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Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup is made by sautéing onions and aromatics, then simmering shredded chicken in a red enchilada broth with beans and corn. Stir in cream cheese until silky, then finish with a gentle simmer and serve it loaded with tortilla strips, sour cream, cheddar, cilantro, and lime.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and base
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cooked and shredded
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans Drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drained
  • 1 onion Diced
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced
  • 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
  • 4 cup chicken broth
Creamy layer
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 oz cream cheese Cubed
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
For serving
  • sour cream To taste
  • cheddar To taste
  • tortilla strips To taste
  • cilantro To taste
  • lime To taste
  • salt To taste
  • pepper To taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté aromatics
  1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion for 4 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often to bloom the spices.
Build the soup base
  1. Add the enchilada sauce, chicken broth, black beans, and corn to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir to combine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
Melt in cream cheese
  1. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and stir in the cubed cream cheese until completely melted and smooth. Keep stirring until no cream cheese lumps remain.
Add chicken and finish simmering
  1. Add the shredded chicken and heavy cream, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup is heated through. The texture should look creamy with a light red color.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, topped with sour cream, cheddar, tortilla strips, cilantro, and lime.

Notes

Pro tip: cubed cream cheese melts faster—stir in off the boil and keep the heat gentle so the soup stays silky. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freezing: no, cream-based soups can break when thawed. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and swap cream cheese for the light version if available.