This Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe is like your favourite enchiladas but in soup form. Totally hands off because this is pressure cooked in the Instant Pot and is really fast to make. This thick, spicy soup is loaded with bell peppers, beans, corn and chicken and topped with sour cream and cilantro its pure comfort food!
Monsoon weather in Bangalore gets really pleasant, especially in the evenings. And you know what that means? It's soup weather! So I wouldn't really be kidding when I say I have more or less been living on this chicken enchilada soup. And it could be because it's more than just delicious - it's also insanely easy to make. I make this Mexican soup in the Instant Pot and it has been totally life changing! There is no stirring or watching over to see if anythings burning. It's pretty much a dump and cook situation except for the onions and garlic which are cooked to get rid of the raw smell and bring out the flavours.
Quick Walk Through: Chicken Enchilada Soup
Top Cooking Tips for Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Tomatoes: I've used fresh tomatoes here because we always have them in plenty but if you prefer the canned variety, go ahead and replace the tomatoes and the tomato puree with a whole can of peeled tomatoes. Just make sure to chop them roughly first.
Enchilada Seasoning: The mixture of garlic, onions, cumin and paprika creates a homemade and very basic enchilada sauce flavour when combined with the tomatoes. I prefer the DIY instead of buying store bought seasoning to avoid any of the weird stuff, but if you want, you can swap the cumin and paprika for 2 tablespoons of enchilada seasoning mix. The extra garlic in the recipe won't hurt.
Chicken: I've tested the recipe with both chicken breasts and chicken thighs. Personally, I prefer the chicken thighs because they remain juicy even if you reheat the soup. With chicken breasts, I noticed that they taste good straight out of the Instant Pot but after reheating the pieces tend to get a little rubbery and chewy in spite of all the liquid and moisture. If you still want to use chicken breasts, just add 2 whole chicken breasts (not frozen), reduce the pressure cooking time to 8 minutes, take them out and shred them once cooked and add them back to the soup.
Toppings: I would absolutely insist that you top this soup with stuff. My favourites are sour cream (or greek yogurt), a squirt of lime, cilantro and crushed nachos. Chopped red onions are also amazing in this soup which I add once in a while.
FAQs
Absolutely! This soup can just easily be made in a pressure cooker. If your cooker doesn't have a sauté function, you can just sauté the aromatics separately in a pan and then add everything to the pressure cooker. But other than the entire recipe remains the same.
If stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, this soup can easily last for about 4 to 5 days. When you're ready to eat it, simply take it out, reheat and garnish with a little sour cream and tortilla chips before serving.
Even though this is a complete meal in itself, toppings always take things a notch higher. I usually serve this with some diced avocados, tortilla chips, or a simple summer salad. If I have the time, I even whip up a quick batch of my homemade guacamole to use as a dip with the tortilla chips. It's very satisfying!
I've been told by an American friend that this tastes like Chili's chicken enchilada soup, but chunkier because we don't puree it. And you can also make this in a slow cooker which I'll provide instructions for below. So if you don't own an Instant Pot, go ahead and make this a slow cooker chicken enchilada soup.
But whatever you do, trust me this enchilada soup is the boss of all winter soups - its thick, spicy and a bowl of comfort food.
Some More Comforting Soup Bowls You'll Love
- Barley Chicken Fall Soup
- Creamy Chicken Barley Soup
- Homemade Creamy Vegetable Soup
- Vegetarian Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
- Comforting Mexican Style Tortilla Bean Soup
Watch Step by Step Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe Video
I also posted a Chicken Taco Soup on Spend with Pennies that you'll love!
Chicken Enchilada Soup (Made in the Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker Recipe)
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 tablespoon Garlic chopped
- 1 cup Onions chopped
- 1 Green Bell Pepper diced (large)
- 1 Jalapeno chopped and deseeded
- 1 ½ cups Tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup Tomato Purée
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
- 4 Boneless Chicken Thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup Kidney Beans soaked overnight
- 1 cup Frozen Corn
- ½ teaspoon Chipotle Powder
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 2 tablespoons Cornflour
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Turn on the saute function on the Instant Pot and heat oil. Add garlic and onions and saute till the onions are soft and translucent. Turn the vent to sealing, and add all the remaining ingredients except cornflour. Pressure cook on manual for 12 minutes and release pressure manually once cooked. Switch to saute again and mix cornflour in ¼ cup water till dissolved. Add it to the soup and mix well. Let the soup simmer for 4-5 minutes till it thickens. Serve hot with your favourite toppings.
- Heat oil in a pan and add garlic and onions. Saute till the onions are translucent and then transfer them to the slow cooker along with all the other ingredients except cornflour. Cook on high for three hours or low for 5-6 hours. Mix cornflour in ¼ cup water till dissolved and add it back to the soup. Mix well, and cook on high for 15 minutes or so till the soup is bubbling. Serve hot with your favourite toppings.
Natasha says
Would the timing change drastically between an instant pot and pressure cooker?
Richa says
They will change slightly Natasha. If using a stovetop pressure cooker, pressure cook for 3 whistles.
vinod says
How good, when a good food makes you feel amazing! Whatever you eat, but soup is boss of all food. A balanced diet like soup is a must for healthy lifestyle.
Hadia says
I am putting this on my must try list, Richa! Looks so flavorful!
Richa says
Thanks Hadia
Patel says
"pressure cooker recipe" never heard before.Thanks for sharing