest setting. Allow the soup to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the pre-cooked chicken, corn and black beans. Stir occasionally while soup continues to simmer for an additional 12-15 minutes.
- Break up the softened cream cheese bar into small chunks and add to the pot. Next add ¼ cup of the shredded cheese. Raise the heat slightly and stir consistently for the next 5 minutes or until cheeses blend smoothly into the soup.
- Return heat to its lowest setting, stirring occasionally. Maintain this step until about 5 minutes before ready to serve.
- Remove from heat and allow to stand 5 minutes.
- Ladle soup into individual servings. Dollop a generous tablespoon or more of reduced fat sour cream over each portion. Evenly divide the remaining ½ cup shredded cheese and sprinkle over each serving. Then top with tortilla strips.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerate and enjoy within 3 days. You can also freeze the soup for 3 months.
- This soup tastes best when it is reheated on the stovetop over low to medium heat. Stir occasionally until soup is heated through.
Notes
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- To save time, I often soften the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You definitely want the cream cheese softened and at least at room temperature before adding it to the soup. Otherwise, you'll end up with white flecks in the broth, which doesn't look very appealing.
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- When I'm in an extra spicy mood, I add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce.
Marie F. says
This is such a delicious soup! I never used enchilada sauce in a soup before and it was excellent in this. My husband says this is his favorite soup that I've made.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
The enchilada sauce really adds a pop of flavor. I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed it. Maybe he would like Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas too. It's another recipe that uses precooked chicken. Find it in the Main Dishes section on this blog, or search for it at the top!