I had chicken, some fresh thyme, fresh oregano and parmesan cheese so I was thinking I would make some kind of Chicken Italian soup. But, I had the Food Network on and someone was caramelzing onions. It looked so delicious that I started trying to figure out how I could incorporate those onions into my soup and then for some reason, I cannot tell you why, I thought Chicken Enchilada Soup sounded really good. So good in fact, I completely changed gears and went that route instead.
Now I have never made Chicken Enchilada Soup, I have only eaten it. My favorite is at Chili's restaurant, but I bet I haven't been to Chili's in 2 years or more. Every time I would go, I would always get the Chicken Enchilada Soup as a starter. Anyway, I don't know why, all of the sudden, I started craving it. I went online to get a base recipe of what an enchilada soup should have. One of the things it needed was masa flour. I had some in the pantry but, of course, it was out of date...I don't even remember using it, so it was oldddd. I already had everything else. I didn't go by the recipe, I just used it as a guide to get some of the foundation right like how much masa flour to how much liquid. Aside from that, I did my own thing. I added and tasted, and added and tasted and then to figure out what needs to be added. Yesterday, I had a helper. My taster was my daughter Holly and she was a big help. We added a couple of things that made the difference between a good soup and an awesome soup!
Since this is my first time to develop and make this recipe, I have only tried it with caramelized onions, so I don't know if just sauteing them would be enough or not...sorry. But really, these onions do not have to be full out caramelized. Even slightly caramelized would enhance the flavors of this soup.
I made some mini Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Muffins to go with this and they were just the perfect thing to amp up the flavor even more.
This recipe is going on my favorite list....I love it when that happens!
CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP
2 pounds Chicken Breasts
Garlic Powder
Steak Seasoning
1 large Onion, chopped
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
6 Garlic Cloves
1/2 - 1 large Poblano Pepper, chopped
1 Package McCormick Enchilada Sauce Mix
1- 8 ounce can Tomato Sauce
1-1/2 cups Water
6 cans Campbell's Chicken Broth
2 cups Water
2 cups Masa Flour
1 Cup Water
2 tablespoons Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Cumin
1 - 10 ounce bag of frozen Corn
Optional: 1 or 2 cans of Black Beans
8 ounce Sharp Cheddar Cheese, chopped into chunks
Salt to Taste.
Toppings:
Charred Corn
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Cilantro
Green Onions
1. Season chicken breasts heavily with garlic powder and steak seasoning.
2. Place in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until done. This will depend on the thickness of the breasts.
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| I only used the breasts...I saved the thighs for something else. |
3. In a small pot, make the enchilada sauce according to the directions on the package. Set aside.
4. In a soup pot, melt butter, add sugar and stir. Add the onions and and cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are medium brown in color.
5. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
6. Add poblano pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
7. Add the Chicken Broth and stir well over medium to high heat.
8. Combine the Masa and 2 cups of water and whisk until creamy and all is dissolved.
9. Whisk into the soup mixture until it is all mixed in well.
10. Add the last cup of water and stir.
11. Add all of the the Enchilada Sauce.
12. Sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin and stir until all is combined well.
13. Add frozen corn.
14. Add the chunk cheese and stir until all is melted and incorporated.
15. Add your chopped chicken breasts.
16. Let cook for about 15 minutes.
17. Now is the time to add salt, if needed. Taste first but remember that Salt is a flavor enhancer so don't be shy!
Top with your choice of toppings.
ENJOY!
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