Green Enchilada Chicken Soup

5 from 15 votes

This green enchilada chicken soup is a great combination of tomatillos and roasted poblano, chicken, and crispy tortillas.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time35

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex

Servings: people

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Alicia

1 pound tomatillos
3-4 garlic cloves
1 poblano, de-seeded and sliced in half
⅔ cup chopped shallots
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ pound cooked, shredded chicken *I use a "naked" rotisserie chicken, meaning no spices added
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
fresh tortillas or tortilla chips

Preheat broiler to high heat. Remove paper skins and stems from tomatillos and wash under warm water to remove sticky residue. You can leave the garlic skin on for broiling. Place the tomatillos, garlic, and poblano on a baking sheet and broil about 6-10 inches away from heat for 6 minutes. Flip tomatillos and remove the poblano and garlic if softened and charred in spots. Peel skin off garlic. Continue broiling the tomatillos until softened and charred in spots, another 6 minutes.
Meanwhile prep a large soup pot. Add the charred tomatillos, garlic, and poblano to the pot along with the chopped shallots and saute over medium heat about 2 minutes until the shallots have softened. Add 4 cups of broth, cumin, oregano, coriander, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Add chopped cilantro. With an immersion blender, blend the soup in the pot till it reaches your desired consistency (I like mine smooth). Stir in chicken and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
To serve, top with crispy tortilla chips, or toast fresh tortillas brushed on both sides with a little bit of olive oil at 400 degrees F for about 7-10 minutes until light brown. They'll crisp up as they cool.

Canned tomatillos can be substituted for fresh, but fresh are preferable.
See notes in post for gluten free/vegetarian/vegan.
You can find naked chickens at Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Fresh Market but any plain, cooked chicken will do.