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Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken enchilada soup with a thick, smoky dark red broth simmered with Rotel, black beans, and corn, then topped with melty cheddar and fresh avocado. This enchilada soup recipe is a weeknight-friendly Mexican chicken soup that tastes like loaded enchiladas—just in a bowl.
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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: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken enchapilada soup base
  • 3 cup cooked chicken shredded
  • 28 oz red enchilada sauce 1 can (28 oz)
  • 15 oz black beans 1 can (15 oz), drained and rinsed
  • 15 oz corn 1 can (15 oz), drained
  • 14.5 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles 1 can (14.5 oz) 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
Toppings
  • 0.25 shredded cheddar for topping
  • 0.25 sour cream for topping
  • 0.25 avocado for topping
  • 0.25 cilantro for topping
  • 0.25 tortilla strips for topping

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Build the soup
  1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine red enchilada sauce, chicken broth, diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel), black beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes to meld the flavors, stirring occasionally so the broth thickens slightly.
Add chicken
  1. Stir in shredded cooked chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes until the chicken is heated through and the soup looks uniformly dark red with visible shreds.
Finish and serve
  1. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with more cumin, chili powder, or salt as desired, checking that the broth is balanced and flavorful.
  2. Ladle into bowls and top generously with shredded cheddar, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and tortilla strips so the cheese starts melting on contact.
  3. Serve immediately while the toppings are fresh and the broth is hot.

Notes

Pro tip: if your broth seems too thin, simmer 5 more minutes (uncovered) to concentrate the smoky dark red color. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove until hot, then add fresh toppings when serving. Freezing is not recommended because the toppings and beans can change texture. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat sour cream and reduced-sodium chicken broth, keeping the spice levels the same to preserve flavor.