The Creamy Enchilada Soup I Make on Repeat

This creamy chicken enchilada soup is inspired by bold Mexican flavors. The soup reminds me of my favorite red enchilada sauce with a spicy tomato and ancho chile base.

Serve the soup with all the fixings laid out on the table and let folks pick and choose their garnishes. Now that’s festive and fun!

What Ingredients Are in Enchilada Soup?

Chicken, corn, and beans add substance, while cream and cheese give this soup a dreamy texture. The soup base is inspired by a traditional red enchilada sauce, with deep red ancho chiles as the hallmark. Ancho chiles are dried green poblanos. This spice has a smoky flavor and a little heat, but it’s not hair-on-fire spicy.

For this recipe I use ground ancho chile powder instead of whole as a shortcut. Add the ancho chile powder with some oregano to the sautéed onions and garlic and cook for a minute to let the spices bloom. Start with 1 tablespoon (mild with a little kick) and add more if you like heat.

What Makes This Soup So Creamy

It’s important to use heavy cream, not milk or half-and-half. The extra fat in heavy cream keeps the soup from curdling when mixed with the acidic tomatoes.

For a subtle taste of cheese, I add Monterey jack to the soup. I also drizzle crema—Mexican cultured cream—on top of the soup. It's naturally sour and has the consistency of thick cream. You can use store-bought crema, or make a quick substitute by thinning sour cream with a little milk or heavy cream. 

For garnish, I add crumbled cotija cheese. It is a cow’s milk cheese with a salty punch. 

Substitutions

• Look for fire-roasted canned tomatoes for the base, but don’t worry if you can’t find them. Even with regular canned whole tomatoes, your soup will still have plenty of flavor. 
• If you can’t find cotija cheese for garnish, you could substitute feta or ricotta salata.
• You could bump up the cheese factor by using sharp cheddar instead of the Monterey jack.

How To Store and Reheat Enchilada Soup

Cool the soup to room temperature (it’s OK if it is a little warm) and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Although many creamy soups don’t freeze well, I found this one to be freezer-friendly. Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container, and defrost, stirring often, over low heat in a soup pot over the stove. 

What To Serve With Enchilada Soup

• Southwest Coleslaw
• Jicama Salad
  
• Mango Avocado Salsa
• The Best Guacamole
• Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn)

Cook the onions and spices: 

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic, chile powder, oregano, brown sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and the cheese:

Stir in the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. Break up the tomatoes—I use a potato masher, but you could do it with a wooden spoon—and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded cheese.

Blend:

Carefully, ladle the soup into a blender. Cover the blender with a lid and cover the lid with a folded dish towel. Starting on low speed, purée the soup for about 30 seconds. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and blend for another minute, until the soup is smooth. You may need to blend the soup in batches or you could use an immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the pot.

Finish the soup:

Return the soup to the pot and set it over medium heat. Stir in the stock, cream, chicken, corn, and beans. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt if you’d like.

Garnish and serve:

Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon some crema over each. Lay out the garnishes on the table in small individual bowls and let everyone top their soup to their liking.

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container. 

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