This easy chicken enchilada soup has all of the flavors you love from chicken enchiladas but is lightened up and made in the slow cooker for a weeknight-friendly dinner the whole family will love.
I’m a big fan of Mexican food—especially cozy Mexican dishes like my recipes for easy taco soup, homemade chile verde burritos, and chicken tortilla soup. This slow cooker enchilada soup recipe comes from my blogger friend Gina, of Skinnytaste, and is from her cookbook The Skinnytaste Cookbook. I love this recipe because it’s comforting and filling, yet healthy. Chipotle peppers give this soup a bit of a kick—but still tame enough to be family-friendly. While some may anticipate a thicker broth when perusing the recipe, it’s brothier than what you’d find on traditional enchiladas. This enchilad soup is made with perfectly tender chicken breast cooked right in the soup. It’s all topped with sour cream, cheese, green onions, cilantro, and avocado if you like. This enchilada soup is hearty and full of awesome flavor. Best of all, your slow cooker does all the work.
What’s in This Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
This easy soup has a lot of ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. Here’s what you’ll need to make it: For the soup:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chicken broth (we use low-sodium here)
- Tomato sauce
- Chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- Cilantro
- Black beans
- Petite diced tomatoes
- Frozen corn
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the toppings:
- Shredded, reduced-fat cheddar
- Scallions
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Reduced-fat sour cream
- Lime wedges
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
The slow cooker does (almost) all the work in this super easy recipe. Here’s how to make it:
- Sauté the onion and garlic. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Let the slow cooker work its magic. Add the onion and garlic mixture to the slow cooker along with the broth, tomato sauce, chipotle in adobo, cilantro, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin, and oregano. Add the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
- Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, and return it to the slow cooker. To serve, ladle into serving bowls and divide evenly.
- Top and serve. Top each serving of soup with shredded cheddar cheese, scallions, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream.
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- For the soup
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 8- ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle chile in adobo sauce chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 15- ounce can low-sodium black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 14.5- ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- Toppings
- ¾ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 medium 4-ounces avocado (optional)
- 6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream optional
Instructions
- For the soup
- In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes. Add to the slow cooker along with the broth, tomato sauce, chipotle in adobo, cilantro, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin, and oregano. Add the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
- Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, and return it to the slow cooker.
- For the toppings
- To serve, ladle into serving bowls and divide evenly. Top with cheddar cheese, scallions, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream (if using).
