Run out of tortillas when making enchiladas or never wanted one? Let’s make this tasty chicken enchilada soup to wrap it up!

Why make a plan?

The point is not strictly follow the plan but have something to fall back on if we can’t make it up as we go. A solid backbone, to build upon, will not only guide us through the chaos but provide a mental crutch during the days.

The problem is not the lack of willpower but rather our brain’s own way of doing things when we are tired, stressed or just sad. And who wouldn’t be all of that when hungry?

Why not eat salad?

Once Ghrelin, the hunger hormone kicks in, our plan to eat something healthy on the go flies right out of the window and throws back something that could be absorbed quickly and high in calories.

If we can gain back a little control then we may ask for an extra side of salad to sooth the crushing defeat of our conscience. Not like munching of the salad at the end of a 1000 calories meal redeems our past feast but we take a wafer for eucharist too.

Why fail?

Failures are important part of every learning process. It’s telling us that we don’t do something right, so it isn’t worth wasting energy that way. The hardest part is to analyze what went wrong. Figuring out the next step almost comes naturally because the more we try, the less room remains us to fail.

Not all failure is created equal though. Especially not in the kitchen where waste is as deadly sin as it is in the Bible. As long as we can wrap things up and hide them under some savory cheesy sauce, no one will complain about how it supposed to look like.

Why enchilada?

Enchiladas originally are corn tortillas, rolled around a filling then covered with a savory sauce. What we do with them in the secrecy of our kitchen is completely up to us. As long as we have adhered to these simple rules, we make enchiladas even if we absent-minded swap maize tortilla to flour and leave out the chili.

Enchiladas simply means, “add chili” to something so chili would be the principal ingredient if we weren’t so picky about hot spices and wouldn’t live and breathe chili as bravely as a five-year-old.

So would be the corn tortillas but since we have swapped them already to flour tortillas, we just as well abandon them completely. Or even worse, forgot to buy them, run out of flour, or simply haven’t yet checked out how to make them at home. (Flour tortilla – Corn tortilla – Keto Tortilla Chips Recipe)

Why enchilada soup?

Enchiladas without chili and tortilla leave us with a bowl of filling and a jar of sauce that warmed together in our trusty pot with a bit of water, will make something that we can call an enchilada soup.

Luckily, enchilada soup can not only save a dinner but it is able to stand on its own even if we have tortillas at home.

Ingredients

2 lb / 900g Chicken (striped or diced)
2 teaspoons / 10g Salt
1 teaspoon / 3g Black pepper
3 tablespoons / 50ml Cooking oil
2 pieces / 200g Onion (diced)
3 cloves / 12g Garlic (diced)
7 oz / ⅞ cup / 200ml Tomato sauce
2½ cup / 600ml Water
Chili to taste
7 oz / 200g Cured cheddar (shredded)
Filling (optional)
- 7 oz / 200g Corn (pre-cooked)
- 7 oz / 200g Beans (pre-cooked)
Topping
- 1 stalk / 10g Green onion
- 1 stalk / 3g Cilantro
- 1 piece / 50g Tortilla (optional per serving) (Flour tortilla – Corn tortilla – Keto Tortilla Chips Recipe)

How to make Chicken enchilada soup

Prepare the chicken by cutting it into stripes or cubes. Add salt and pepper then let it sit preferably for a couple of hours or even overnight.
Heat skillet to high temperature, pour some oil in then sear chicken on both sides until golden brown. Leave enough space between the pieces so the escaping liquid can evaporate. Don’t move the pieces once in the skillet only to check if they are done.
Remove the chicken. Pour the rest of the oil into the skillet and add the diced up onions. Stir-fry until glassy / translucent, for about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and fry until the onions naturally start to caramelize, for about 15 minutes.
Mix in garlic and stir-fry until garlic gets fragrant, 2 – 3 minutes.
Increase heat, pour in tomato sauce and water then bring it to boil. Add chili to taste if any is used.
Add any filling. Beans could take hours to cook so prepare for that or use precooked ones. Corn cooks in 3 minutes and cheese even quicker. (Don’t use mozzarella, it gets gooey.)
When fillings are cooked, add back the chicken.
Bring the soup to boil then take it off heat. Chop cilantro, green onion or chives for serving. Dice up a tortilla and sprinkle it on top for a bit of fun, optionally fry them in oil like croutons.