Beef Enchilada Soup, a Quick One Pot Wonder Recipe

Beef Enchilada Soup is a quick and easy weeknight meal that has all the flavors of traditional enchiladas. But, instead of taking hours to make, it’s ready in just 45 short minutes. 

Soup – A Great Option Any Time of Year

I confess, I think soup season is all 12 months of the year and love it no matter what the temperature is. But, we know it’s the ultimate comfort food when it’s freezing cold outside. It has a way of warming you up from the inside out.

However, I find that soup is still comforting even when it’s sunny and 85 degrees. It just has so much delicious flavor and there are endless ways to make soup. And, it makes for a really easy weeknight dinner for the whole family as well as great leftovers.

Beef Enchilada Soup

I’m particularly excited about this beef enchilada soup. It’s an incredibly easy soup recipe and it tastes just like an enchilada. That’s right folks, it has all the flavors of enchiladas, but in the form of a delicious soup.

I wanted to make this an easy beef enchilada soup recipe. To me, that means using basic ingredients easily found in your kitchen and pantry, limiting the number of pots and pans, as well as a recipe that doesn’t take all day to make. This recipe definitely ticks all of those boxes.

First, the ingredient list has basics like ground beef, onion, chicken stock and tomato sauce. There are also a number of basic spices like salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Nothing too exotic other than chipotle in adobo sauce (which is easily found in your local grocery store).

Second, this soup is done in one pot. All you need is one large soup pot or large dutch oven and that’s pretty much it. Easy cleanup!

Finally, I’ve seen a number of instant pot and slow cooker enchilada soup recipes. While still relatively easy recipes, they do require advanced planning and time.

This is a 45 minute soup from start to finish. And, that makes this beef enchilada soup perfect for a weeknight dinner. As a bonus, any leftovers of this hearty soup make a delicious lunch.

How to Increase Spiciness

First of all, this soup is relatively mild in spice. There definitely is room to make it spicier, if desired.

If your family prefers it spicier, you can add an extra chipotle pepper or more adobo sauce. You can also bump up the amount of chili powder.

Options for Toppings

The toppings I’ve listed in the recipe card are totally optional, but I highly recommend them. The Fritos give a nice crunch and add a little saltiness. As far as the cheese goes, I think pretty much everything is better with cheese, but totally up to you.

But, what are some of your favorite soup toppings? Maybe you don’t have Fritos on hand, so you substitute crushed tortilla chips or tortilla strips.

If you’re really crazy for toppings, go ahead and add a dollop of sour cream, some green onions, or some diced avocado. You know best how you like to garnish soup, so add your favorites.

So….looking for an easy dinner recipe for a busy weeknight? This beef enchilada soup with its hearty flavors is a perfect choice.

Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• This soup can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
• I highly recommend garnishing with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and Fritos. It really adds to the flavor. Sour cream is also a tasty addition.
• I recommend simmering for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. But, the longer you simmer it the better the flavors will be.
• Any color bell pepper can be used. However, my preference is a red pepper. That’s mainly for the sweeter flavor and the pop of color.

Ingredients Needed to Make Beef Enchilada Soup

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Ground beef –  I recommend 85 or 90 percent lean ground beef, so that the soup doesn’t turn out too greasy.
• Red onion – If you don’t have red onion on hand, you can substitute yellow or white onions.
• Red bell pepper – This is my preference over green bell pepper for both the vibrant color as well as the sweeter flavor.
• Fresh garlic
• Olive oil – Vegetable oil can be substituted if you don’t have olive oil on hand.
• Canned tomato sauce
• Chipotle in adobo sauce – You can find this in the Mexican section of your grocery store.
• Adobo sauce – From the same can as the chipotles.
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Dried oregano
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Fresh cilantro – This brightens up the flavor of the chili. If you don’t care for cilantro, you can substitute fresh parsley which also brightens up the flavor.
• Canned black beans
• Chicken stock
• Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• Fritos (optional)

How to Make Beef Enchilada Soup

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add ground beef to pot and break up with a spoon.
• Once beef is broken up, add onion, red pepper and garlic.
• Cook until beef is no longer pink and onions are soft.
• Add tomato sauce, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Stir until well combined.
• Stir in cilantro, beans and chicken stock.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to develop.
• Serve with cheese and Fritos for topping, if desired.

More Soups to Love

• Shrimp Coconut Curry Soup
• Osso Buco Soup
• Homemade Weeknight Chicken Noodle Soup
• Easy Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup
• Spicy Tomato Basil Soup with Italian Grilled Cheese Dippers
• Philly Cheese Steak Soup
• Beer Cheese Soup Recipe
• Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

ENJOY!