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Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken enchilada soup with a thick, smoky dark red broth simmered with shredded chicken, black beans, and corn, then finished with melty cheddar, sour cream, crisp tortilla strips, and fresh avocado. This creamy-style Tex-Mex chicken soup is an easy weeknight option—ready fast with bold cumin and chili powder seasoning.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken Enchilada Soup Base
  • 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
  • 0.25 salt To taste
  • 0.25 pepper To taste
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar For topping
  • 0.33 cup sour cream For topping
  • 1 cup avocado For topping, sliced
  • 0.25 cup cilantro For topping, chopped
  • 1 cup tortilla strips For topping

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Simmer the enchilada 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.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes to meld the flavors, stirring once or twice to prevent scorching.
Finish with chicken
  1. Stir in shredded chicken and simmer for 10 minutes until heated through and well distributed.
  2. Taste and adjust seasoning with more cumin, chili powder, or salt as desired.
Serve
  1. Ladle soup into bowls and top generously with shredded cheddar, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and tortilla strips.
  2. Serve immediately so the cheese melts and the tortilla strips stay crisp.

Notes

For best flavor, simmer the base long enough for the dark red broth to thicken slightly and the spices to bloom. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3-4 days; reheat gently on the stove to avoid breaking the sour cream topping. Freezing isn’t recommended because the toppings and texture of beans/corn can change. If you want it dairy-free, swap sour cream and cheddar for dairy-free alternatives or omit them and add extra avocado for creaminess.