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Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken enchilada soup with a thick, smoky dark red broth, shredded chicken, black beans, and corn. This easy Tex-Mex chicken soup simmers until flavors meld, then gets topped with melty cheddar, sour cream, crunchy tortilla strips, and fresh avocado.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken Enchilada Soup
  • 3 cup cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1 can (28 oz) red enchilada sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel), undrained
  • 3 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 pepper to taste
  • 1 shredded cheddar for topping
  • 1 sour cream for topping
  • 1 avocado for topping
  • 1 cilantro for topping
  • 1 tortilla strips for topping

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Simmer the broth
  1. Combine red enchilada sauce, chicken broth, Rotel, black beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir until everything is evenly mixed and hot throughout, with visible bubbling starting at the edges.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Look for a steady low simmer with a lightly thickened dark red broth.
Add chicken and finish
  1. Stir in shredded chicken and simmer another 10 minutes. The soup should look cohesive and hot, with chicken strands distributing through the broth.
  2. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with more cumin, chili powder, or salt as desired. Stop when the flavor is bold and well-balanced, with no flat taste.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls. Keep it hot so the toppings melt and soften slightly on contact.
  2. Top generously with shredded cheddar, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and tortilla strips. Aim for a mound of cheddar with creamy sour cream swirls and bright green avocado on top, plus crisp tortilla strips.
  3. Serve immediately. The tortilla strips should stay lightly crisp while the cheese softens.

Notes

For quicker prep, use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and shred it right before cooking. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove until hot (add fresh tortilla strips when serving). Freezing is not recommended because the toppings and beans can change texture. For a dairy-light option, use reduced-fat cheddar and sour cream or swap with a dairy-free sour cream alternative.