This is a broth-based chicken soup built around enchilada flavors — green enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, corn tortilla strips, and ground chicken. At 129 calories per cup and nine servings per batch, it’s a genuinely useful weeknight soup that holds up well in the fridge for meal prep.
Substitutions that actually work
- Green enchilada sauce: Red enchilada sauce works fine and gives a slightly smokier result. The soup will look different but taste just as good.
- Pumpkin puree: Use plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Butternut squash puree is a solid swap if that’s what you have open.
- Yellow bell peppers: Any color bell pepper works. The original recipe mentions banana peppers as an option — they add mild heat, so stick with bell peppers if you’re cooking for kids or heat-sensitive eaters.
- Corn tortillas: Flour tortillas will also thicken the soup, but they go mushier faster. Corn tortillas hold their texture a little better during that final simmer.
- Frozen corn: Canned corn (drained) is a direct swap. No need to thaw frozen corn before adding it.
Before you start
The one thing that matters most here is making sure your ground chicken is fully cooked before it goes into the pot — ground poultry must reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), and unlike a burger you can’t just check by color. Brown it in a separate pan first, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks, and check with an instant-read thermometer if you’re unsure. Pale or slightly pink ground chicken is not safe to eat. Once it’s cooked through, it goes into the soup and simmers with everything else, so there’s no risk of it drying out — the broth keeps it moist.
Common problems and fixes
- Soup is too thin: Let it simmer uncovered for an extra 5–10 minutes after adding the tortilla strips. The strips break down and naturally thicken the broth — skip the lid and the liquid will reduce.
- Soup is too thick or pasty: Stir in a splash of chicken stock, a quarter cup at a time, until you reach the consistency you want. This usually happens if the pumpkin-to-sauce ratio was slightly off.
- Ground chicken clumping into large chunks: Break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula while it browns. Smaller crumbles distribute more evenly through the soup and make every spoonful more consistent.
- Soup tastes flat after simmering: Taste it right before serving and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice — this brightens the whole pot without adding calories worth mentioning. A pinch more taco seasoning also works if the issue is more about depth than brightness.
- Tortilla strips completely dissolved: They were added too early or simmered too long. Five minutes is the ceiling — pull the pot off the heat as soon as that time is up. Skip the garnish of extra tortilla strips on top; not worth the extra dish.
Keeping and reheating
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to four days. The soup thickens considerably as it sits because the tortilla strips continue to absorb liquid — stir in a little chicken stock when reheating to loosen it back up. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until steaming throughout, or microwave in 90-second intervals, stirring between each. For freezing, this soup freezes well for up to three months; the texture of the tortilla strips won’t survive freezing intact, but they blend into the broth and the flavor is unaffected. Freeze in individual portions for easiest reheating.
Lo-Cal Chicken Enchilada Soup (129 Calories Per Serving)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can non-stick cooking spray - or 1 tsp / 5ml neutral oil
- 2 cans green enchilada sauce - 10 oz / 283g each
4 medium corn tortillas - cut into 1/2-inch / 1cm wide strips
- 1 can pumpkin puree - 15 oz / 425g, not pumpkin pie filling
1 cup corn kernels - 150g, frozen
Instructions
- Spray a large stockpot with non-stick spray and place over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, diced bell peppers, and celery. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables have softened.1 can non-stick cooking spray, 1/2 cup yellow onion, 2 medium yellow bell peppers, 1 1/2 cups celery
- Add the frozen corn kernels, cooked ground chicken, taco seasoning, and chicken stock to the pot. Stir well to combine and distribute the seasoning evenly.1 cup corn kernels, 10 oz ground chicken, 1/4 cup taco seasoning, 3 cups chicken stock
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the green enchilada sauce and pumpkin puree until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pot and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.2 cans green enchilada sauce, 1 can pumpkin puree, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper
- After 20 minutes, add the corn tortilla strips (cut into roughly 1/2-inch / 1cm wide strips). Stir them into the soup, cover, and simmer for 5 more minutes until the strips have softened and begun to thicken the broth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.4 medium corn tortillas
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken instead of ground chicken?
Yes, shredded cooked chicken works, but the texture will be different — you’ll get larger pieces rather than evenly distributed crumbles. If using pre-cooked chicken, skip the browning step and add it directly with the broth and corn.
How do I know when the ground chicken is fully cooked?
Ground chicken is safe to eat at 165°F (74°C) internal temperature — use an instant-read thermometer to be sure. Color alone isn’t reliable; ground chicken can look pale and still be undercooked, or look white and still register under temperature.
Do I need to drain the ground chicken after browning it?
Ground chicken is very lean, so there’s usually little fat to drain. If you see more than a teaspoon or two of liquid in the pan, tip it out before adding the chicken to the soup pot.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes — brown the ground chicken first on the stovetop to 165°F, then add everything except the tortilla strips to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4–6 hours or high for 2–3 hours. Add the tortilla strips in the last 20 minutes on high.
Is the sodium content really that high, and can I reduce it?
At 1,159 mg per serving, the sodium is high — it comes mainly from the canned enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, and chicken stock. Use low-sodium stock and look for reduced-sodium enchilada sauce to bring it down meaningfully without changing the recipe structure.
Can I add beans or extra vegetables to bulk it up?
Absolutely — a drained can of black beans or pinto beans adds protein and fiber without changing the flavor profile. Extra vegetables like zucchini or diced tomatoes can go in with the onions and peppers at the start.
What to cook next
- Layered Beef Enchilada Casserole
- Hearty Beef Kale Soup
- Andean Chicken Potato Locro
- Colombian Chicken Cheese Empanadas
