Have you ever had that perfect bowl of creamy chicken enchilada soup, where all the flavors and textures are spot on? If not, you are in for a treat!
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If you have, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. The perfect bowl of enchilada soup is a velvety consistency that is both creamy and flavorful and it has perfectly cooked chicken to add some texture. YUM!
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The only problem is, Jeff said mine wasn't good enough! WHAT?
"It's perfect." I said. "It's creamy, it has that wonderful taste of corn, it's perfectly spiced and it's super easy to make!" What more could you want?
Jeff said, "Sorry, it isn't good enough. The perfect enchilada soup has chunks of chicken, not shredded to the point of being almost nonexistent."
Well... he knows his enchilada soup better than I do because he has eaten about 1,000 bowls of it from Chili's and other restaurants. So, I made it the way he wanted me to and now he says, "It's better than Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup!" YAY!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Just pay attention to the HOT max fill line on the blender. If it looks like you are getting too close to it, leave out some of the chicken stock and mix it in at the end.
Absolutely! You can use any kind of cooked chicken you like and I will go over the details a little later in the post because the steps will look a little different.
Red. At least that is what I used and it is so delicious.
Of course! Switch the chicken stock to a vegetable stock and omit the chicken. The soup will be just as delicious!
I'd love to be able to say yes, but I have to say no. I tried it and it just didn't work. The flavor isn't the same and the texture was very gritty with cornmeal.
What is Masa Harina?
Masa Harina a corn flour that is finely ground and prior to being ground, the dried corn is soaked in water and an alkaline agent called slacked lime. While this doesn't sound too appetizing, it gives the masa harina a distinctive taste and cornmeal even if if you finely grind it, just isn't the same.
I don't recommend skipping this ingredient when making the creamy enchilada soup. It makes all the difference!
Masa Harina is usually available at the grocery stores, so it shouldn't be hard to find. If you don't use it often, I would store it in a sealed container in a dark cool pantry and it will stay good for 9-12 months.
The most common brand that I see in stores is Maseca and it says instant corn flour. That is the one you want.
Can I just dump all the ingredients in and select the Hearty Soup Funcion?
You can! You just won't have chunks of chicken, the chicken will be more like a shredded chicken instead. I actually thought this was quite good, but Jeff wanted chunks of chicken, so I adapted the recipe.
Since you probably don't want to bite into the stems or chunks of onion when you serve the soup, this is what I would do to make this a dump and go soup.
Add in the chicken broth (all of it), the spices, jalapeno, cilantro stems or leaves, and the onion. Select the extract button which will blend everything up nice and smooth.
Then add the enchilada sauce and the masa harina, pulse a few times just to get the masa harina mixed in.
Add in the cubes of chicken and select the hearty soup function. Done.
Top with desired garnishes and serve.
How to make the Enchilada Soup with Leftover Chicken
When I started testing this recipe, it was with the idea of using leftover chicken that I had from making Mexican Shredded Chicken. I love the idea of making a large amount of something and then turning it into different meals throughout the week.
To make this soup with leftover Mexican Shredded Chicken, I used both the broth and the chicken. So, instead of adding seasonings, I let the broth from the chicken recipe be the base of my soup. It was delicious and so fast because the chicken was already cooked and well seasoned.
If you have leftover Mexican Shredded Chicken with the broth, this is what you do.
Add in 2 cups of the broth, 1 cup of enchilada sauce, ½ cup masa harina and pulse blend. Heat on manual high for about 10 minutes and then select the extract button.
*I really recommend making your own enchilada sauce right in the blender. It's so good and makes this soup perfect! Here is my recipe, made right in the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender: Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Add in as much chicken as you want and heat on manual high for about 5 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy!
If you want to use leftover chicken that was not made specifically with Mexican flavors, you can do that as well.
I would add in the chicken stock, cilantro stems, jalapeno, spices, and onion. Blend those using the extract button. Heat on manual high until boiling.
Then add in the enchilada sauce and the masa harina. Pulse blend to combine. Cook on manual high for about 5 minutes. Select the extract function to ensure a smooth soup.
Add in your leftover chicken and heat on manual high for a few minutes or until the chicken has warmed up.
Serve & Enjoy!
How to make Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup in the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender
If you are like Jeff and want chunks of chicken in your enchilada soup, here is how I did that in the blender.
After I rewatched the video, an idea to make this even easier came to mind and while I haven't had time to test it this way, I wanted to share it with you because it might make it just a tad easier.
When you add the chicken stock, onion, jalapeno, spices, and cilantro, use the extract button to blend it up before putting in the chicken. This way when you go to strain the chicken out of the broth, you don't have to pick those things out to put back into the broth like I did.
Here is the way I tested the recipe
Add the chicken stock (you can add the entire amount), jalapeno pepper, onion, spices, and cilantro stems or leaves. I use the stems because they work perfectly and that is the part we usually throw away!
Cut the chicken into 1" cubes and add to the blender. Use the tamper or long spatula to press the ingredients down into the liquid the best you can. Select the manual cook mode on high. Allow to cook 15 minutes or until the chicken is done.
When the chicken is fully cooked, strain out the broth and add it back into the blender. Pick out the cilantro, onion, and jalapeno pepper and add to the blender. *see suggestion above to avoid this part.
Add in the enchilada sauce and the masa harina. I really suggest making this easy recipe for homemade enchilada sauce right in your blender, but the canned variety will work as well.
Add in the masa harina and pulse blend a few times to get it incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed. Select the manual cook mode on high and cook for 5-10 minutes. Select the extract button and allow the blender to make this enchilada soup nice and creamy.
Add back in the chicken and serve or simply place the chicken cubes in a bowl and pour the soup over top.
Garnish with desired toppings and serve. I love to add cheese, extra cilantro and even some thinly sliced jalapenos. Dress it up any way you like!
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
Equipment
- Ninja Foodi Cold and Hot Blender
Ingredients
- 12 ounces chicken breast 1-2 chicken breasts
- 2¼ cups chicken stock
- 1 bunch cilantro divided in recipe
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ large onion
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 cup enchilada sauce
- ½ cup masa harina
Optional Garnishes
- shredded cheese
- thinly sliced jalapenos
- cilantro
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Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast(s) into 1" cubes. Wash and cut the stems off of the cilantro. The stems are used in the soup and the leaves can be added to the soup as a garnish. Cut the jalapeno in half and remove the seeds if you don't like the added spiciness of the seeds. Reserve the other half for garnish if you like.
- Add the chicken stock, spices, half of the jalapeno pepper, ¼ of the onion, and about 1 cup of cilantro stems/leaves. I use primarily the stems since it will be blended and it's a good way to use up the entire bunch of cilantro. You can use all leaves if you prefer. Gently press the chicken down below the liquid. Select the manual cook mode on high. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Pour the contents of the blender into a strainer and collect the broth in a bowl beneath it. Remove the cilantro, jalapeno, and onion and put it back into the broth. Pour the broth back into the blender. Set the chicken aside.
- Add 1 cup enchilada sauce and masa harina. Pulse until the masa is incorporated, scrape down the sides as needed. Cook on manual high for 10 minutes.
- Cancel the cook and select the extract function to blend everything up.
- Add the chicken back into the blender and let it sit for a few minutes OR place your chicken chunks in your bowl and pour the hot soup over the chicken. Garnish with cilantro, cheese, or any other toppings you like. Enjoy!
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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Sheila W
How would you convert this recipe if you do not have a Hot and Cold blender?
Louise
I would simmer it on the stove until the chicken is fully cooked, strain out the chicken and put everything else into a blender or use an immersion blender to blend smooth. Add the chicken back in and warm it up before serving.
Dan
I have heard of blending up taco shells instead of masa harina. Have you heard of/tried this?
Louise
I haven't, but it should work to give the flavor of the corn. Just make sure they are as fine of crumbs as you can get them so it dissolves into the soup.
Margie
How would you make this recipe using an immersion blender? It sounds delicious !
Louise
You can cook it on the stove and then use the immersion blender to blend it. I hope you love it!
Stephanie Seeber
Can you exclude the cilantro? I’m one of those unfortunate people that can’t do cilantro.
Louise
Yes, of course!
Amber Meyer
Wow!!!! This is the most perfect recipe EVER!!! My husband absolutely loves Creamy Enchilada soup and he said this is hands down the BEST he has ever had! Thank you so much for another awesome recipe! I also made the homemade enchilada sauce for this soup. Win-win!
Louise
I'm so glad you guys liked it! It's Jeff's favorite too!