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Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Creamy chicken enchilada soup with a red enchilada cream broth—made by simmering shredded chicken with melted cream cheese for a silky texture. Topped with tortilla strips, cheddar, sour cream, cilantro, and lime for a Tex-Mex bowl you can serve fast.
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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: 520
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 clove garlic Minced
  • 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
  • 4 cup chicken broth
Creamy sauce
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 oz cream cheese Cubed
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
Serving toppings
  • 0.5 cup sour cream For serving
  • 0.5 cup cheddar For serving
  • 0.5 cup tortilla strips For serving
  • 0.25 cup cilantro For serving
  • 1 lime For serving
  • salt To taste
  • 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. Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until fragrant.
Build the soup
  1. Add the red enchilada sauce, chicken broth, black beans, and corn to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
Make it creamy
  1. Stir in the cream cheese until completely melted and the soup looks smooth. Add the shredded chicken and heavy cream, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve loaded with sour cream, cheddar, tortilla strips, cilantro, and lime.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, keep the soup at a gentle simmer while melting the cream cheese—no hard boil. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid thinning. Freezing is not recommended because cream-based soup can separate. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and half-and-half in place of heavy cream.