Recipe Background
Winter's Day Enchilada Soup combines pantry staples with creamy flair for cozy nostalgia.
One cold winter's day, I found myself buried under a heap of moving boxes in my new apartment. Freshly relocated, I was surrounded by a maze of cardboard that held my life in fragments. Amid this chaos, my friend Kim stopped by for a visit. She had a way of lighting up a place with warmth, just like a good bowl of soup. As we dug through boxes labeled 'Kitchen,' we unearthed some cans of beans and an impulsively purchased jar of green enchilada sauce. That was the spark that led to this Winter’s Day Enchilada Soup. I always keep great northern beans stocked for their versatility. They transform into creamy magnificence with the addition of a little diced jalapeño and minced garlic to elevate the flavors.
Kim and I laughed as we relived our college days, stirring the mixture and letting the aroma fill the cramped kitchen. A tip we accidentally discovered: adding the cream cheese slowly lets it melt seamlessly, rendering the soup velvety. As the soup simmered, I realized I hadn't seen Kim laugh like that in years. The unexpected sweetness from frozen corn balanced the tangy enchilada notes, evoking a sense of comfort amidst the clatter outside. Topped with fresh cilantro, it brought an inviting brightness to the chilly evening.
That memorable meal marked my first winter in a place that was officially mine. With every spoonful, the boxes around me faded into the background; the apartment felt less like a stranger and more like home. Kim left that night, but the cozy warmth of our makeshift soup lingered, becoming a cherished favorite every winter since.
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 3 (15.8-ounce) cans great northern beans drained
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (10-ounce) can green enchilada sauce
- 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 (2-ounce) can sliced black olives
- 1 medium jalapeño seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 (12-ounce) package frozen corn
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
Optional, for serving:
- cilantro to taste, chopped
- sliced black olives to taste
- pickled jalapeños to taste
Directions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the great northern beans, the broth, the enchilada sauce, the green chiles and their juices, the onions, 1 can of the black olives and their juices, the diced jalapeños, the garlic, and the taco seasoning and stir to combine.
- Bring the bean mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the bean mixture until the flavors meld together and it has thickened slightly, about 30 minutes.
- Add the frozen corn to the soup mixture and cook, while stirring occasionally, until the corn is warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese to the bean mixture and cook, while stirring, until the cream cheese is melted and incorporated, about 15 minutes.
- Serve topped with the cilantro, the extra black olives, and the pickled jalapeños.
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