Gluten-Free Chicken Enchilada Soup
Updated Apr 05, 2021, Published Mar 08, 2021
This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Avoiding gluten is one thing, but avoiding grains altogether is a bit trickier. Say you’re craving enchiladas. You can make gluten-free enchiladas with corn tortillas. But say you’re craving enchiladas and you’re not eating grains (yes, this includes corn!) well … you improvise, like I did with this Gluten-Free Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe.
I’m avoiding grains at the moment because I’m on a keto diet. I started a keto diet on February 15th because in January I caught covid and I couldn’t get over my post-covid exhaustion. I thought I’d try to change up my diet and see how that helped, and I started feeling better almost immediately! I think the focus on protein and healthy fats and the limit on carbs is what has been helping, but I’m no doctor or nutritionist, so this is just my own thoughts on the matter for my own body. Although I didn’t feel unwell physically while I had covid, I was trapped all alone in my house for two weeks, so I pretty much just ate carbs. Keto has helped me drop the covid pounds, so I’m assuming that has also boosted my energy!
Anyways, back to this delicious recipe. This dish is like chicken enchiladas without the tortillas in one yummy soup! It’s grain-free, keto-friendly, and easier to make than regular enchiladas. Make sure your enchilada sauce is gluten-free, as many brands contain wheat flour as a thickener. I used Hatch brand green enchilada sauce and their chopped green chilies (you can use mild or hot, or one can of each).
Check out more gluten-free keto recipes.
Gluten-Free Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, , diced
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, , diced
- 2 large or 3 small jalapeño peppers, , seeded and deveined if desired, minced
- 2 (4-ounce) cans Hatch chopped green chilies, , mild or hot, undrained
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher or fine sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can Hatch Green Enchilada Sauce
- 2 cups gluten-free chicken broth
- 8 ounces cream cheese, , cut into small pieces
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- Cilantro for garnish, , optional
Instructions
- Place the bacon in a cold Dutch oven or large pan. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
- Raise heat to medium-high, add the onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, and the jalapeño is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the can of chilies, onion and garlic powders, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the enchilada sauce, chicken broth, and cream cheese, cook until the cream cheese is fully melted – you may have to whisk it. Add the Mexican cheese, stir until melted. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chicken, cook for another 5 minutes and serve with the reserved bacon and cilantro leaves, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
When does the enchilada sauce get added? Sorry if I’ve misread somewhere!
Oops! Sorry about that. It gets added when the broth and cream cheese go in. I’ve corrected the recipe.