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    Home » Most Recent

    Corn and Poblano Soup

    January 4, 2017 By Patrick 28 Comments

    609 shares
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    It's tough to improve on this Corn and Poblano Soup from Diana Kennedy so she deserves the credit here.  It seems to achieve an ideal balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos.  Easier said than done.

    In her book The Essential Cuisines of Mexico, Ms. Kennedy cites Senora Cantu as the inspiration for her recipe.  It makes you wonder how many generations have had their day brightened up by the unique combination of corn and poblanos.  In other words...who inspired Senora Cantu?

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    Corn and Poblano Soup Recipe

    Don't forget that poblano peppers can vary quite a bit in size.  I'm using 3 smallish poblanos, but 2 of the larger ones would be plenty for this recipe.  And if you aren't a fan of spicy foods you could probably cut the poblano amount in half.

    Give the poblanos a good rinse and roast them in the oven at 400F along with 3 plum tomatoes.

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    I usually flip the poblanos after 10-15 minutes.  In about 30 minutes or so they'll look like this:

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    Once the poblanos have cooled, most of the loose, transparent skin will peel off quite easily.  Don't worry about getting every last bit as it won't affect the flavor too much.

    Then you can de-stem and de-seed the poblanos.

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    It's okay if you have a few seeds straggling behind.

    Chop the poblanos into bite-sized strips and saute them in 3 tablespoons of butter for a couple minutes.

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    Meanwhile, add the 3 tomatoes to a blender along with 1/4 onion.  Combine well and add the tomato-onion mixture to the poblanos.

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    Cook over medium heat for 4-6 minutes or until the tomato sauce reduces down a bit.   This will give you time to blend together 3 cups of corn and 3 cups of milk.

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    This will be the base for the soup.  I strained this through a sieve to remove the pulpy bits but I'm not sold on that being completely necessary.

    Slowly add the strained corn base to the poblano mixture while stirring continuously.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked pepper, and up to 1 cup of whole corn kernels.

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    This can simmer for 10-15 minutes on low heat; no need to bring it to a full boil when using milk as a base.

    Note that when compared to our Roasted Poblano Soup, garnish is less important here as the soup itself already has a range of competing flavors.

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    But it's still amazing what a final dash of acidity can do.  I used lime juice for this batch...

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    ...along with Crema, finely diced cilantro stems, and some freshly cracked pepper.   So good!

    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    Give it a try and you might inspire the next generation.

    Buen Provecho.

    P.S. Spend 30 seconds scrolling through our Mexican Cooking Survival Guide and you'll have 27 new dinner options for tomorrow night.
    This Corn and Poblano Soup has a perfect balance between the corn and the roasted poblanos. A drizzle of cream and a final dash of acidity turn it into a keeper! mexicanplease.com

    Corn and Poblano Soup

    A perfectly balanced corn and poblano soup adapted from Diana Kennedy's The Essential Cuisines of Mexico.
    4.53 from 21 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    Calories: 176kcal
    Author: Patrick Calhoun | Mexican Please

    Ingredients

    • 3 poblano peppers
    • 3 plum tomatoes
    • 1/4 onion
    • 4 cups corn kernels
    • 3 cups milk
    • 3 Tablespoons butter
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • freshly ground pepper
    • Crema (or heavy cream, or sour cream)
    • lime juice
    • finely diced cilantro stems

    Instructions

    • Rinse the poblanos and tomatoes. Roast them at 400F for 30 minutes or so. I usually flip the poblanos after 15 minutes.
    • Once the poblanos have cooled, pull off as much of the transparent skin as you can.
    • De-stem and de-seed the poblanos, chopping them into bite-sized pieces.
    • Saute the chopped poblanos in 3 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat for a couple minutes.
    • Meanwhile, add the 3 tomatoes and 1/4 onion to a blender and combine well.
    • Add the tomato-onion mixture to the poblanos and let this reduce down for a few minutes.
    • Add 3 cups of corn kernels and 3 cups of milk to a blender and combine well.
    • Run the corn mixture through a sieve and discard the leftover pulp
    • Slowly add the strained corn sauce to the poblano mixture, stirring continuously
    • Add the remaining cup of whole corn kernels along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground pepper.
    • Let simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes but do not bring to a full boil
    • Salt to taste and serve immediately
    • Garnish with your choice of Crema (or heavy cream, or sour cream), lime juice, freshly ground pepper, and finely diced cilantro stems.
    Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

    Got leftover poblanos?  You can whip up a poblano quesadilla without breaking a sweat.

    This Roasted Poblano Quesadilla recipe is a great example of the rich, otherworldly flavor that Mexican cuisine can generate by using just a few simple ingredients. And it's served with Avocado Salsa Verde! mexicanplease.com

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joyce

      September 06, 2023 at 3:36 pm

      3 stars
      I was underwhelmed by this recipe. But with the addition of the juice of a whole lime, more salt, and lots of cracked pepper, it was OK.

      Reply
    2. Gillie

      February 08, 2023 at 1:01 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! For such a limited ingredient list, it packs big flavor. My hubby who isn't a huge soup guy really enjoyed it. Score one for you!

      I need help on the poblano roasting. Every time I try roasting them I somehow end up melting them, so they are just skin and not much more. I've tried shorter and that didn't get the skin off. I've read about putting them under the broiler (for those who dont have a gas stove), have you had any luck with that method? Is there a reason to take the skin off?

      Reply
      • Patrick

        February 09, 2023 at 4:20 pm

        Hey Gillie! Yeah I used to obsess about the skin but not anymore once I discovered it doesn't affect the final flavor. It can be annoying to get a bite full of puffy skin, so I tend to remove those puffy bits but don't worry about getting rid of every last bit. Cheers.

        Reply
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    Hey, I'm Patrick! I spent 2 years living in Cozumel and got obsessed with Mexican food. I built this site to share all the recipes and techniques I've learned along the way. Read More…

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