Chicken Enchilada Soup

This week has been a heck of a disappointment on the food front. I made a meal plan last weekend, as I do, and was all set for a week of healthy, homemade meals. I generally make three to four meals and use leftovers for lunches and multiple dinners, etc. I had planned three meals for this week: two of them relied on ground turkey, and one other on tofu.
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Of course, the store was out of both turkey and tofu. Then, the next store was out of turkey. And tofu. Finally, a third store had ground turkey but since I’d never been there before, I couldn’t find the tofu if they did have it.* Did a ground-turkey-and-tofu farm explode somewhere and now there’s no turkey and no tofu?! (And certainly no tofurky.)
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Anyway, I’m excited to make my first real meal of the week tomorrow…on Thursday. Pathetic. Thankfully, last week was much more successful. I found this recipe on Skinnytaste and my boyfriend actually made it (many thanks!) while I was at work and it simmered away in the slow cooker until I came home and we devoured it. We loved this soup and will definitely be making it again. It’s a great “throw it in the Crock Pot and forget it” recipe, with a lot of flavor for very little effort and calories. You don’t even have to cook the chicken first! So easy.


When the time is up and you’re ready to eat, remove the chicken and shred with two forks (this was my contribution to the recipe, ha). Then add it back into the soup, give it a stir, and adjust seasonings as needed. Then serve!

Or, like we did: smothered in toppings! I had mine with a dollop of lowfat sour cream, a sprinkle of sharp cheddar, some scallions, and a few slices of jalapeño. This soup is so yummy! Especially with the sour cream, cheese, and a few tortilla chips for dunking, it tastes just like enchiladas in a bowl. Leftovers were even better. This is definitely one to add to your slow cooker rotation. Enjoy!

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low sodium fat-free chicken broth
8 oz can tomato sauce
1-2 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce (or more to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish)
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 8 oz skinless chicken breasts (16 oz total)
1/4 cup chopped scallions, for topping
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
fat free or reduced fat sour cream (optional)
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Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into crock pot.
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To the crockpot, add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
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Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. Topping suggestions: sour cream, scallions, cheese, tortilla chips or strips, cilantro, hot sauce.
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Nutrition Facts (includes cheese)
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Calories: 260.9
Fat: 6.6 g
Protein: 25.4 g
Carb: 29.9 g
Fiber: 6.7 g
Sugar: 4.1 g
Sodium: 572 mg (without salt)