Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

I made chicken tortilla soup when I was in culinary arts school and although it quickly became a favorite, I have never been a huge fan of broth based soups since I am much more of a savory and creamy lover when it comes to soups. I decided that I needed to come up with a way to make a creamy version of chicken tortilla soup that wasn’t overloaded with too many carbs or fat the way most creamy soups are since I follow a diet that is low carb due to my diabetes.

The outcome of this was this amazing creamy chicken enchilada soup that really does taste just like if enchiladas and soup had a baby. It is very creamy, savory and sure to be a family and kid pleaser. It couldn’t be easier to make, either. It took me less than an hour from start to finish. If you cook and shred the chicken beforehand, it could be done even quicker!

As far as cost, soups in general are pretty low cost as they were developed originally to use up other leftover ingredients. I made this soup for around $15 and since it made so much, I had enough for 2 additional meals and placed it in my freezer.

I did not have any tortilla strips at home when I made it and wanted to add a crunch factor to it so I took some corn tortillas and made my own. You can do so with this simple recipe:

Homemade Seasoned Crispy Tortilla Strips

5-6 Corn Tortillas

3 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 tablespoon Chili Powder

1/2 Tbsp Onion Powder

1/2 Tbsp Granulated Garlic

1/4 tsp Cayenne Powder

Cut your tortillas into 1/2 inch strips.

Toss the ingredients and lightly and evenly coat the tortilla strips. Bake on parchment paper in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Watch closely as they cook to make sure they don’t burn. They will harden a little more as they cool.

Onto the soup making. I hope you really love this soup as much as we do!

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs of Chicken Breast
1 Bag of Frozen Corn
3 Qts Low Sodium Organic Chicken Broth
1 Can Organic Black Beans
1 Can Cannelli (Great Northern) Beans
1 Can Organic Dark Kidney Beans
1 Packet Taco Seasoning (or make your own)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1/2 Cup Colby Jack Cheese, Shredded
1/2 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
6 Tbsp Flour
1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic
1 Tbsp Granulated Onion
Dash of Cayenne Powder
Tortilla Strips
Colby Jack Cheese For Garnish
Fresh Cilantro For Garnish

Start by poaching (in water) your chicken breasts. Shred them into larger pieces. This can be done beforehand to save time.
In a 6 Qt pot, make a roux using the butter and flour. A roux is simply mixing melted butter with flour to create what looks like wet sand. Add your chicken broth to this and whisk.
Add your shredded chicken, (rinsed) beans and seasonings. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add in your seasonings, including the taco seasoning packet, and allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
When it is seasoned how you like, add in your sour cream and Greek yogurt slowly. Whisk them in and make sure to break up any chunks.
Add in your cheeses, allowing them to fully melt.
Finish off with adding your corn and allowing to simmer for a few minutes before serving.
Garnish with colby jack cheese, more sour cream, cilantro, scallions, tortilla strips or whatever you want!