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Overhead view of Chicken Enchilada Soup in a white bowl with a black spoon on the side.
5 from 20 votes

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This super flavorful Chicken Enchilada Soup is made with tender chicken breast, lots of spices, and a tangy homemade enchilada sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American, Southwest
Total Cost: $11.52 recipe / $1.92 serving
Servings: 6 (about 1.5 cups each)
Author: Marsha McDougal

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp cooking oil, divided $0.12
  • 1 yellow onion, diced $0.32
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded & diced $0.25
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced $0.16
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour $0.04
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder $0.60
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin $0.05
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder $0.05
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper $0.02
  • 3/4 tsp salt $0.05
  • 3 oz. tomato paste $0.50
  • 1 15oz. can black beans, drained $0.89
  • 1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes $1.33
  • 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles $1.00
  • 1 cup frozen corn $0.47
  • 4 cups chicken broth $0.42
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lb. total)* $5.25

Instructions

  • Add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil along with the diced onion, finely diced jalapeño and minced garlic cloves to a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
  • Next add the all-purpose flour, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and the remaining 2 Tbsp of cooking oil to the pot. Stir well and cook the flour and spices with the vegetables for 2 minutes.
  • Add the tomato paste, drained black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, frozen corn, and chicken broth to the pot. Stir all the ingredients together making sure to dissolve the tomato paste and scrape up any spices that may be stuck at the bottom of the pot.
  • Now add the chicken breasts to the pot. Place a lid on the pot and bring the soup up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer for 45 minutes. Make sure the soup is just at a steady simmer at this point, as this will help to create tender chicken breast meat.
  • After the soup has simmered for 45 minutes, remove the chicken breasts and place them on a clean cutting board. Once cool enough to touch, shred the chicken breasts with a fork.
  • Add the shredded chicken meat back to the soup pot and stir until the chicken is evenly distributed throughout the soup.
  • Serve this soup with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, cilantro, sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, or even some more sliced jalapeño. Enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

  • Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are used for this recipe, but you could also substitute with boneless, skinless chicken thighs to bring the price down even more. The cook time may vary slightly when using chicken thighs.
  • Tomatoes: A combination of fire-roasted tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and tomato paste adds even more flavor and texture to the soup. The tomato paste is used to make the enchilada sauce and it helps thicken the soup, so I wouldn't skip it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 1075mg | Fiber: 3g