Chicken Enchilada Soup
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Serves: Approximately 8
I came up with this recipe when I was on Weight Watchers so most of the ingredients I used were considered zero points or 1 point. Fat-free and low fat products were staples in our pantry. I was wanting something homemade, full of flavor, that would fill me up with ZERO guilt.
Now, almost 30 pounds lighter, (big smile!) I am still doing lower carb, but adding a little more fat than I did with WW. Just omitting the black beans in this soup will allow you to enjoy it on a low-carb diet.
You can shred a precooked rotisserie chicken picked up from your grocery store if you don’t want to take the time to cook the chicken breasts. You could use chicken thighs here instead (or in addition to) if you like the taste and texture of the darker meat. Ground chicken, browned and drained, would work, too, but the texture wouldn’t be quite the same. Sometimes you just use what you can get your hands on. Either way, the simple flavors of homemade enchiladas in a warm comforting soup is sure to please.
Chicken Enchilada Soup
I came up with this recipe when I was on Weight Watchers, so most of the ingredients I used were considered zero points or 1 point. The simple flavors of homemade enchiladas in a warm comforting soup is sure to please.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or avocado oil, divided
- 4 chicken breasts, see Notes
- 2 quarts chicken stock, store-bought or homemade, lower sodium
- 1 10-ounce can red enchilada sauce, store-bought or homemade (my recipe here)
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained, hot or mild
- 1 15-ounce can petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, I used dried
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for heat, optional, to taste
Toppings:
- avocado, sliced or diced
- shredded cheeses, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.
- cilantro, chopped
- sour cream
- tortilla strips, generally found near salad dressings
- green onions, sliced
- jalapenos, pickled or fresh, sliced
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a 12” skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove onto a plate and allow to cool.
- In a medium Dutch oven or 4-quart pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onions and stir occasionally until softened. Turn down the heat a little if it’s too hot and your onion is beginning to burn.
- Add the garlic, cumin, and oregano and stir gently and continuously for 30 seconds.
- Add the enchilada sauce, black beans, both cans of tomatoes, chipotle peppers if using, and stock and stir to combine. Taste for salt and pepper and any other seasonings to adjust to taste.
- Turn heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the soup is simmering, being careful if the chicken is still hot, shred the chicken. You can use 2 forks if the chicken is still too hot to use your fingers.
- Once you have shredded your chicken and simmered the soup for 15 minutes, then add the shredded meat to the pot and stir to combine.
- Taste for seasonings and add salt and/or pepper as desired.
- Ladle the soup into the bowls and add desired toppings. Serve warm and thoroughly enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional chart does NOT include any of the toppings list.
Brining your chicken, even for just an hour is going help it stay moist and tender. It’s really quite simple… Dissolve ½ cup of kosher salt in 4 cups of water in a small pitcher. Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns and stir. Add the chicken pieces to a gallon storage bag, like a Ziplock, then add the brine. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours. Remove chicken from the bag and cook; discard brine and bag.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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