- Recipes
Nealey Dozier
Nealey Dozier
Nealey Dozier is a former wedding planner turned chef, culinary instructor, recipe developer, and food writer. She is based in Atlanta. You can find more of her Southern adventures in eating and entertaining at www.dixiecaviar.com.
updated Nov 8, 2019
Be the first to leave a review!
A warm bowl of chicken enchilada soup, made in the slow cooker, tastes like you're eating an enchilada with a spoon.
Serves6Jump to Recipe
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
It may seem crazy to make a hearty soup in August, but the occasional dreary, rainy days that pop up this month are a preview of the cooler autumn days ahead. A warm bowl of chicken enchilada soup, made in the slow cooker, is exactly what I crave on those days.
Chicken enchilada was the signature soup at one of my favorite lunch spots growing up; I still devour a bowl every time I return home. It is a thicker, richer cousin of chicken tortilla soup — like you are eating an actual enchilada with a bowl and a spoon. It is the best of both dishes’ worlds!
This soup requires very little prep work for the amount of flavor it yields: I started with my favorite red enchilada sauce as the base; it’s so easy but packs in tons of flavor, way more than your average canned stuff. I tossed the sauce into my slow cooker along with corn, beans, and chicken thighs, then left it overnight to work all of its magical slow cooker powers. By morning I had a luscious soup that needed little more than salt and pepper to give it a boost. (Of course, if you feel like gilding the lily, a splash of heavy cream and a handful of cheddar take this recipe over the top!)
But how I really knew this chicken enchilada soup was a keeper? My fiancé asked if we could keep a batch in the refrigerator at all times, so he could eat it everyday. In my house, that’s the hands down sign of a real winner. You can bet this dish will be making an appearance from now until deep into winter.
Tester’s Notes
This recipe is delicious as written, but will be just as tasty if you need to make a few substitutions to make it work with the ingredients you have on hand. Although we call for Mexican-style chili powder, any chili powder is fine to use here — and if you want the soup to be spicier, simply slice up an extra jalapeño for garnish. Instead of tomato sauce, feel free to use a can of diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or even a jar of salsa.
–Grace, August 2018
A warm bowl of chicken enchilada soup, made in the slow cooker, tastes like you're eating an enchilada with a spoon.
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the enchilada sauce:
Neutral cooking oil, such as canola or safflower
- 1
medium yellow onion, diced
- 1
large jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 cloves
garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons
chili powder, prerably Mexican-style
- 1 tablespoon
ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon
granulated sugar
- 2
medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can
tomato sauce
- 2 cups
low-sodium chicken broth, plus more for thinning as needed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the soup:
- 1 (15-ounce) can
yellow corn, drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can
black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 to 3 pounds
boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Heavy cream (optional)
Cayenne pepper (optional)
Serving options: Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro
Instructions
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and jalapeño and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle boil. Transfer to a 5 quart-or larger slow cooker.
Add the corn, beans, and chicken, and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 6 to 7 hours on the LOW setting or 4 hours on the HIGH setting.
Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces with 2 forks. Stir in a splash of heavy cream if desired. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper as desired. Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, and cilantro for garnish if desired.
Recipe Notes
Bone-in chicken thighs: I like bone-in chicken thighs when I want a rich, complex soup, but boneless chicken thighs are easy because you don't have to deal with the bones. If using bone-in chicken thighs, transfer to a clean cutting board before shredding the meat with 2 forks. Discard the skin and bones and return the shredded chicken tot he slow cooker.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If freezing, transfer the cooled soup to freezer-safe plastic bag(s) labeled with recipe name and date. Press out excess air before sealing. Lay bags flat in a single layer in the freezer. (Once frozen, the bags can be stacked neatly.) To thaw, transfer to refrigerator overnight or set the bag in a stockpot of warm water. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat; season to taste.
Filed in:
autumn
beans
Canned Goods
Chicken
Cooking Methods
Dairy-Free
