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Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Creamy chicken enchilada soup with a red enchilada cream broth, tender shredded chicken, and a thick, melty cream-cheese base. Simmered until silky, then topped with tortilla strips, sour cream, cheddar, cilantro, and lime.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and soup base
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cooked and shredded
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans Drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drained
  • 1 onion Diced
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced
  • 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 oz cream cheese Cubed
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.25 sour cream For serving
  • 0.25 lb cheddar For serving
  • 1 tortilla strips For serving
  • 0.25 cilantro For serving
  • 0.5 lime For serving
  • salt and pepper To taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté aromatics
  1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion for 4 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to toast the spices.
Build the soup
  1. Add the red enchilada sauce, chicken broth, black beans, and corn to the pot, then bring the mixture to a boil. Stir to combine so the sauce disperses evenly.
Melt the cream cheese
  1. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream cheese until completely melted and smooth, scraping the bottom of the pot as needed.
Simmer until creamy
  1. Add the shredded chicken and heavy cream, then simmer for 10 minutes until hot and creamy with gentle bubbling.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot topped with sour cream, cheddar, tortilla strips, cilantro, and lime.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, keep the heat on low while melting the cream cheese so it doesn’t separate. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth if needed. Freezing is not recommended due to potential dairy texture changes. If you want a lighter option, swap the heavy cream and cream cheese for evaporated milk plus a lower-fat cream cheese, then simmer on low for the same finish.