Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

 

 

“Soup is the song of the hearth…and the home.”

                                                  (Louis Pullig De Gouy)

 

With fall just around the corner and our hearts and stomachs craving comfort food, I created this Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup as a bridge between summer and fall in hopes that maybe fall will speed up it’s long awaited arrival.

Isn’t it funny how in fall and winter we long for the warm spring and summer months and then once we have what we have longed for, we then want to trade it all in for cooler, breezier times? I guess that’s just the human nature in all of us; never quite satisfied with what we do have.

With this Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup you can have your cake…err…soup and eat it too!

 

 

 

 

Since this wonderful, hearty soup cooks in the slow cooker, you don’t have to heat the house or the stove up to make it which is perfect during the warmer months.

You can still enjoy the savory comfort of tender chicken enchilada soup that you crave in the cooler months.

 

 

 

 

Let’s get crockin’!

I started with my 4 quart Crockpot Slow Cooker and added in:

1 frozen boneless skinless chicken breast

14.5 oz Organic Whole Kernel Corn (drained)

10 oz Mild Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies

14.5 oz White Northern Beans, drained (they’re hidden under the chicken here!)

 

 

 

 

After adding in the ingredients listed above, I diced half of a sweet, yellow onion to add it in as well.

You could add half of a purple onion in if you wanted a bit more of a spicy flavor, but if you have young, tender taste buds you’re feeding, I suggest sticking with the mild sweetness of the yellow onion.

 

 

 

 

Add the diced yellow onion in along with 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 28 oz of mild Red Enchilada Sauce, and 1/2 cup of Chicken Broth.

If you have some homemade chicken or vegetable broth, I highly suggest using that over anything you could buy at the store!

Homemade chicken, vegetable, or bone broth is always a much healthier and tastier option for soups.

I have a simple and easy recipe for Homemade Bone Broth HERE if you want to check it out and give it a try! 😉

 

 

 

 

 

Once your corn, tomatoes, onion, garlic, enchilada sauce, and chicken broth has been added to your Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup, it’s time to spice things up with some seasonings!

I added in:

1/4 teaspoon Organic Smoked Paprika

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Once the Chicken Enchilada Soup is cooked and ready, I suggest you give it a taste before serving to see if this amount of seasonings is to your liking.

If you feel it needs more seasoning, go ahead and add it in!

 

(Just don’t taste the soup until AFTER it cooks – remember, there is uncooked chicken in that slow cooker!)

 

 

 

Place the lid on your slow cooker and set the cook time to 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

If your chicken was thawed, set the cook time to 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

Once the cooking cycle is complete, leave the slow cooker on and remove the chicken.

Shred the chicken between two forks, removing any fatty or unsavory parts.

Once the chicken is shredded, stir it back into the soup in the slow cooker.

 

 

 

Cube 4 oz of Veleeta Cheese or Pasteurized American Cheese.

This small amount of cheese gives the Chicken Enchilada Soup the creamiest, most delicious of flavors! 😉

 

 

 

 

Place the cubed cheese into the soup in the slow cooker and begin stirring in order to melt the cheese.

Stir until the cheese is completely melted and blended in with the soup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that your cheese has melted, turn the slow cooker off and add in 1/2 cup of milk.

I added the milk in slowly, stirring the entire time to make sure it blended in smoothly to the other ingredients.

The addition of the milk to this recipe gives this soup a hearty, creamy flavor that lends a slightly more mild enchilada taste.

 

 

 

 

 

Now that all ingredients have been added to your Slow Cooker Enchilada Soup, it is ready to serve and devour!

Some side items I would suggest to go along with this wonderful soup are Cheese Quesadillas or a Santa Fe style salad.

 

 

 

 

 

You can serve this Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup as-is or dress it up a little with some toppings.

Here’s a list of my favorite toppings:

Sour Cream

Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt (a healthier Sour Cream Substitute)

Shredded Cheese (any kind)

Diced Red Onion

Chopped Green Onion

Chopped Cilantro

Sliced Avocado

Sliced Jalapenos

Tortilla Strips

Corn Chips

 

 

 

I hope you all have enjoyed your time in my kitchen today and please, stop by soon for another visit!

-Amy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Shared at Meal Plan Monday

Shared at Foodie Friday Link Party

Shared at Full Plate Thursday

Also shared at What’s for Dinner Sunday