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Slow Cooker Green Enchilada Chicken Soup

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Bright and creamy dairy-free soup with green enchilada flavors. Easy slow cooker recipe with minimal hands-on effort.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup small-diced yellow onion (or 1/2 large onion)
  • 1 cup small-diced green bell pepper (or 1 small bell pepper)
  • 1/2 cup small-diced poblano pepper (about 1 small poblano)
  • 1/4 cup seeded and finely diced jalapeño (or 1 jalapeño, optional)
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 2 cans (4 oz each) diced green chiles
  • 1 jar (15 oz) green enchilada sauce
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cans (15 oz each) pinto or cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 8 ounces dairy-free cream cheese, softened to room temperature (Kite Hill brand recommended)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions

  1. Place chicken, onion, bell pepper, poblano, jalapeño, garlic, green chiles, enchilada sauce, broth, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cilantro into slow cooker. Stir until well combined. Drop in bay leaf, cover, and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours until chicken is fork-tender and vegetables are very soft.
  2. Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks into bite-sized pieces. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
  3. Add drained beans and softened dairy-free cream cheese to the soup. Stir vigorously until cream cheese melts completely and incorporates into the broth. The soup should have a slightly thick consistency that coats the back of a spoon. If cream cheese stays chunky, remove some broth, mix with cheese separately until smooth, then stir back into soup.
  4. Cover and cook on low for about 10 minutes until beans are heated through and tender. Remove and discard bay leaf. Before serving, stir in fresh lime juice. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish as desired with cilantro, radishes, tortilla chips, or lime wedges. For non-dairy-free option, top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Notes

  • Siete Foods green enchilada sauce recommended for best flavor. Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese melts smoothly without graininess.
  • Bring cream cheese to room temperature before adding for easier incorporation into soup.
  • Skip jalapeño if sensitive to spice. Remove seeds from jalapeño to reduce heat further.
  • Beans are added at end to prevent them from becoming mushy during long cooking time.
  • For Instant Pot: Cook on Manual High Pressure for 20 minutes, then manually release pressure. Add beans and cream cheese, keep on warm for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.
  • Add lime juice just before serving to keep flavor bright and fresh.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.benefitiany.com/slow-cooker-green-enchilada-chicken-soup/