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Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Creamy chicken enchilada soup with a rich red enchilada cream broth, tender shredded chicken, and melty cream cheese. Simmered until thick and cozy, then served 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: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the aromatics
  1. Sauté the onion in a large pot for 4 minutes. Cook until softened and fragrant, then add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 2 minutes, stirring so the spices bloom.
Build the soup
  1. Add the red enchilada sauce, chicken broth, black beans, and corn to the pot, then bring the mixture to a boil. Stir to combine and make sure the beans and corn are evenly distributed.
Melt in the creaminess
  1. Reduce the heat and stir in the cubed cream cheese until completely melted. Keep stirring until the broth turns smooth and creamy, with no visible cream cheese lumps.
Finish cooking
  1. Add the shredded chicken and heavy cream, then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until the chicken is heated through and the soup looks thick and creamy.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve the soup hot. Top each bowl with sour cream, cheddar, tortilla strips, cilantro, and lime.

Notes

For the best texture, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces before you add it back to the pot so it warms evenly during the 10-minute simmer. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently (do not boil hard) to keep the cream sauce smooth. Freeze yes—cool completely, freeze in airtight containers up to 2 months, and thaw in the fridge before reheating. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce the cheddar topping slightly.