It’s no secret that I love a hearty soup. They’re made in one pot, which somehow feels more manageable any night of the week, and I love the process of layering flavors, tasting, adjusting. This recipe is adapted from Skinnytaste’s Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup, which I liked in theory but never intended to make in a crockpot. After a few rounds of tweaking, I’ve arrived at this: my ideal enchilada-ish soup. It’s cozy, deeply flavored, full of pantry staples, and ready well under an hour (yes, even with prep work).

Chicken Enchilada Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces

• 2-3 chipotle chilis in adobo (more or less to taste)

• 1 teaspoon EACH cumin, ground coriander, oregano

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 15 oz. can corn 

• 15 oz. can black beans

• 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

• 8 oz. can tomato sauce

• ½ cup white rice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. Add onion and sautee until beginning to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, another 1-2 minutes. Add chicken thighs and cook about halfway through.

2. When chicken is half-cooked, add chipotles, cumin, coriander, and oregano. Coat the chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add broth, corn, beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Add salt (about ½ tsp, more or less to taste) and rice. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is cooked through.

4. Serve hot topped with Greek yogurt, cilantro, avocado, and shredded cheese

NOTES:

• If you prefer your chicken shredded, add the thighs in whole with the canned items and simmer for about 20 minutes before adding the rice. Remove chicken, shred, add back to the pot, and continue with the rice.

• This soup is excellent leftover, but it thickens considerably because the rice will continue to absorb liquid.