Extra Veggie Chicken Enchilada Soup! It’s creamy, hearty, packed with 6 different veggies, shredded chicken thighs, black beans and so. much. flavor! A truly comforting, satisfying + family-friendly dinner that can be made on your stovetop, in your slow cooker or Instant Pot!

A pair of hands holding a bowl filled with enchilada soup. The soup has a spoon in it and is topped with slices of lime, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream. The bowl is on a countertop surrounded by a napkin, lime wedges, and 2 plates slightly out of focus filled with chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.
5 from 38 votes
Featured Review

“Made this tonight in the InstaPot. Very flavorful! No one tasted the cauliflower rice. My 6 year old gobbled down his bowlful. Very happy to have leftovers tomorrow for lunch. Will be making this one again!”

Erin
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I have several veggie-packed, enchilada-inspired recipes here on TNN (this one is my personal fave), but I have yet to touch the soupy side of enchiladas….until now.

I mean, there are countless Chicken Enchilada Soup recipes out there (tons!), but this one is my own little twist on the traditional…and let me tell you—it’s sosososso delicious and features an extra helping of veggies (but, of course). I’m pretty smitten with it.

Enchilada soup is all kinds of magical (which is why just about every cook out there has a favorite version of it). Imagine all the goodness of an enchilada, but easier—deconstructed into a warm, comforting soup. And, if you can believe it, it’s even cozier this way. Plus, it’s a breeze to make—coming together in just one pot in under 25 minutes; and it makes fantastic leftovers or a handy freezer stash.

The core ingredients of almost all enchilada soup recipes include bell peppers, corn, onions, tomatoes, and black beans—but I’ve taken it up a notch with even more veggie goodness—riced cauliflower and chopped baby spinach. They blend in beautifully, adding a bonus “feel-good” factor without being overpowering. Instead of reaching for store-bought enchilada sauce, I’ve used a mix of classic warm spices (which you probably already have in your cupboard), keeping things simple and pantry-friendly. For the protein, I opted for skinless, boneless chicken thighs because they stay tender and juicy, though chicken breasts work well too. And to top it all off, a little cream cheese stirred in at the end gives the soup an irresistible creamy, dreamy touch.

If you’re craving a cozy, veggie-packed soup that will have everyone licking their bowls clean, this Extra Veggie Chicken Enchilada Soup is *the one*. It’s a real-life dinnertime wonder, if I do say so myself.

Let’s walk it through + make this soup together…

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Onion, peppers, and riced cauliflower being stirred together in a Dutch oven using a wooden spoon. Dutch oven is on a stovetop.
In large Dutch oven (or soup pot!) over medium heat, sauté the onion, pepper, and cauliflower until softened (about 2 to 3 minutes).
Salt being sprinkled over a Dutch oven filled with raw chicken thighs, veggies, and spices. Dutch oven is on a stovetop.
To the pot, nestle the chicken closely on top of the sauteed veggies. Then sprinkle with the salt and spices (chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and paprika). Stir to coat the chicken and cook for about a minute. This extra minute may seem small but it really pays off in the flavor department by lightly toasting the spices.
Chicken broth is being poured from a glass jar into a Dutch oven filled with canned tomatoes, salsa, and other ingredients for chicken enchilada soup. The Dutch oven is on a countertop.
Now it’s time for the liquids. To the pot, add in the can of tomatoes, salsa, and the chicken broth. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and has an internal temp of 165℉. For me this took about 15 minutes, but I always go by the internal temp from a meat thermometer to be sure the chicken is cooked through.
Cooked chicken being shredded in a dinner bowl using two forks. The dinner bowl is on a countertop surrounded by a few sprigs of cilantro, a lime wedge, a small bowl filled with cream cheese and a small bow filled with corn.
Take the cooked chicken from the pot and put it on a plate. Shred the chicken then add it back into the pot.
Corn, black beans, shredded chicken, and cream cheese are being stirred into other ingredients for chicken enchilada soup with a wooden spoon in a Dutch oven. The Dutch oven is on a stovetop.
Almost there! To the pot, add in the corn, black beans, and cream cheese. Give it all a stir and continue to stir until the cream cheese has melted into the soup. The cream cheese adds in so.so.so much creamy, dreamy texture.
Chopped cilantro is being stirred into other ingredients for chicken enchilada soup with a wooden spoon in a Dutch oven. The Dutch oven is on a stovetop.
Stir in the chopped spinach and cilantro (if using! I happen to love it but I know not everyone does).
A wooden spoon stirring a dutch oven filled with enchilada soup.
Give the soup a taste and, if you think it needs more salt, add it in now.
One hand holding a bowl filled with enchilada soup. The other hand is holding a spoon dipped in the bowl of soup. The soup is topped with slices of lime, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream. The bowl is on a countertop surrounded by a napkin, a plate with cilantro, a plate with shredded cheese, and a plate with lime wedges.
When serving up a bowl of this dreamy, creamy soup, you can top it with as many or as few toppings as you’d like! My personal favorite combo is a squeeze of lime, some sliced avocado, a spoonful of sour cream, and a sprinkling of extra cilantro and some cheese. That’s it! Cozy, filling, flavorful goodness on your table in under 30 minutes!
5 from 38 votes

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup (with extra veggies!)

Yield: 7 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Cuisine: Mexican, tex mex
Course: Main Course, Soup
Author: Taesha Butler
Extra Veggie Chicken Enchilada Soup! Creamy, hearty, packed with 6 different veggies, shredded chicken thighs, black beans and so. much. flavor! A truly comforting, satisfying + family-friendly dinner that can be made on your stovetop, in your slow cooker or Instant Pot!
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 Tablespoon (14 g) olive oil
  • 1 medium (1 medium) onion, chopped
  • 1 medium (1 medium) red bell pepper, diced small
  • 1½ cups (240 g) frozen riced cauliflower
  • 1½ pounds (680.39 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1½ teaspoons (9 g) kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons (4 g) chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon (3 g) garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon (2 g) onion powder
  • 1½ teaspoons (3 g) cumin
  • 1½ teaspoons (3 g) paprika
  • 15 ounces (425.24 g) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup (242 g) jarred tomato salsa, I used mild, but you can use medium or hot to add some extra kick to this soup.
  • 3 cups (709.76 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1½ cups (247.5 g) frozen corn
  • 15 ounces (425.24 g) canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, cut into pieces
  • ¼ cup (4 g) chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
  • 2 cups (60 g) loosely packed baby spinach, finely chopped after being measured
  • 1 (1) lime, cut into wedges (optional)

Instructions
 

Stovetop instructions

  •  Add oil to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, pepper, and cauliflower until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Nestle the chicken into the bottom of the pot then sprinkle with the salt and spices (chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and paprika). Stir to coat the chicken and cook for a minute to lightly toast the spices.
  • Add the can of tomatoes, salsa, and chicken broth to the pot. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and has an internal temp of 165℉, about 15 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and transfer to a plate. Shred the chicken, then add back to the pot.
  • Stir in the corn, black beans, and cream cheese. Continue to stir until the cream cheese has melted into the soup.
  • Stir in the cilantro (if using) and spinach, then taste the soup and add more salt as needed.
  • Portion out the soup and squeeze a wedge of lime over each portion. Garnish with extra cilantro and whatever toppings you like! I love a little cheese, sliced avocado, or a dollop of sour cream.

Slow cooker instructions

  • Add the oil, onion, pepper, and cauliflower rice to your slow cooker. Nestle the chicken into the veggies and then sprinkle with the salt and spices (chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and paprika). Stir to coat the chicken.
  • Add the can of tomatoes, salsa, and chicken broth to the pot. Cover, then cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours; or until the chicken thighs have an internal temp of 165℉ and can be easily shredded. Every slow cooker cooks a bit differently, so start checking your chicken early to avoid overcooking it.
  • Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer to a plate. Shred the chicken, then add back to the slow cooker. Stir in the corn, black beans, cream cheese, spinach and cilantro. Continue to stir until the cream cheese has melted into the soup.
  • Portion out the soup and squeeze a wedge of lime over each portion. Garnish with extra cilantro and whatever toppings you like!

Instant Pot Instructions

  • Turn your Instant Pot's sauté function and add the oil to the pot. Once hot, add the onion, pepper, and cauliflower and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Nestle the chicken into the bottom of the pot then sprinkle with the salt and spices (chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and paprika). Stir to coat the chicken and cook for a minute to lightly toast the spices.
  • Turn off the saute function. Add the can of tomatoes, salsa, and chicken broth to the pot and stir everything together.
  • Place the lid on your Instant Pot. Press the manual/pressure cook button and set the timer to 10 minutes. When the timer is up, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes before manually releasing the rest.
  • Once the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and transfer to a plate. Shred the chicken, then add back to the pot.
  • Stir in the corn, black beans, cream cheese, spinach and cilantro. Continue to stir until the cream cheese has melted into the hot soup. Portion out the soup and squeeze a wedge of lime over each portion. Garnish with extra cilantro and whatever toppings you like!
Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 324kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 1271mg, Potassium: 965mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2125IU, Vitamin C: 46mg, Calcium: 117mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.