Creamy White Bean Chicken Enchilada Soup
Cozy and delicious chicken enchilada soup made extra creamy thanks to blended white beans! There's no cream or dairy in this flavorful enchilada soup recipe, just wonderful veggies, lots of protein and warming spices. Serve with your favorite garnishes for the perfect lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, very finely diced (about ½ cup diced green bell pepper)
- ½ cup finely diced cilantro
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce (I like Siete or Hatch brands!)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can of cannellini white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the creamy white bean base:
- 1 (15 ounce) can of cannellini white beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup water or chicken broth
- For the mix-ins:
- 3/4 cup frozen corn
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- 1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
- For garnish:
- Tortilla strips or chips
- Extra cilantro
- Avocado slices
- Jalapeno slices
- Extra lime wedges
Instructions
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Add olive oil to a large dutch oven or large pot and place over medium high heat. Add onion, jalapeno, green bell pepper, cilantro and garlic; saute until onions are translucent and begin to soften, about 2-4 minutes.
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Next bring the heat to low and stir in all of the spices: cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic powder, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook for 20 seconds, then stir in the enchilada sauce, chicken broth, 1 can of rinsed and drained white beans (about 1 ½ cups white beans), uncooked chicken thighs and salt and pepper.
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Bring soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 25-30 minutes. Do not cover. After 25 minutes or so, remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and shred with two forks then add back to the pot.
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Finally, add the remaining can of rinsed and drained white beans (1 1/2 cups white beans) and ½ cup water (or broth) to a blender or food processor. Blend until somewhat smooth, adding a little more water if necessary. Add blended white beans into the soup pot and then stir in the corn, lime juice and cilantro. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as necessary. Allow soup to cook and simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes to thicken and bring flavors together. Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese if you’d like, an extra lime wedge, jalapeno slices and avocado. Serves 4-6.
Recipe Notes
Use leftover chicken instead: Feel free to use 2 cups leftover cooked shredded chicken instead! You can add it to the pot when you add the chicken broth, etc and simply simmer for 20 minutes to bring the flavors together.
If you don't have enchilada sauce: 1 cup of tomato sauce will work well. I simply recommend adding about ½ teaspoon chili powder to the recipe.
To make this in your slow cooker: follow step 1 and soften the onions, bell pepper, cilantro and jalapeno on the stovetop, then add all ingredients except the final lime juice and cilantro to your slow cooker. I also recommend reducing the chicken broth in the recipe by 1 cup as your slow cooker will create condensation and additional liquid as the soup cooks. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Remove chicken and shred, then add back to the slow cooker and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season to taste. That's it!