Have unexpected dinner guests or just need a quick, comforting meal? This Simple Chicken Enchilada Soup is the perfect solution! With just four ingredients—red enchilada sauce, chicken broth, Ro-Tel, and a rotisserie chicken—you can have a warm, flavorful soup on the table in minutes. I first discovered this hack when I needed to pull together a last-minute dinner for friends, and it has been a go-to ever since.
It’s not only fast and easy but also a great way to use up leftover veggies from your taco or salad bar. Everything tastes good in this soup. For extra flavor, sauté the veggies in a little olive oil before dumping in the rest—it softens the veggies! Plus, you can tweak this soup to fit different dietary needs with simple swaps!
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Now put on a cute apron and let’s make some soup!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy (you can make this in under 30 minutes!)
- Uses pantry staples
- Customizable for different diets
- Great for using up leftover veggies—I hate to waste these!
Ingredients (Base & Optional Add-Ins)
Essential ingredients:
- Red enchilada sauce– Hatch has a certified gluten-free sauce.
- Chicken Broth– You can use chicken stock or 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 cups water.
- Ro-Tel– They make mild, regular or hot. Use the amount of spice you want.
- Rotisserie Chicken– use any chopped up chicken or even canned.
- Optional mix-ins: black beans, corn, diced bell peppers, onions, rice, potato, carrots, tomato or celery. Basically—use any leftover veggies you’ve got.
- Toppings: avocado, sour cream, cilantro, onion, tortilla strips and lime.
How to Make It (Step-by-Step)
Step 0 (The optional step) –
If you are wanting to use up some veggies before they go bad (which I always do), put some olive oil in the bottom of the Dutch oven and heat it up. Then add in all of your diced up veggies. I usually let them sauté them for about 5 minutes. If you are using potatoes or carrots, you might need to let them simmer in the broth a little bit longer (about 30-40 minutes) until they are soft. Keep this in mind if you are trying to make this quickly. You can also cut them into smaller pieces to help them cook faster.
Step 1 (This one’s not optional) –
Add your chicken broth, red enchilada sauce, and Ro Tel.
Step 3 –
Add the chicken and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes so all the flavors will meld together. If you used unsalted chicken broth, you might want to add some salt.
Step 4 –
Serve it with toppings so that everyone can customize their own. We like sour cream, avocado, cilantro, onion, lime and cheese— Basically anything you might put on a taco!
Ways to Customize
Spicier? Add jalapeños or hot sauce (I keep these on the side since half our household loves spice and the other half thinks black pepper is spicy)
Gluten-Free? Stick to GF enchilada sauce and toppings
Dairy-Free? Skip cheese and sour cream or use dairy-free alternatives
Low-Carb? Omit rice, beans, corn, and tortilla strips
***When I’m making this for a group, I make sure to use gluten-free enchilada sauce and chicken broth and keep the dairy, carbs, and spicy peppers on the side. I use my ice chilled condiment caddy for all of the extras and everyone can make their own to their liking. I use this thing at least once a week!
Serving Suggestions
- Pair with warm tortillas, cornbread, or a simple side salad
- Highly recommend you serve with chips, salsa and guacamole—One of the absolute best pairings and a great thing to ask others to bring if it’s a potluck
To Store
Let the soup cool completely and put it into an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze it for up to 6 months.
Need a dessert for this meal? It pairs really well with these Coconut Lime Bars or these delicious Lemon Ricotta Cookies. They will melt in your mouth!
Looking for other easy meals? Try our Easy Street Taco Bar or add some chicken to this Simple Cucumber Salad for something on the lighter side!
If you try this soup, please share your variations in the comments!
Simple Enchilada Soup
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven or other pot
- 1 silicone spoon
- 1 ladle
- 1 ice chilled condiment caddy optional, but worth it
Ingredients
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 10 oz enchilada sauce 1 can
- 10 oz Ro Tel 1 can
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken chopped
Optional
- ½ onion (red or white) diced
- 1 bellpepper (any color) diced
- 15 oz corn you may not want to use the whole can
- 15 oz black beans drained
- 2 potatoes diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Toppings
- cilantro chopped
- ½ onion diced
- 1 avocado diced
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- sour cream
- 1 jalapeño diced
Instructions
Optional
- If you are adding fresh veggies, saute them in the pot with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Let them soften for about 5 minutes. Let it simmer in the broth longer if you have potatoes or carrots (about 30-40 minutes)½ onion, 1 bellpepper, 2 potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 tbsp olive oil
Essential
- Pour in the broth, enchilada sauce, and Ro Tel. Let it come to a boil. (Add salt if you are using unsalted broth),32 oz chicken broth, 10 oz enchilada sauce, 10 oz Ro Tel
- Add in the chicken (and canned corn and beans if you choose to)2 cups rotisserie chicken, 15 oz corn, 15 oz black beans
- Let the mixture simmer for about 15-20 minutes to give it a chance to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Serve with toppings such as sour cream, onion, cilantro, lime, avocado, and jalapeño.
