New and Improved Chicken Enchilada Soup

I have a few different Chicken enchilada / chicken tortilla, and different chicken soups on here, but I did a few things different yesterday when I made this soup and it was soooo good I had to write down what I did. It's cold, winter and blizzardy weather here, and it always makes me crave soup. Nothing like a warm soup at the end of the day to warm you up. I love garnishing soups like this with a lot of different topping choices, just adds a little something to the soup. Garnish with your favorites and enjoy!

 New and Improved Chicken Enchilada Soup

4 or 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
1 4-oz can diced green chiles

Seasonings: I used salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder,  chili powder, smokey paprika and dried cilantro.

Place these ingredients in a crockpot and sprinkle the seasonings over the chicken. Feel free to use whatever seasonings you have and like for this soup. I never measure my seasonings, I just sprinkle a bit of each. I cooked on high for 3 to 4 hours until the chicken was shreddable. Turn off and set aside.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic

In a soup pot, drizzle the olive oil over the bottom and heat over medium high heat till it starts shimmering slightly. Add the chopped onion and cook until fragrant and slightly translucent (around 5 to 7 minutes). Then add the garlic, and cook another 30 seconds. 

Next, sprinkle more of the seasonings you used to season the chicken over the onion mixture and cook over medium heat for another minute. I didn't measure my seasonings, just used a good sprinkle of each. 

Remove the cooked chicken from your crock pot  and add to your soup pot with onions, shred with 2 forks. Next, strain the broth from your crock pot and add to the soup pot with onions and chicken. 

2 10-oz cans red enchilada sauce, I used mild but you can used medium or hot if desired.
2  14-oz cans hominy, I used 1 white and 1 yellow. Rinsed and drained
1 19-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature. (I warmed in a bowl in the microwave and mixed with one can of the enchilada sauce to get rid of big lumps.)

Add  all of the ingredients above to the soup pot. If you need more chicken broth to thin out a little, add as needed. I think I added another 2 cups. Taste for seasoning and add more salt , pepper,  and a little sprinkle of chipotle powder if you need it a little more spicy. Bring up to a boil, then turn to medium / medium low heat  and let this simmer for about 20 minutes to let the flavors blend. Prepare the garnishes while you wait.

Garnishes :

Fresh Cilantro, chopped

shredded green cabbage

Sour cream

Grated cheese

Chopped avocado

Tortilla chips

Pepitas

Serve! Let people pick the garnishes they like and enjoy!!