Low FODMAP Chicken Enchilada Soup (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot)

Made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, this Low FODMAP Chicken Enchilada Soup is a comforting twist on the Tex-Mex classic. With a bit of a kick 🌶, it’s a tasty way to warm up (especially for us folks living in the Minnesota tundra). 😉

Hola mis amigos! And, happy 2019!

Welcome to a new year of Around the World Wednesday recipes. I’m super excited to share this one because not only is it a slow cooker (and instant pot) recipe, but it also gets better with time (aka it makes for great leftovers). But, more on that in a bit. 

GRATITUDE FOR YOU

First, I want to say THANK YOU. On January 1st, Fun Without FODMAPs turned two. At that time, this little creative-hobby-blog-turned-small-business had been viewed just shy of 1 million times. Craziness.

Now, I know I’m not the “biggest” and there are a number of other really talented FODMAP bloggers out there. So, I thank you for choosing to stop by and hang out for a bit. Fun Without FODMAPs wouldn’t be here without you!

Your being here is providing me, a small-town midwest gal, the opportunity to build a career around an area of dietetics that wouldn’t otherwise be available where my partner and I live. I appreciate YOU and look forward to another year together filled with FODMAP fun!

2019 INTENTIONS

Speaking of fun … I love seeing others’ new years goals! So for funsies, I thought I’d share some of my intentions for 2019:

• 1% infinity: Borrowed from Bjork Ostrom, dynamic partner to Lindsay the creator of Pinch of Yum and host of the Food Blogger Pro podcast, this intention is the commitment to improve a small amount every single day. I’m kind of a self-improvement junkie, so there are a lot of areas I’m working on improving in my life. Some examples include food photography, keeping up-to-date with IBS research, stress management, the Spanish language, and streamlining the not-so-fun areas of running a website and small business.
• Quality over quantity: I potentially have 35 more working years ahead of me. Yay! Now, running a recipe website likely won’t might not be a thing in 2054, but while it remains a viable option, at least for the foreseeable future, I want to build something that is meaningful, sustainable, and useful for years to come. 
• Intentional social media use: Working in my previous job as a retail dietitian, I used and created content for social media (specifically Instagram) A LOT. So much so, that I got burned out and really turned off from using it. After I chose to leave, social media was deleted from my phone and remained off for much of 2018. I loved not having it and really needed the break from using it. With that said, I recognize that social media can be a beneficial tool in growing an online business. So, in 2019 I intend to create more boundaries and work toward using social media more intentionally.
• Share more yoga: After becoming a registered yoga teacher last summer, I started teaching yoga regularly in October at a local gym. It brings me so much joy to share the practice of Yoga with others and I look forward to finding more opportunities to do so in 2019.  

I’d love to know! What are you working toward in 2019?!

LOW FODMAP CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

Okay, enough rambling. On to today’s scrumptiously, slightly spic-ayyy low FODMAP chicken enchilada soup.

To make things more hands-off, this low FODMAP chicken enchilada soup is designed to be made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot. It features a flavorful veggie-filled base of tomatillos, sauteed leeks, and jalapeño.  To make the veggie base nice and smooth, you will also need a blender or immersion blender for this recipe.

I’ve opted to include chicken breasts for a bit of lean protein. They cook with the veggies until tender, are then shredded, and stirred back into the soup. Before serving, I recommend adding fresh lime juice and cilantro (if you’re a fellow fan) for a boost of complimentary flavors.

This recipe makes great leftovers. It’s yummy right away, but I think it gets even better after a night in the fridge letting all of the flavors blend together. If you plan to enjoy as leftovers, refrigerate the soup in an airtight container for up to four days. I’d also recommend leaving out the (optional) cilantro and other optional garnishes until ready to serve.

ARE TOMATILLOS LOW FODMAP? 

According to Monash University, canned and drained tomatillos are low FODMAP in 1 cup or 75-gram servings. Currently, there is limited data available on FODMAPs in tomatillos. With the available information, we don’t know if fresh tomatillos are “safe”, nor if larger amounts can be tolerated without doing individual test-to-tolerance experiments.

Tomatillos aren’t a super common kitchen item, especially if you’re from the rural midwest like me, but you may have had them if you’ve tried green enchiladas or salsa verde before. If you’re unfamiliar, tomatillos look kind of like a green tomato and are considered a staple in Mexican cuisine. They grow in a papery husk, kind of like a ground cherry or goldenberry and have a tangy, slightly sweet taste.

Although fresh tomatillos are available in many larger grocery stores, canned tomatillos may be a little harder to come by. The only brand I’ve been able to find is La Costeña. I found it in the Hispanic section of Woodman’s, as well as online on Amazon. 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Although this low FODMAP chicken enchilada soup is delicious on its own, it’s made extra special with optional toppings like cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and plain low FODMAP yogurt.

I like to use plain low FODMAP yogurt as a sour cream substitute. Being essentially dairy free (a non-FODMAP intolerance), plain COYO coconut milk yogurt is my current favorite. Coconut yogurt has been tested by Monash and a low FODMAP serving is considered 125 grams. If you tolerate dairy, you’re more than welcome to use a dollop of sour cream – a low FODMAP serving is up to 2 tablespoons (40 grams) – or plain lactose-free yogurt, like Green Valley Creamery.

Low FODMAP Chicken Enchilada Soup

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• Author: Em Schwartz, MS, RDN
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 8 hours 5 mins
• Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 4
• Category: Soup
• Method: Slow Cooker, Instant Pot
• Cuisine: Tex-Mex

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Description

Made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, this Low FODMAP Chicken Enchilada Soup is a comforting twist on the Tex-Mex classic. With a bit of a kick 🌶, it’s a tasty way to warm up (especially for us folks living in the Minnesota tundra). 😉

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Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. garlic-infused olive oil
• ½ cup (45 grams) chopped leek leaves (green parts only)
• 300 grams drained, canned tomatillos (approximately ½ of a 28 oz. can)
• ½ to 1 jalapeño, halved and seeds removed (optional)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 4 cups low FODMAP chicken broth
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. lime juice, to taste
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Garnishes

• Plain low FODMAP yogurt
• Red pepper flakes
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Crushed tortilla chips

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Instructions

Slow Cooker:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute leek leaves until bright green, fragrant, and soft. Place the sauteed leek leaves into a blender. Add tomatillos, jalapeno, cumin, and ¼ cup water. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour tomatillo mixture into a slow cooker. Add chicken broth. Stir to mix. Add chicken. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. (I like to use two forks.) Return the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and stir to mix. Add lime juice to taste, as well as the (optional) finely chopped cilantro. Adjust flavor as needed with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve warm topped with optional garnishes.

Instant Pot:

1. Press the “Saute” setting on the Instant Pot. Once hot, add oil and saute leek leaves until bright green, fragrant, and soft. Cancel the “Saute” setting. Add tomatillos, jalapeño, cumin, chicken broth, and chicken. Place the lid on top of the Instant Pot and secure. Set vent to “Sealing”.
2. Select the “Soup” setting on the Instant Pot. Adjust the time to 30 minutes on “High Pressure” and cook. After cooking, let the pressure naturally release for 20 minutes before carefully switching the vent to “Venting” and releasing any remaining pressure.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from the Instant Pot and shred. (I like to use two forks.) Set the shredded chicken aside.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend the remaining tomatillo mixture in the Instant Pot until smooth. Return the shredded chicken back to the Instant Pot and stir to mix. Add lime juice to taste, as well as the (optional) finely chopped cilantro. Adjust flavor as needed with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve warm topped with optional garnishes.

Notes

Leek Leaves: A low FODMAP serving is ⅔ cup or 54 grams. 

Tomatillos: To date, only canned and drained tomatillos have been tested. A low FODMAP serving is 1 cup or 75 grams.

Jalapeño: I make this recipe using 1 jalapeno with seeds. This adds a good amount of heat. 🙂 To decrease the level of spiciness, remove seeds and/or use a ½ jalapeño. Green chiles (like jalapeños) are low FODMAP, however, contain capsaicin. Capsaicin may be a non-FODMAP IBS trigger for some folks. Avoid if you believe you fall into this camp.

Low FODMAP Yogurt: One of my favorite sour cream substitutes! If you tolerate dairy, try plain lactose-free yogurt or a small amount of sour cream. Check your Monash app for the serving sizes.  For my dairy-free friends, try coconut milk yogurt (I like CoYo). A low FODMAP serving for coconut milk yogurt is 125 grams.

Corn Tortilla Chips: A low FODMAP serving for corn tortilla chips is 50 grams. Blue corn chips, specifically, have not been tested. If you’d like to err on the “safe” side, choose regular corn tortillas chips.

Keywords: low FODMAP, chicken soup, enchilada soup