Tex-Mex · main

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup reads citrus 5.0, sourness 4.5 and richness 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Tex-Mex main, about 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.3 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.1 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.7 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 5.0 · Sourness 4.5 · Richness 4.5 · Allium 4.3 · Umami 3.8 · Salinity 3.8 · Heat 2.8 · Sweetness 2.7 · Earthy 2.3 · Smoke 2.2 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Fruity 1.0 · Funk & Ferment 0.9 · Bitterness 0.8 · Floral 0.5 · Nutty 0.5

What's in it (16)

• vegetable oil — 27 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• poblano chiles — 100 g
• garlic — 12 g
• chili powder — 30 g
• cumin — 5 g
• smoked paprika — 5 g
• corn tortillas — 300 g
• whole green chile peppers — 411 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 1420 g
• boneless chicken — 680 g
• cream cheese — 113 g
• frozen corn kernels — 237 g
• shredded monterey jack cheese — 170 g
• salt — 5 g
• lime — 65 g

Time & effort: about 40 min (34 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 115.3 kcal, 9 g protein, 4.7 g fat, 10.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent, 5-6 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
3. Stir in the torn tortillas and the diced tomatoes with green chiles, coating everything in the spiced oil, about 1 minute.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and add the chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F at the thickest part, 18-20 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then shred into bite-size pieces with two forks; set aside.
6. While the chicken rests, purée the soup base directly in the pot with an immersion blender (or carefully in batches in a stand blender) until smooth and visibly thickened, about 1 minute — the softened tortillas are what give this soup its body.
7. Return the pot to low heat and whisk in the cream cheese a few cubes at a time until fully melted and the soup is silky, 2-3 minutes.
8. Stir in the corn and the shredded chicken; simmer until the corn is heated through, 3-4 minutes.
9. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted and glossy; season with the salt and lime juice to taste.
10. Ladle into bowls and top with extra shredded cheese.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Ground Chicken Shawarma Lettuce Wraps — Middle Eastern
• Blackened Chicken Skillet with Corn and Peppers — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Smoky Chipotle Turkey Chili — American
• Black Bean Soup with Lime Crema — Mexican
• Chicken Shawarma Sheet Pan Dinner — Middle Eastern

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.