This Green Enchilada Chicken Soup is a simple, healthy, and delicious soup that is perfect for busy weeknights. It’s creamy, hearty, full of flavor, and sure to become a new family favorite.
This recipe can be made in the slow cooker or on the stovetop—both methods work great! And if you are looking for more chicken soup recipes, you may also love this Chicken Taco Soup, Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup, or this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.
Green Enchilada Chicken Soup
This green chile chicken enchilada soup recipe is basically what would happen if you married our popular White Chicken Chili with chicken enchiladas—total soup perfection. The addition of green chiles and green enchilada sauce gives the soup a tangy and spicy Southwestern flare, and the cream cheese keeps things extra luscious.
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For a time-saving hack, I like to use leftover rotisserie chicken. And considering there isn’t any chopping involved, you can have this ready with minimal effort and prep. Top with your favorite ingredients, and get ready to chow down.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken – you have a few options as far as chicken goes. We like to use leftover cooked chicken or even rotisserie chicken because it’s perfect for using up leftovers and it requires a shorter cooking time. But, if you would rather use fresh chicken breast or thighs you absolutely can. You’ll just need to cook for longer (about 3-4 hours on high heat or 6 hours on low heat).
- White Beans – use something like Great Northern Beans or Cannellini Beans that will hold their shape and texture well during the long cooking time.
- Cream Cheese – make sure it is cubed and softened before adding to the crock pot.
- Corn – either canned or frozen corn works great.
- Canned Green Chiles – you can find these canned green chiles in the Mexican section of the grocery store, or with the bulk canned foods.
- Green Enchilada Sauce – use your favorite brand.
- Chili Powder – this compliments the green chiles and adds a great extra bit of spice.
- Chicken Broth – use any type of store bought or homemade chicken stock or broth that you like.
Enchilada Soup Topping Ideas
Top this soup with anything you might put on top of an enchilada, including:
- Corn tortilla chips or tortilla strips
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Diced avocado or Guacamole
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Diced red onion
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Extra fresh corn
- Queso fresco
How to Make Green Chile Chicken Soup in the Slow Cooker
- Add ingredients to the slow cooker. To a slow cooker, add cooked chicken, white beans, corn, green chiles, green enchilada sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and chicken broth. Stir.
- Cook. Put on the lid and turn heat on medium or high heat for 2-3 hours, or until the soup is hot.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and add your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Stovetop Instructions
- To a large pot, add cooked chicken, white beans, corn, green chiles, green enchilada sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and chicken broth. Stir.
- Stir while heating on medium heat. Bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and add your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yup, just plan on a longer cooking time. Instead of cooking on medium or high heat for 2-3 hours, cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for about 6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked.
You may also want to wait to add the beans until about 1 hour before the soup has finished so that they don’t get too mushy.
Yes! Set your Instant Pot to “Saute Medium” and add all of your ingredients. Heat until warm, then serve with your favorite ingredients. Easy peasy!
Absolutely! You can freeze completely cooled soup for up to 3 months. To thaw, just transfer to the fridge overnight.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: you can store cooled Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: you can also store completely cooled soup in freezer bags or an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: if frozen, transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw. Once you are ready to serve, reheat over medium low heat on the stovetop in a pot, stirring occasionally. Serve with your favorite toppings.
And if you love Easy Chicken Recipes, be sure to try Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie, Mississippi Chicken, and Red Chicken Enchiladas. So easy and delicious!
Green Enchilada Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced into 1/2" chunks
- 2 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 1 cup corn, canned or frozen
- 1 4-ounce can green chiles
- 1 14-ounce can green enchilada sauce, (or red)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups chicken broth
Toppings
- 2 cups tortilla strips
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 large avocado, diced
- cilantro, fresh chopped
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, add the cooked chicken, white beans, cream cheese, corn, green chiles, green enchilada sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and chicken broth. Stir.
- Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours, or until the soup is hot.
- Ladle into bowls and add your favorite toppings, including tortilla chips or strips, cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, and cilantro. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- To a large pot, add cooked chicken, white beans, corn, green chiles, green enchilada sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and chicken broth. Stir.
- Stir while heating on medium heat. Bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and add your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
- Refrigerator: store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: you can also store completely cooled soup in freezer bags or an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: if frozen, transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw. Once you are ready to serve, reheat over medium low heat on the stovetop in a pot, stirring occasionally. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Nutrition
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More Easy Healthy Soup Recipes
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This slow cooker Green Chicken Enchilada Soup is a blend of two of our favorites—White Chicken Chili and Chicken Enchiladas. It’s hearty, flavorful, and so simple.
Categories:
Chicken, Crockpot, Easy Weeknight Meals, Fall Recipes, Nut-Free, Soups, Tex Mex, Winter Recipes,
I made this tonight for tomorrow’s dinner and it almost didn’t make it.
It’s great. ????
I make this regularly, but I make a roux (2T each of flour and butter, browned together) instead of the cream cheese. Trader Joes Salsa Verde is our favorite! I often do a mix of beans – I prefer black, pinto, and great northern beans.
Turned out yummy. I used boneless skinless thighs, substituted hominy for the corn (for those not in the know, hominy is corn), added teaspoon of cumin, because I love the flavor. I used the broth from a batch of chicken soup I made last week. I didn’t have any canned beans, so I cooked some dried northern beans.
Great time saving and delicious recipe.
Delicious! I doubled this for my crock pot making few changes/additions based on what I had. First, I did not double the chicken broth or the diced green chilies. I used a large can of green enchilada sauce (28 oz). I 1.5’d the beans bc I only had 3 cans. I used a whole drained can of corn. I doubled the spices and added fresh garlic. I put in fresh boneless skinless chicken thighs about 2-3 lbs and cooked on low for about 5-6 hours. Came out so good!
Had to adjust to what I had available but it turned out better than I expected
Ingredients (not necessarily in order)
Leftover turkey (probably 2-3 c shredded)
1 large onion chopped
2-3 garlic cloves chopped (from a jar)
1 tsp cumin
1tsp chili powder
1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
10 oz can green enchilada sauce
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup heavy cream
32 oz carton chicken broth
7-8 ounces chopped up pepper jack cheese slices
Probably would add a bit o’ lime juice or pickled jalapeno juice next time along with corn
Black pepper
Topped it with crunched up Hint of lime Tostito chips
Honestly I loved it. Proud of myself.
Thanks for the recipe!!!
Absolutely scrumptious!! Definitely adding to our rotation.
I changed a few things, though. I used some leftovers l had: Instead of chili’s, I added a half Jar of chunky salsa verde. Half cup of black beans and roasted yellow corn that l had. I also added 8oz of cream cheese.
Yummy!!! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
I made this last nigh in a Dutch oven. It’s one of the best soups that I have made in a long time. I will definitely make it again.
I’m so happy to hear you loved it so muuch! It’s a big hit at our house too! Thanks for your comment, it totally made my day!
Yummy! I have little kids so I omitted the can of green chilies and just used the canned green enchilada sauce. It was delicious-a mild enchilada flavor that everyone loved!
This is my family’s new favorite soup! I topped it with pepper-jack cheese and served it with cornbread. I will definitely make it again!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I’ve made this several times. It is so good as written! With a couple of changes, it’s even better. I use a can of hominy in place of the cup of corn. It takes the flavor up a notch (ok, two notches), and I prefer the texture. I use the entire 8 ounces of cream cheese, because I know the half-package would just spoil before I use it if leftover. It’s good with chopped onion or spinach added too.
I love your additions! Great ideas!
Hominy! Brilliant! I love this soup, but that’s the missing link. I sauteed a couple of cut up chicken breasts in chicken broth, garlic & onion powder, paprika and cumin. So my chicken had really good flavor. I may have bumped up the liquids a bit just because of the size of the cans. Clearly, a new fan fav.
I added a little bit of cumin and cut up an onion. It’s really yummy!
This one’s a keeper for me! It was very good. I used red enchilada sauce because that’s all I could find. I will definitely make it again!
I made this tonight on the stove top and it was amazing! I had some pablano chicken broth from Aldi.