My first encounter with poblano soup was when I was a kid. There is this really cute lunch spot in my hometown that is known for their poblano soup. Although I haven’t had it in probably a decade, I still remember how delicious it was. I’d go out of my way to have that soup on a cold day. A touch spicy, super creamy, warm and comforting. All the things I look for in a soup. This one is perfect for dipping with crusty bread or a grilled cheese (like I did in this recipe).
I’m not sure if my poblano soup tastes like the one from my hometown, but I assure you it’s damn good. It really doesn’t have a million ingredients. It’s simple yet has so much depth of flavor from those charred poblano and jalapeño peppers. That’s where all the spice and richness comes from. I kind of treat this like a classic creamy tomato soup in the fact that it’s a great soup for dipping! Although you could totally slurp this down with a spoon, I think pairing it with a grilled cheese makes it all that much more enjoyable.
Tip: Now with a creamy soup like this, texture is key. Make sure to blend everything up really good. You don’t want any chunks left when you’re done blending. Go for a velvet smooth texture.
Also try:
BEEF CHILI GRAVY CHEESE ENCHILADAS
CUCUMBER LIME MINT AGUA FRESCA
POBLANO SOUP
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Serves: About 6 bowls of soup
INGREDIENTS:
For poblano soup:
- 4 large poblano peppers
- 1 large jalapeño pepper
- 1/4 bundle cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 6 tbsp butter
- 6 tbsp flour
- 32 oz. chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 4 tbsp sour cream
- 2 tbsp masa flour
For grilled cheese:
- Sourdough bread
- Butter
- White American cheese
- White cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS:
For poblano soup:
- Begin by blistering the poblanos and jalapeño… either over an open stove flame or by placing them on a baking sheet in the oven under a high broil. Blister all sides of the peppers by turning every few minutes while cooking. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Once the peppers are blistered and charred, immediately place them in a sealed plastic bag. This is going to trap the heat and steam the peppers so that they become soft and the skin can be easily removed.
- Take the peppers out of the bag after 15 minutes and remove the skin. Then open the peppers and remove all seeds and stems. (Be sure to use gloves while doing so, so that the peppers don’t burn your hands). Roughly chop the peppers and set aside.
- Heat a big pot over medium heat. Add in butter and garlic. Sauté till butter is slightly browned and garlic is aromatic. Add in the flour and cook an additional minute until light brown in color.
- Slowly add in the chicken broth and whisk as it comes to a soft boil. Turn off heat and transfer this liquid to a blender along with the chopped peppers and cilantro. Blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Transfer this mixture back to the pot and turn heat to medium. Add in the half and half, masa and sour cream. Whisk the soup as it comes to a soft boil. Allow it to boil for a minute and then turn the heat off.
For the grilled cheese:
- Make the grilled cheese by adding butter to a pan over medium heat. Place two pieces of sourdough into the melted butter. Place two slices of white cheddar on one side and two slices of white American on the other. Turn the heat down to low and cover with a lid until cheese is melted and bread in crisp and golden on the outside. This will only take a few minutes. Fold the two halves together and remove grilled cheese from the pan.
Tips:
- If you’d like a thinner soup, you can add more chicken broth at the end until you reach your desired consistency.
- If you don’t like cilantro, don’t fret. I use the cilantro here mainly for coloring. You honestly can hardly taste it. If you don’t believe me, then you can always omit the cilantro instead.
- Don’t like spice? Be sure to seed and stem your peppers really well. You may also replace the jalapeño with an additional poblano pepper for less spice.