Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Craving a hearty, smoky soup with minimal effort? This Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup is the answer! With tender chicken, zesty enchilada sauce, and loads of flavor, it’s a hands-off meal that’s perfect for busy days.
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Servings: 6 servings
Notes
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (plus extra for seasoning)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder (or ½ teaspoon for extra heat)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can reduced sodium chicken broth or stock
- 3 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 ¼ cups red enchilada sauce (about 10 ounces)
- 1 (15-ounce) can reduced sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 (15-ounce) cans fire-roasted tomatoes with juices
- 1 (15-ounce) can Mexican-style corn, drained (or 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels)
- 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Tortilla chips
- Nonfat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Shredded cheese
- Prep the chicken: Place the chicken at the bottom of your slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until it softens and becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, chipotle chili powder, and garlic, cooking for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add liquids: In a separate bowl, whisk together the chicken broth and cornmeal. Pour this into the slow cooker (scraping any cornmeal that sticks to the bowl).
- Combine the rest: Add the enchilada sauce, black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, and green chiles to the slow cooker. Stir gently to combine, but avoid disturbing the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours, or until the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks.
- Finish the soup: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir in the sugar. Let the soup rest, covered, for 5 minutes before tasting and adjusting the seasoning with more salt, if necessary.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with tortilla chips, Greek yogurt or sour cream, diced avocado, cilantro, and shredded cheese.
- For a thicker soup: After removing the chicken, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and blend until smooth (using a blender or immersion blender). Stir it back into the soup for a richer texture and flavor.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot.
- Freezing: This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, defrost in the fridge overnight before warming.