Lauren Allen’s Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe

Lauren Allen, cookbook author and food blogger, has created an easy, delicious slow-cooker soup recipe. The preparation for her famous chicken enchilada soup is so easy, in fact, that prep will only take you 20 minutes, and then you let the slow cooker do its thing.

Plus, Lauren Allen's biggest strength is making everything from scratch, and her recipes are always budget-friendly, easy, and delicious. Read more about her, her food blog, and cookbook — but make this creamy chicken enchilada soup first!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Serving: 8

Total time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5–6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3/4 teaspoon paprika
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
4–5 skinless chicken thighs (bone in or boneless)
5–6 6-inch yellow corn tortillas
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 can black beans
4 ounce can diced green chiles
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Toppings:

green onion, chopped for topping
sour cream, for topping
shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, for topping
fresh cilantro, for topping
avocado, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and sauté for several minutes until vegetables are tender.
3. Add to slow cooker, along with chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and paprika. Stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and diced tomatoes.
4. In the same pan you cooked the chicken, add another drizzle of olive oil over high heat. Sear the chicken for 1–2 minutes on both sides, just until brown.
5. Add chicken to the slow cooker along with the corn tortillas. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
6. Remove chicken to a plate, shred the meat and remove any bones.
7. Ladle the soup from the slow cooker into a blender, in batches, and blend until smooth.
8. Return pureed soup to the slow cooker, along with shredded chicken, black beans, and green chiles. Stir in cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Serve topped with green onions, sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro.

Photography and recipe: courtesy Tastes Better From Scratch, Lauren Allen