This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
This Enchilada Soup recipe is a cozy and delicious meal you can make for dinner one night and then pack for a hot thermos lunch the next day!
I’ll show you exactly how to pack it, so everything stays warm.
Easy Enchilada Soup Recipe
About this time of the season, my soup rotation is feeling a little tired. While chicken noodle, loaded potato, and hearty vegetable soups are all favorites, sometimes, you need to mix things up a bit. This Enchilada Soup recipe will do just that. It’s brimming with delicious flavor, and the cumin, chile powder, and smoky paprika aren’t too over the top for kids.
Finish it off with your favorite enchilada toppings such as shredded cheddar cheese, avocado, and fresh pico de gallo, to make it even more fun!
Want more ideas to pack for hot school lunches? You’ll find them in my 101 Packed Lunches eBook. It’s filled with incredible lunch ideas for soups, salads, power bowls, wraps, and more!
101 Packed Lunches eBook
All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child’s lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive my Pack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!
Ingredients
This Enchilada Soup recipe includes a delicious combo of veggies, seasonings, broth, and the toppings of your choice. Check what you need to make it happen:
- Olive oil: for cooking.
- Aromatic veggies: garlic cloves and onion.
- Seasonings: chili powder, dried oregano, cumin, coarse salt, and smoked paprika.
- Vegetable or chicken broth: the liquid needed for this soup. Make it at home or use store-bought broth.
- Pinto beans: rinsed and drained.
- Corn: adds more volume, flavor, and nutrition.
- Crushed fire-roasted tomatoes: adds delicious smoky flavor.
- Toppings: avocado, shredded cheddar, green onions, fresh pico de gallo.
For the ingredient measurements, check the recipe card below.
How to Make Enchilada Soup
Combine everything in a pot, and the aroma coming from the kitchen will let you know you’re about to enjoy a ridiculously flavorful meal. Here’s how to make this tasty Enchilada Soup for a delicious winter lunch:
- Sauté aromatics
In a large 5-quart pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic; sauté until the onion is tender and translucent. - Season
Season with chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and paprika. Cook for 3 minutes or until fragrant. - Add remaining ingredients
Add in broth, pinto beans, corn, and crushed tomatoes. Bring soup to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer; cook for 20 minutes, stirring a few times to combine. - Serve
Ladle soup into bowls and top with your favorite toppings.
How to Pack Enchilada Soup in a Thermos
This Enchilada soup is one of those great recipes that taste even better the next day, and here’s how to pack it for school lunch so it stays warm:
- Preheat the thermos container with boiling water. This step is optional, but it helps.
- Heat the soup in the microwave or stovetop to a piping-hot temperature.
- Drain the water from the thermos.
- Fill the thermos with the very hot soup.
- Close the thermos container and pack it inside a lunch bag.
Check out this video to see how to keep your food hot for hours!
I love that thermoses allow us to switch things up and enjoy a nice hot lunch, whether it’s your favorite leftovers or homemade soup, or even keep items like smoothies or yogurt parfaits chilled!
If you want to know how to pack hot and cold items in a thermos container properly, I have an entire post showing you how to keep food safe in a thermos.
The Best Soups to Pack for Lunch
Soups make great meal prep recipes! It’s easy to double the batch, serve half for dinner one night, and split the leftovers into individual servings. This way, you can store them in the refrigerator for lunches throughout the week. Any meal you can cook once and eat twice is a plus! Here are some epic soups to pack in a thermos for lunch:
Enchilada Soup | MOMables
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 30 ounces pinto beans, rinsed and drained (2 15-ounce cans)
- 12- ounce bag of corn
- 28- ounce can of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- Toppings: avocado, shredded cheddar, green onions, fresh pico de gallo.
Instructions
- In a large 5-quart pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic; sauté until the onion is tender and translucent.
- Season with chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and paprika. Cook for 3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add in broth, pinto beans, corn, and crushed tomatoes. Bring soup to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer; cook for 20 minutes, stirring a few times to combine.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with your favorite toppings.
To Pack in a Thermos:
- Preheat the thermos container with boiling water. This step is optional, but it helps.
- Heat the soup in the microwave or stovetop to a piping-hot temperature.
- Drain the water from the thermos.
- Fill the thermos with the very hot soup.
- Close the thermos container and pack it inside a lunch bag.
Melissa says
It was so good. We had to add a little bit of water to it because the chili powder taste was too strong, but no big deal. Will definitely be making it again & again.
MOMables - Laura says
Happy to hear this soup will be a regular recipe for your family.
Eve Hunt says
I am definitely trying this! That imaginary person at the beginning of your post? Totally me. I work four ten-hour days so I can have 3-day weekends to work on my blog, and by the time I walk in the door at the end of a work day I can hardly think straight, let alone make a time-consuming recipe. This kind of dinner is just what I need!
MOMables - Laura says
Hi Eve! You have one busy schedule, I’m glad you found this recipe helpful, enjoy!