Chicken Enchilada Soup
Shredded chicken in a creamy red chile broth built on a quick homemade enchilada sauce, with green chiles and melted Monterey Jack — all the enchilada flavor, no tortillas.
Nutrition per serving
1¼ cups- Net carbs
- 5.5g
- Calories
- 330kcal
- Protein
- 30g
- Fat
- 20g
- Total carbs
- 7.5 g
- Fiber
- 1.9 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Green chile (verde): Extra green chiles, jalapeño and a cilantro purée instead of the red tomato sauce — tangy and bright, like enchiladas verdes.
- Cook the jalapeños with the onion and skip the chili powder and paprika.
- Blend the extra green chiles and cilantro with 1 cup of the broth until smooth and add it in place of the tomato sauce.
Dairy-free: Coconut milk replaces the cream cheese and the cheese is left out; diced avocado on top brings back the creaminess.
- Stir in the coconut milk instead of the cream cheese and cheese and simmer 2–3 minutes. Serve with the avocado and cilantro.
- Soup
- Nice to have (optional)
- Soup
-
1 tbsp chili powderleave out -
1 tsp smoked paprikaleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Soup
-
1 cup shredded Monterey Jackleave out - Toppings
-
6 tbsp sour creamleave out - Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $14.65 for 6 servings ($2.44 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion 4–5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano and stir for 1 minute.
-
Pour in the tomato sauce and simmer 2 minutes, stirring — this is your quick enchilada sauce.
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Add the green chiles, broth, chicken thighs and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 20–25 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
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Lift out the chicken, shred it with two forks and return it to the pot.
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Turn the heat to low and stir in the cream cheese until melted, then the Monterey Jack a handful at a time until smooth. Don't let it boil once the cheese is in.
-
Taste for salt and serve topped with cilantro, avocado and sour cream.
Tips for success
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Canned enchilada sauce often contains flour and sugar. Tomato sauce cooked with chili powder and cumin gives the same flavor with fewer carbs. - For more heat, add a minced jalapeño with the onion or a pinch of cayenne with the spices.
- Crumble pork rinds or parmesan crisps on top for the crunch of tortilla strips.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 2 months
Reheat: Reheat over medium heat, whisking if the broth looks grainy.
Prep tip: Freeze in portions without toppings; add avocado, sour cream and cilantro fresh.
Refrigerate up to 4 days. It freezes for up to 2 months, though the creamy broth may look slightly grainy; whisk it as it reheats.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosGreen chile (verde)
FlavorExtra green chiles, jalapeño and a cilantro purée instead of the red tomato sauce — tangy and bright, like enchiladas verdes.
- plain tomato sauce → extra diced green chiles
- + 2 jalapeños
- + 1 cup extra cilantro
- no chili powder
- no smoked paprika
5.2 g net · 326 kcal · 30 g protein · 20 g fat · ≈$2.85 per serving (−0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
Dairy-free
DietCoconut milk replaces the cream cheese and the cheese is left out; diced avocado on top brings back the creaminess.
- cream cheese → canned coconut milk
- no shredded Monterey Jack
- no sour cream
5.5 g net · 273 kcal · 25 g protein · 16 g fat · ≈$2.24 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
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