Easy 30-Minute Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground cumin (divided)
• 1 large/extra-large sweet Vidalia onion (diced small)
• 3 to 5 garlic cloves (finely pressed or minced)
• one 15-ounce can red kidney beans (I used low-salt, drained and rinsed)
• one 15-ounce can black beans (I used no-salt added, drained and rinsed)
• 1 to 1.5 cups frozen corn (not necessary to thaw; or one 15-ounce can corn, drained and rinsed may be substituted)
• one 14.5-ounce can petite diced fire-roasted tomatoes (regular petite diced tomatoes may be substituted)
• one 10-ounce can red enchilada sauce (I used medium heat)
• two 4-ounce cans fire-roasted diced green chiles
• about 2 cups water (chicken or vegetable broth, or as desired)
• 1 to 1.5 tablespoons chili powder (I used 1.5)
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (regular paprika may be substituted)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional and to taste)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 to 3 teaspoons granulated sugar (optional and to taste)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice (optional and to taste)
• fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook: To a large Dutch oven, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, chicken, evenly season with salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, and cook over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through.

2. 2

   Rest: Remove chicken from Dutch oven, and set on a cutting board to rest. Do not clean the pan or remove cooking juices.

3. 3

   Cook: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, onions, and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until onions have softened, stir intermittently.

4. 4

   Cook: Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir nearly constantly.

5. 5

   Combine: Add the the kidney beans, black beans, corn, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chiles, water/broth, remaining 1 tablespoon cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, optional salt (there’s already quite a bit of salt in the other canned goods and I didn’t add any additional salt), pepper, and stir to combine. If you prefer thinner chili with more broth, you may wish to add an additional 1 to 2 cups water/broth.

6. 6

   Boil: Bring to boil and allow chili to gently boil for about 5 to 10 minutes or until chili has reduced and thickened some.

7. 7

   Slice: While chili is cooking, shred or cube the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken to chili and stir to combine.

8. 8

   Season: Stir, taste, optionally add sugar to taste (I added 3 teaspoons because the sugar balances the acid from the tomatoes), optional lime juice (brightens up the flavor), and add salt, pepper, etc. if desired.

9. 9

   Serve: Ladle into bowls and optionally garnish with your favorites.