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Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken enchilada soup in a pot delivers a thick, smoky, dark red broth with tender shredded chicken, black beans, and corn. Simmering the base creates a cohesive Tex-Mex flavor, then topping with melted cheddar, sour cream, crunchy tortilla strips, and fresh avocado makes it feel like enchiladas—without the rolling.
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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
  • 3 cup cooked chicken shredded
Enchilada broth base
  • 1 can (28 oz) red enchilada sauce
  • 3 cup chicken broth
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel) undrained
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn drained
Seasonings
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
Toppings
  • 0.5 cup shredded cheddar for topping
  • 0.25 cup sour cream for topping
  • 1 avocado diced or sliced for topping
  • 0.25 cup cilantro chopped for topping
  • 1 cup tortilla strips for topping

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Simmer the enchilada soup base
  1. Combine the 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 the ingredients are evenly mixed and the pot looks fully coated.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the broth turns uniformly dark red and flavors meld.
Finish with chicken and adjust
  1. Stir in the shredded cooked chicken and keep the soup at a gentle simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken is heated through and the soup thickens slightly.
  2. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with more cumin, chili powder, or salt as desired. The broth should taste balanced—smoky, slightly spicy, and not bland.
Serve with toppings
  1. Ladle the hot soup into bowls, filling each bowl generously with broth and chunks. Aim for visible shredded chicken, black beans, and corn in every bowl.
  2. Top each bowl with shredded cheddar, then add sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and tortilla strips. Serve immediately so the cheese begins to melt and the tortilla strips keep their crunch.

Notes

For best texture, use cooked chicken that’s already shredded into bite-size pieces so it reheats quickly during the final simmer. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop until steaming, then add fresh toppings after reheating. Freezing is not recommended because the toppings and broth texture can change when thawed. For a dairy-light option, skip sour cream and use extra avocado or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt instead.