Fall is officially here, and if you love to cook, you also know that means soup season is here!
Soup is one of the best things to enjoy during this season, as it can warm you up when you’re cold, and you can often fill it with your favorite fall ingredients. However, some people who are on a weight loss journey get bored with soups, thinking they have to stick to vegetable-packed, boring recipes in order to keep up their progress. Nutrition specialist and weight loss content creator, MaKayla Thomas, is here to prove those people wrong. On TikTok, she shared her recipe for ‘Crockpot Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup’ that helped her lose over 55 pounds post-partum and is perfect for “Soup Sunday.” Read more about how to make it below.
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MaKayla Shares Her Base For Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
For her recipe, the nutrition specialist uses one of the most beloved kitchen appliances for the fall season - a crockpot! To make her enchilada soup, which she swears is "better" than a white chicken chili, MaKayla begins by adding 4 to 5 uncooked chicken breasts to her crockpot with a packet of fajita seasoning.
Following the seasoning, she adds a jar of green enchilada sauce, using the Siete brand, although you can use any low-sugar brand you like. Then, she adds 3 to 4 cups of chicken broth, instructing those who like their soup with more broth to aim for 4 cups. Finally, she adds a can of rinsed and drained white beans, which she states is optional but does add some extra protein to the meal.
She then adds the lid to her crockpot and lets everything cook down on high for 3 to 4 hours before shredding her chicken breasts.
MaKayla Adds A Cheesy & Creamy Element To Her Soup
Once her chicken is cooked through and shredded, the nutrition specialist adds what she calls "the good stuff" to make her soup more creamy, cheesy, and decadent.
She adds half a block of "less fat" cream cheese and two cups of grated Monterey Jack cheese to her crockpot before giving everything a good stir. Then, she follows the cheese with one cup of half-and-half. To give her soup more flavor, MaKayla also throws in a small can of diced green chiles and a can of mild salsa verde to really emphasize the enchilada theme. However, she also says these ingredients are optional if you prefer a simpler soup.
She gives everything another stir before letting her soup cook for 30 extra minutes in the crockpot before serving it and topping it with a pinch of shredded cheese and tortilla strips. MaKayla notes that this high-protein, low-calorie soup was a "staple" for her during her weight loss journey, as one bowl contains less than 300 calories.
