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Spicy Paleo Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe

Chicken enchiladas are one of my go-to Mexican recipes. I thought it would be fun to recreate this dish as a soup.

In-Depth on Enchiladas

Enchiladas are made by stuffing corn tortillas with a filling, typically meat and cheese, and drowning it in sauce. The word enchilada can be translated to mean “dipped in chili.”

Beans, potatoes, and various kinds of meat can be found in enchiladas. They are thought to have originated in Mexico, where the Mayan people are credited with rolling corn tortillas around fish.

Enchiladas have remained popular through the years, appearing in an 1831 cookbook of Mexican origin and continuing to be a restaurant staple today.

The Many Forms of Enchiladas

Today there are many varieties of enchiladas, ranging from the street food version of just corn tortillas and chili sauce for dipping, to stacked enchiladas with layers of enchilada sauce, onions, and cheese and topped with lettuce, sliced olives, and sometimes a fried egg.

In some recipes, spicy enchilada sauce is swapped with milder tomato sauce or mole.

In this paleo chicken enchilada soup, the enchilada is deconstructed to eliminate some less-than-ideal options for your health. The good news is the spices and ingredients in this recipe closely mimic the real thing, giving you the greatness of enchiladas in a satisfying soup.

Spicy Paleo Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe

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• Author: Louise Hendon
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Entree, Dinner
• Cuisine: Mexican

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Ingredients

• 1 red onion (110 g), peeled and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil (10 ml)
• 2 teaspoons of cumin powder (4 g)
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (2 g)
• 2 cloves of garlic (6 g), peeled and finely chopped
• 4 chicken breasts (800 g), skinless and deboned
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano (2 g)
• 3 cups of chicken broth (720 ml)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (120 g), chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tomato (45 g), chopped to garnish
• 1 large avocado (200 g), sliced to garnish
• cilantro, finely chopped to garnish
• 1/2 red chili pepper (7 g), seeds removed and finely chopped to garnish (optional)

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Instructions

1. Finely chop the onion, bell pepper, and any garnishes. Dice the chicken. Set aside.
2. Cook most of the onion (saving some for garnishing) in a pan with olive oil until soft. Add the cumin, cayenne pepper, and garlic and continue cooking until onion is caramelized.
3. Add the onions, chicken, and oregano to the slow cooker. Cover with chicken broth and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 3 hours, adding the bell pepper approximately 30 minutes before finished. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Garnish with tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and onion if desired. Serve warm.

Notes

All nutritional data are estimated and based on per serving amounts.

Nutrition

• Calories: 478
• Sugar: 5 g
• Fat: 24 g
• Carbohydrates: 10 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 48 g