Green Enchilada Chicken Soup (Slow Cooker + Stove Top)

This green enchilada chicken soup is a simple and healthy soup that’s perfect for busy weeknights or Sunday meal prep. It combines simple ingredients like chicken, beans, and vegetables in the slow cooker to make healthy eating easier for busy people, like you. 

Why You’ll Love This Green Enchilada Chicken Soup

This delicious Green Enchilada Chicken Soup combines classic Mexican flavors into a comforting bowl of soup. It’s both healthy and delicious, making it something you can feel good about eating. Here’s why you’ll love it: 

• High in protein: Each serving features an impressive 44 grams of protein for a satisfying and muscle-supporting meal.

• Great source of fiber: Thanks to the beans and veggies, this dish provides 10 grams of fiber that helps support blood sugar balance and digestion.

• Minimal prep: aside from having to chop a bell pepper and a yellow onion, the prep work is very minimal. It relies on convenience foods to provide the delicious flavors so you’re not tediously measuring out individual spices. 

• Meal prep friendly: Prepare this on a Sunday afternoon then enjoy it all week long for lunch.

• Freezer friendly: Double or triple this recipe to easily freeze some leftover soup. Future you will be thankful for some soup that you can grab out of the freezer and reheat in a breeze.

• PCOS friendly: With fiber, protein, and fat, this meal supports steady energy and hormone health, perfect for women with PCOS and insulin resistance.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Okay, here’s what you’re going to need to make this green chicken enchilada soup recipe: 

• Chicken – this is going to be your main protein source. In addition to protein, chicken is a great source of micronutrients such as B vitamins, choline, selenium, and zinc. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe but you could also use boneless skinless chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken. 

• White Beans – beans are a great source of fiber, plant based protein, and micronutrients. I used two cans of Great Northern beans and just drained and rinsed them…you could also use dry beans too if you prefer. You can easily substitute canned cannellini beans, black beans, red kidney beans, or even lentils in this recipe. 

• Bell Peppers – red bell peppers are packed with vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that can lower inflammation, improve immunity and also improve fertility.

• Yellow Onions – not only do onions provide a unique flavor, but they’re a great source of prebiotic fibers that can improve gut health and metabolic health. Fresh onions are preferred since they provide fiber and texture but you could substitute onion powder in a pinch. 

• Chicken Broth – this is the main liquid source of the soup. I prefer to use low sodium chicken broth or bone broth when making soups. I also tend to dilute broth with a bit of water to help decrease the sodium content even further since too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure. 

• Green Enchilada Sauce – you can either make your own green enchilada sauce or use a canned option. I personally use cans of green enchilada sauce to decrease some of the prep time. 

• Greek Yogurt – full-fat Greek yogurt provides a creamy texture to this soup while also adding some protein, calcium, and probiotics. You could also use nonfat Greek yogurt or sour cream if you’d prefer. 

• Monterey Jack Cheese – cheese adds to the creamy broth helping it to thicken up. I opted to get a block of Monterey jack cheese and shred it myself with a cheese grater since this usually melts better than a pre-shredded cheese. You can also substitute cheddar cheese too.

• Salsa Verde – this adds more flavor to the soup. Since salsa tends to have quite a bit of sodium added to it, this is one of the reasons I opted for a lower sodium broth. 

How To Make It

This is probably the best part of this recipe: it’s incredibly easy to make. You can make it either in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. 

Make it on the Stove Top

If you don’t have a slow cooker or don’t want to use one, you can easily make this healthy soup on the stovetop!

Add the chicken, bell pepper, onion, chicken broth, and water to a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add enchilada sauce, Greek yogurt, grated Monterey jack cheese, and salsa verde. Allow to simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the cheese is melted.

Make it in the Slow Cooker

To make it in the slow cooker, put the chicken at the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the bell pepper, onion, broth, water, and green enchilada sauce on top. Cook on the high setting for about 4 hours or the low setting for 6 hours.

Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks to pull it apart. 

Place the shredded chicken back into the crockpot and turn the temperature to the “keep warm” setting. 

If you’re not using pre-shredded cheese, this is the time to grate your cheese. Then, add the Greek yogurt, grated Monterey jack cheese, and salsa verde to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir to combine ingredients then stir occasionally as the cheese melts. 

How to Serve It

Serve this soup with your favorite toppings such as a squeeze of lime, diced avocado, jalapenos, green onion, cilantro, or tortilla chips.

How to Store It

You can store any leftover enchilada soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop prior to serving.

This recipe also freezes well if you want to make a large batch and save some for future you. I love to freeze this soup into individual portions using silicone molds. That way, you don’t end up with an enormous frozen block of soup that takes forever to thaw. Pop the frozen soup servings out of the silicone molds and put them into a freezer bag. They’ll be good in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply pull out your desired amount from the freezer and either reheat on the stovetop on low heat or in the microwave. 

Substitutions & Variations

• Dairy-Free? You can skip the Greek yogurt and monterey jack cheese entirely for a more broth-based soup. If you want a creamier soup, you can add a softened dairy-free cream cheese in place of the Greek yogurt. 
• Gluten Free? Opt for gluten-free chicken broth as some commercially made broths may contain traces of gluten.
• Omit the chicken and use vegetable broth to make it plant-based.
• Increase the fiber by adding more of your favorite veggies such as bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, corn, jalapeños, or diced chiles. 
• Top with your favorite toppings like avocado slices, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, lime wedges, green onion, or corn tortilla chips.

Other Delicious Recipes You’ll Love

Beef Chili with Beans

Easy Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken 

Fall Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Apples, & Pepitas

Bone Broth Hot Chocolate (High Protein)

Make Ahead Baked Oats

If you make this Green Enchilada Chicken Soup, please leave me a rating and review on this blog post. This allows other readers to know that the recipe is worth trying and what to expect!