Green Chicken Enchilada Soup is simple and delicious! With no veggie chopping and the crockpot doing the work, you can have this soup assembled in just minutes!
The Best Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
Two meals that are always a hit in my house are this chicken chili and these green chicken enchiladas. That’s where the inspiration for this Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup came from! I knew I needed to combine both flavors to create my kids’ dream dinner, and lets me honest, mine too!
It’s hearty, protein-rich, thick, and boasts the creamiest, most delicious consistency. It’s comfort in a bowl and a dinner your family is guaranteed to love.
Ingredients
- Beans (White Kidney and Black): Add heartiness, fiber, and protein.
- Chicken: I use thighs but breasts work as well. Trim any extra fat before adding.
- Fire-Roasted Green Chiles and Tomatoes: Offer smokiness and mild heat.
- Green Enchilada Sauce: Make your own or use store bought.
- Seasonings: Scale up or down for personal preferences.
- Fresh Cilantro: If you’re not a fan, leave it out!
- Chicken Broth: Use more for a thinner soup and less for thicker.
- Cream Cheese: Adds creaminess and a hint of tang.
- Toppings: I love sour cream, cheese, avocado, lime, and cilantro on top.
Quick Tip
You’ll only use 10 ounces (286 grams/1 and 1/4 cup) of green enchilada sauce for this soup. Utilize leftover sauce in enchiladas, over scrambled eggs, with rice and beans, or in a breakfast casserole.
How To Make Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Combine: In a slow cooker, add beans, chicken, chiles, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, spices, and broth.
- Cook: Set on low for 5-7 hours or high for 3-5 hours.
- Add Cream Cheese: Mix in softened cream cheese until smooth.
- Shred Chicken: Return shredded chicken to the soup.
- Serve: Garnish with toppings like sour cream, cheese, and avocado.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
- Freeze: In an airtight container for 4-6 months. Thaw green chicken enchilada soup in the fridge.
- Reheat: Slowly on low heat, stirring constantly to maintain cream cheese consistency.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup
Quick and Easy Green Chicken Enchilada Soup: Assemble in minutes without chopping veggies. Let the slow cooker do the work for a creamy, hearty, and flavorful meal.
Equipment
- 6 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 can (15.5 oz) white kidney (cannellini) beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cans (15.25 oz EACH) black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (~5 thighs) (or breasts)
- 2 cans (4 oz, EACH) fire-roasted diced green chiles
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) fire-roasted diced tomatoes optional
- 1 can (10 oz) green enchilada sauce
- 4 teaspoons ground chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro optional
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock (2 cups for thinner soup)
- 1 package (8 oz.) full-fat cream cheese softened (reduced fat doesn't melt well into the soup)
- Toppings: sour cream (lite or fat-free), freshly grated sharp pepper-jack or Monterey jack cheese, diced ripe avocado, fresh lime, and fresh cilantro (See Note 1)
Instructions
- ADD TO SLOW COOKER: Add the drained and rinsed white and black beans, fat-trimmed boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts; if using breasts cut each breast into 4 pieces), both cans of diced green chiles, fire-roasted diced tomatoes (undrained), and green enchilada sauce. Add all the seasonings: chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. If desired, add in the fresh cilantro. Pour in the chicken stock or broth (1 cup for a thicker chili and use 2 cups for a thinner soup-like consistency)
- COOK: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 3-5 hours or until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F or easily shreds).
- CREAM CHEESE: Remove the chicken from the crockpot and set aside in another bowl. Add softened cream cheese (partially melt in the microwave first) into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes or until the cream cheese melts and is easily stirred into the soup. Briskly whisk to get the cheese completely incorporated.
- CHICKEN: Meanwhile, shred the chicken with 2 forks. Once the cream cheese is incorporated, add the chicken into the soup and stir.
- SERVE: Ladle chili into bowls and serve with desired toppings. We love adding a big handful of pepper-jack cheese, fat-free sour cream, a wedge of lime and some cilantro!
- STORAGE: This soup stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Freeze in an air tight container for 4-6 months.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Don’t forget the toppings they add a lot! If I could only pick three toppings for this soup, they would be the cheese, sour cream, and lime juice. I highly recommend at least those 3 additions. As far as cheese, our favorite is pepper-jack cheese, but Monterey Jack cheese is another great topping. Even sharp cheddar works here. Lite sour cream works well in this soup.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 1413mg | Potassium: 1191mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1082IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 267mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks amazing. I’m just starting to make it and I’m wondering how well do you think it would freeze?
I’m not sure since I never have frozen it, but I don’t think it would do too well with the cream cheese… Wish I could be of more help! Hopefully someone else can chime in here that has tried freezing it.
How did it do, freezing it?? Want to eat make this but it’s only me!!! Would be a good fall meal to already have prepared for rainy days…. thanks
This soup turned out amazing!!! Just made it. Thanks so much for recipe.
So glad to hear that! Thanks for the comment Jasmine! 🙂
If you use them, do you drain the tomatoes?
They will work drained or undrained 🙂 I did not drain.
Awesome, thank you so much!
How integral is the cream cheese? Just doesn’t sound right to me ; ) Would heavy cream be a okay substitution?
It’s quite integral to the recipe! I know it sounds weird, but it’s so delicious! I haven’t tried heavy cream so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out, but if you do try that instead I’d love to hear how it works!
I live overseas and do not have access to cream cheese. I made the soup as the recipe said, but then warmed some heavy cream on the stove and added it in slowly to the soup at the end. I also added some shredded cheese and nutritional yeast to up the cheesy-flavor. I think it turned out just fine!
So happy to hear that! Thanks for the comment Kirsten 🙂
So glad I found this recipe. I must give it a try.
You’re going to love! 🙂
This is an odd question I guess. But just wanted to clarify, you add the chicken with everything else, raw right?
Yes add it in raw 🙂
Wow this looks so cheesy and delicious! Pinned it for later. Thanks!
You bet! 🙂 Hope you love it!
Oh my goodness! I made this tonight since I’m always looking for something easy and tasty. It was SO good. I could have eaten 3 or 4 bowls, but I’m also 8 months pregnant so I can’t fit that much food in me at once! But I’m so looking forward to my leftovers tomorrow. Thank you for the great recipe!
Haha I know what that is like to be 8 months pregnant and you want more but can’t have it 🙂 Haha! I’m so, so happy it was so enjoyed! Congrats on your pregnancy and good luck here at the end!
I cooked this last night (without tomatoes -wished i had added for color but kids don’t like them) and just finished eating a bowl for lunch. It is delicious. Just FYI, the printed recipe is missing step to add chicken broth. Great recipe and easy to follow directions.
Thank you so much for that heads up! I updated the recipe and appreciate your help! So glad this was enjoyed! 🙂
You just reminded me that I need cilantro. This is such a great looking soup, even though I don’t eat meat, I would definitely try this sans meat because everything looks so tasty!
Thank you Jessica! 🙂
I love dump and go slow cooker recipes like this!! Green enchiladas are my favorite so I am super excited to try this soup 🙂
Thank you so much Taylor! I hope you love it 🙂