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You are here: Home / Recipes by Category / Soups/Stews/Chili / Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

October 28, 2019

Last modified on February 17th, 2022

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bowl of chicken enchilada soup topped with avocado, tomatoes, cheese, corn, and chips

Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup is creamy without cream and loaded with hidden vegetables.  Want your family to eat more veggies?  This easy, flavorful soup is your answer!!!


Top shot of creamy enchilada soup in a white bowl

You know that greasy, flavorless chicken enchilada/tortilla soup you get at restaurants?

Believe me when I say, THIS is not that soup.

You are in for such a treat!

This soup has graced my table possibly more than any other recipe on this here blog.  Why?

  1. Because everyone loves it, including the kiddos
  2. Toppings, so many glorious toppings
  3. Hidden pureed veggies to the max, in every single glorious bite

I started making this soup many years ago after one of my favorite food bloggers of all time, Mel at Mel's Kitchen Cafe posted and raved about it.

It wasn't until a couple of years into my electric pressure cooker obsessed ways that I realized this was the perfect recipe to adapt to the Instant Pot.

And so I did, and it was mind-blowing.

Then I turned it into my go-to freezer meal . . . FIREWORKS (more on that in a sec).

Quite honestly, you won’t be saving much cooking time from the original recipe, but the fact that I could throw it all in, push a button and walk away (and also completely forget about it because I was getting a princess makeover from my daughter), makes this amazing recipe move to the top of the charts!

Pressure Cooker Creamy Enchilada Soup. Packed full of veggies and good-for-you foods.

HIDING VEGGIES FROM KIDS

Let's talk about “hiding veggies” and “kids” for a second.

While I’m not into hiding my kid's veggies in their food, I’m 100% into pretending I don’t understand or hear the question, “So what exactly is in this?” until after they've tried their food and decided they like it.  Which is how this soup experience went down.

Butternut squash, onions, chilies, red bell peppers, garlic, and potatoes get blended into the base until it’s so perfectly silky and rich (with absolutely no cream!).

All my kids see are white beans and juicy chunks of chicken.  Top it with cheese and crushed chips and they’ll eat three bowls of it!

Of course, my bowl tops out at ten veggies after I add pico de gallo, avocado, corn, sour cream, cheese, hot sauce, and crushed whole grain tortilla chips!  Heaven in a bowl right there!

Pressure Cooker Creamy Enchilada Soup. Packed full of veggies and good-for-you foods.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

  • Don't worry about perfect size and shape with this meal.  Rough chop all those veggies super quick and toss them in the pot.  The Instant Pot can handle it, I promise.
  • Buy cubed butternut squash from the produce or freezer section.  If that's not available, use this Instant Pot Butternut Squash trick to make the job easy.
  • Invest in an Immersion Blender!  In a pinch, a high-speed, tabletop blender will work just fine, but an immersion blender can blend it into a silky smooth soup with less mess and no transferring of burning hot liquids.  My opinion is that immersion blenders and pressure cookers go hand in hand.  This Mealthy HandBlend is an excellent choice without a huge price tag.
  • Go crazy with toppings:
    • Our base layer is veggie-packed and contains my favorite white cannellini beans and juicy chunks of chicken.
    • Next, add cheese (so it can melt over top the hot soup), then juicy gems of barely cooked fresh corn (or canned), fresh pico de gallo, creamy cool avocado, and finally a handful of crushed, salty whole grain tortilla chips over top.
    • Then if you're like my crew, you take it a bit too far by adding a huge dollop of sour cream and half a bottle of Cholula!  Yum!

Pressure cooker creamy enchilada soup.

This is the kind of soup you eat and literally feel your body being nourished.  Know what I mean!?

TURN CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP INTO AN AMAZING FREEZER MEAL

This is one of my favorite meals to have on hand in the freezer and it works so well in the Instant Pot

  1. Gather all the ingredients except the chicken broth (this will get added right before you cook it)
  2. Layer it into the bag, chicken on bottom and everything else tossed inside in any order.  Freeze it inside the pot to ensure it's the perfect size to go back into the pot once it's frozen
  3. When it's time to cook it, cut away the ziplock
  4. Place inside the pot and add chicken broth
  5. Cook for 30 minutes
  6. Remove chicken and shred or cut into bite size pieces
  7. Puree the soup
  8. Stir in chicken and beans
  9. Stir and serve

Step by step collage for how to make instant pot chicken enchilada soup

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

VARIATIONS FOR CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

  • I know I excitedly pronounced that this has no actual cream in it, but I'll admit, a swirl of heavy cream is beautiful here.
  • Make it vegetarian!  Simply leave out the chicken and use vegetable broth.
  • Bring the heat!  Double the red pepper flakes or serve with a side of Cholula Hot Sauce.

HOW TO STORE CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

  • Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 5 days
  • Freeze in a sealed container or freezer-safe ziplock bag (laid flat on a sheet pan for easy storage and quick thawing) for up to 3 months.  Because there isn't any actual cream in this recipe, it'll freeze and thaw perfectly.
I'm positive this will become a new family favorite for you!
I should mention, it also makes the perfect meal to bring to someone in need.  Bring it freshly cooked with the toppings on the side or bag up the frozen version for them.  They will be so very grateful!
Enjoy!

MORE INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPES

  • Instant Pot Broccoli Zucchini Cheddar Soup
  • Instant Pot Creamy Cauliflower Soup
  • Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Soup
  • Instant Pot Creamy Ravioli Butternut Squash Soup
  • Healthy Instant Pot Soup Recipes Roundup 
  • Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
Pressure Cooker Creamy Enchilada Soup. Packed full of veggies and good-for-you foods.

TOOLS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

  • Instant Pot or Mealthy MultiPot
  • Immersion Blender or High-Speed Blender
  • For freezing – Ziplock Freezer Bags

*Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Print

Pressure Cooker Creamy Enchilada Soup

Top shot of creamy enchilada soup in a white bowl
Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.9 from 8 reviews

Easy, delicious, veggie packed soup to warm you up on the cool evenings ahead.

  • Author: tidbits-marci.com
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Servings 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Pressure cooker
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 medium size boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 (3.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies
  • 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 4 – 5 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (store bought or homemade recipe to follow)
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Additional toppings: pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh or canned corn, diced avocado, Cholula hot sauce, whole grain tortilla chips, etc

Homemade Taco Seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Whisk together taco seasoning ingredients if using homemade version.
  2. Add chicken broth, chicken, green chilies, onion, potatoes, pepper, squash, garlic, salt, cumin, tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning to the pressure cooker pot and gently stir.
  3. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.
  4. When cooking is complete, use a natural release. 10-minute natural release can also be used and then release any remaining pressure.
  5. Remove chicken and place on a cutting board, cover with foil.
  6. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until very smooth.
  7. This can also be done in batches with a blender. Be careful not to overfill the blender! Place a towel over the lid and gently pulse before turning the speed up to blend.
  8. Chop or shred chicken and return it to the pot of soup.
  9. Add cannellini beans and stir.
  10. To serve, ladle soup into a bowl, immediately sprinkle with cheese and top with desired toppings.

Freezer Meal Instructions:

  1. To a freezer safe gallon size ziplock bag or glass container that is the same size as your pressure cooker pot, add chicken (in a flat layer on the bottom), green chiles, onion, potatoes, pepper, squash, garlic, salt, cumin, tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning; seal the bag.  Label the bag with the recipe, date, and contents.  Freeze inside pressure cooker pot until solid then remove the bag from the pot and place back in the freezer until ready to use
  2. When ready to cook, add chicken broth to the pressure cooker pot.  Cut down the sides of the ziplock to remove and place the frozen ingredients into the pot
  3. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes then proceed with the directions in step 4

Notes

  • For a vegetarian version, simply omit chicken and use vegetable broth

Keywords: instant pot soup, comfort food, creamy soup

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Marci at Tidbits
Marci

Welcome! I’m Marci, wife to my motorcycle dream man and mother of 3. I have a passion for creating and cooking delicious masterpieces in my kitchen and am ecstatic to share my discoveries on TIDBITS! I like my food tasty, wholesome, memorable, and always, ALWAYS followed by dark, salty chocolate.

I love to see what you're cooking from my blog! Show me your creations on Instagram using hashtag #MARCITIDBITS
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Tags: avocado, butternut squash, canned green chilies, Cannellini beans, chicken breasts, chicken broth, onion, red bell pepper, russet potatoes
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jane says

    January 6, 2022

    Is the cooking time reduced if I use chicken thighs?

    Reply
    • Marci says

      January 6, 2022

      Jane, Nope, I would use the same time. I’ve never tried it with thighs, but I bet that will be delicious!

      Reply
  2. Donna says

    October 11, 2021

    I haven’t made this yet, but I’ve printed it out and will definitely make it and will come back to comment when I do. But right now, I really am commenting to ask if, in the fourth photo of this post, you deliberately arranged the tortilla chips at the bottom to look like a running man? If not, that’s quite a coincidence! LOL, he even has eyes! 😀

    Reply
    • Marci says

      October 13, 2021

      Donna, I had to go see what you were talking about and just about died laughing, haha! Good eye!

      Reply
  3. Dani says

    February 15, 2021

    I normally can’t stand butternut squash but in this soup, it’s absolutely heavenly! I just made it for a second time and completely forgot I’m supposed to add the beans after it cooks…so they got pureed, too. I used sweet potatoes instead of the white this time and truly think the soup is just as delicious. I used homemade enchilada sauce in place of tomato sauce, too – we like it spicy. Lastly, I squeezed a lime into the pot after I pureed everything and I think it was just the right touch. This is a delicious soup and it freezes perfectly.

    Reply
    • Marci says

      February 16, 2021

      Dani, well now I want to try it with sweet potatoes! This soup was my gateway to being more open to butternut squash. Five years ago I couldn’t stand it, and now I’ll eat it roasted, pureed, mashed, and everything in between :). I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! It’s my kids’ favorite.

      Reply
  4. Kristal says

    November 15, 2020

    This was a hit with the whole family. Finding something healthy that 6 out of 6 will ear is nearly a miracle. So, this is a winner!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Marci says

      November 16, 2020

      Kristal, right!? I get so excited to serve this to my kids because it’s so packed with veggies, some they would never consider eating otherwise.

      Reply
  5. Diane says

    October 29, 2020

    Delish soup. I did add one habanero pepper seeded after reading the reviews and My family likes it spicy!
    I made your white beans first, froze half. Then partly cooked the squash whole to cut easier. This will be a frequently made meal.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Marci says

      October 30, 2020

      Diane, I like the way you think! I love it spicy myself. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  6. Glinda says

    February 11, 2020

    Marci, the already cubed butternut squash I found is frozen. Do I need to thaw it before proceeding with the recipe? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Marci says

      February 12, 2020

      Glinda, Frozen works great!

      Reply
  7. Jamie says

    December 17, 2019

    Made this last night and it made SO much! We are going to be eating it all week. So good and loved that there were so many veggies in it!

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Marci says

      December 17, 2019

      Jamie, Yep, it is a FULL pot! It freezes great too if it’s more leftovers than you want.

      Reply
  8. Lin says

    November 1, 2019

    Fantastic! We LOVE it! Btw, I assume that 300 calories is before I start dumping the goodies on top.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Marci says

      November 1, 2019

      Lin, yep, the 300 is before the toppings. So I guess I’m double that after I add a handful of chips and sour cream 😉

      Reply
  9. Sunny says

    October 19, 2019

    We’re going to a potluck tonight and I made this recipe. I had waaaay too much butternut squash so I put the remaining chunks in a baggie for your Butternut Squash Thai soup. Can’t wait to try it. It did fill my 6-qt IP to the line, though. Did you use an 8-qt pot for this? I also added more chilies because we like spicy. I think this one’s a keeper!

    Reply
    • Marci says

      October 21, 2019

      Sunny, and I’m giddy at the thoughts of you making the butternut squash soup, it’s so yummy! It fills the 6 quart, but not beyond what it should. I’ve done it in my 8 quart as well. And you’re speaking my language, I always add a splash of Franks Red hot to my bowl!

      Reply
  10. Beth says

    September 13, 2019

    Hi Marci,
    This soup was a big hit in our house. The butternut squash made it so creamy and tasted like fall. Will be making this again soon.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Marci says

      September 13, 2019

      Beth, I’ve got this on the menu for next week. It’s possibly the only soup everyone can agree on. I’m glad you guys loved it!

      Reply
  11. Catherine says

    March 24, 2019

    This was absolutely delicious! My husband doesn’t like squash and didn’t notice the taste at all. Love a healthy recipe that the whole family enjoys. Thank you for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Marci says

      March 25, 2019

      Catherine, it’s a good one, huh?! It’s one of the few meals that makes every single person happy, and the fact that it’s loaded with veggies just makes it that much better!

      Reply
  12. Kimberly says

    January 17, 2019

    IP newbie so I’m still figuring things out. Can I use frozen chicken breasts for this or should I thaw them first? Thanks in advance!!

    Reply
    • Marci says

      January 17, 2019

      Kimberly, Frozen works! I always do 1 1/2 the time for frozen so cook this one for 30 minutes if you’re using frozen chicken

      Reply
  13. Paul says

    December 16, 2018

    I mad this for my family a few weeks ago and we all absolutely LOVED it!! My wife even took some in to share with her coworkers and they all raved over it. Going to make it again this week for everybody and we are all looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
    • Marci says

      December 16, 2018

      Paul, This one is always a big hit with my friends and family too, and so many vegetables! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  14. Kelly says

    September 26, 2018

    I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
    • Marci says

      September 27, 2018

      Kelly, I’ve made it so much, I keep thinking I’ll get sick of it, but it’s so heartwarming and delicious every time! I’m so glad you loved it!

      Reply
  15. Stacy says

    September 18, 2018

    What’s the recipe for your homemade taco seasoning?

    Thanks!
    Stacy

    Reply
    • Stacy says

      September 18, 2018

      Never mind! I Just saw it!

      Reply
      • Marci says

        September 19, 2018

        🙂

  16. maria says

    September 7, 2018

    Is the 8 cups of cubed butternut squash a typo?? I checked Mel’s Kitchen’s recipe calls for 3-4 cups. My Instant Pot Duo 60 is full to the 2/3 line (the maximum) as I used 5-6 cups of butternut. There is absolutely no way your recipe can accommodate the mid-size Instant Pot as written. Please double check your quantities. Even the video where you show how to freeze the ingredients for use later, shows a small amount of butternut squash dumped into the 1 gallon freezer bag. I am making one soup for now, and bought enough ingredients to also prep for one frozen soup for later, and my 1 gallon bag is literally bursting at the seems…again, I used less butternut squash than your recipe states, more than Mel’s. Please check because it would be a real shame if my soup doesn’t turn out due to a typo, which I’m pretty sure there is….

    Reply
    • Marci says

      September 9, 2018

      Maria, I often times buy the already cubed up butternut squash from the produce section at the grocery store and between 2 bags, it contains 6 – 8 cups. I’ll be making this again next week and will double check my amounts. I’ve made this so many times, using the recipe from my cookbook that calls for the same amount. I’ll check back next week!

      Reply
      • Maria says

        September 10, 2018

        So I’m pleaseto report that the soup turned out and tasted excellent, especially with the addition of suggested toppings! I will definitely be keeping this recipe, however modifying it to accommodate no more than 5 cups fresh peeled and chopped butternut squash, which is about one medium squash.

        This soup is somewhat spicy and hence likely not suitable for many young children, such as my own.

        ★★★★★

      • Marci says

        September 10, 2018

        Maria, Thanks for letting me know your experience! I decreased the amount of squash written in the recipe for now, and will be experimenting with it next week to be sure.

  17. Constance Mattson says

    January 10, 2018

    Marci,
    I’m not a fan of squash, but would like to make this soup to get the health benifits and also find a way to enjoy it! Is the squash taste detectable or do the other ingredients cover it up? Thanks for your great recipes!
    Constance Mattson

    Reply
    • Marci says

      January 10, 2018

      Constance, I’m also on the fence with squash, especially butternut, and my children won’t go near it. So will you like this? YES! I don’t notice the squash taste, but it makes it so creamy

      Reply
    • Kristal says

      November 15, 2020

      No one here guessed there was squash in it.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  18. Michele says

    September 4, 2017

    What pressure cooker do you own? I don’t own one and am looking for a recommendation.

    Reply
    • Marci says

      September 4, 2017

      Michele, I have a few different Pressure Cookers but my favorite 2 are hands down the Instant Pot Duo60 and the Fagor Lux Multicooker. You can’t go wrong with either of those! I really like having the 8 quart size, but most people I find have the 6 quart.

      Reply
    • claudine casone says

      September 24, 2018

      I have the cosori brand 6qt and love it

      Reply
  19. Pam says

    August 31, 2017

    Why not pinto beans? Wouldn’t that be more in keeping with the Mexican flavors?

    Reply
    • Marci says

      August 31, 2017

      Pam, you could use black, pinto, kidney, etc. Whatever you like best!

      Reply

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