Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

This Creamy Chicken Enchilada soup is warm, slightly spicy, and so comforting. It’s loaded with veggies and chicken in a creamy enchilada broth.

I love making soups. They’re fabulous for meal prep because they’re so easy to double and save some for leftovers for later. They freeze well too! Sometimes when I’m strategizing with my clients, we talk through practical ways to plan for the week ahead. We’ll discuss what’s on the schedule and what barriers there might be in making sure that they have satisfying meals for the week ahead. One of those ways is to make something once and eat it multiple times throughout the week. Soup like this Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup is perfect for this type of challenge. Plus, it only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients

Onion and garlic: These are the basis for all good soups. If you’re really short on time, buy the pre-cut onions and minced garlic to save some extra time chopping.

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: These are my favorite thing to add to Latin-inspired dishes. They’re smoked jalapeno peppers in this rich, smokey sauce. You can buy them in a can or jar – I like the resealable jar personally because you can close them back up easily and put them in the fridge for when you need more. A little goes a long way with these peppers.

Chicken stock: My go-to stock brand is Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock. I posted about it recently on my weekly grocery finds on my Instagram account.  

Enchilada sauce: If you have homemade, that’s fine, but I used a canned variety from the grocery store. It was perfect.

Black beans: Just one can will do, but you could add two to pump up the protein and fiber. If you want to help cut the sodium, give the beans a good rinse before adding them to the pot.  

Corn: I used a small can of corn, but you can also use frozen corn.  

Seasonings: I used cumin, chili powder, and oregano for flavors. I skipped adding salt since there was plenty in the canned enchilada sauce and black beans.  

Cooked, shredded chicken breast: I like to make shredded chicken to have on hand throughout the week, and this is a perfect way to use it up. If you’re in a hurry, you can buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it to add to the soup instead.

Cream cheese: This is what gives it the creaminess. Adding things like cream cheese to dishes may not be seen as “healthy,” but adding fun ingredients like this can help us feel more satisfied with our food. Finding satisfaction is one of the principles of Intuitive Eating. Grab my free ebook on this topic to help you discover a more satisfying way of eating and approaching health.

Toppings: This is another way you can add satisfaction and variety to this soup. Pick your favorites: crunch tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, creamy avocado, or tangy sour cream all go really well in this soup.  

How to Make Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

This soup is on the table in less than 30 minutes, thanks to the pre-cooked chicken. First, you’ll saute the onions for a few minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients except for the cream cheese and 1 cup of the stock. About 5 minutes before the soup is done, you’ll blend the remaining stock with the cream cheese and add it to the soup to simmer for the last 5 minutes. Boom. Dinner is less than 30 minutes.

Creating Satisfying Meals

One of the reasons that I love this recipe is that it combines so many of the flavors and textures that I love. It’s a great recipe to have in my back pocket when time is tight, and I need something satisfying quick. Learning how to do that is a skill that has been so helpful in Intuitive Eating – listening to my body’s desires and preferences for food while still giving myself the nutrition that I need.

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