Have you tried this Roasted Poblano Soup yet?!
It's one of my favorite recipes on the site, and I've been gobbling it up over the past couple weeks.
It's bursting with flavor and yes, it's spicy so consider yourself warned! That's what keeps me coming back to it 🙂
How To Make Poblano Soup
Not pictured is the smell of roasted poblanos wafting through your house. But trust me, it's included with this recipe and it has the ability to instantly change your mood.
4-5 poblanos seems to be the sweet spot for this recipe. Poblanos don't have much heat, but when you use a bunch of them it adds up!
This photographed version used 6 poblanos and was right on the threshold of too spicy for most of us. If you want a milder version I would recommend roasting all of the poblanos but only adding half or two-thirds of them to the pan to start with. Once blended, take a taste, and if you want more heat simply add more poblano. Are Poblano Peppers Hot?
Give the poblanos a good rinse and roast them in the oven at 400F. 15 minutes later they'll look like this:
I usually give them a flip after the first 15 minutes and then put them back in the oven for as long as my stomach will wait:
So that's about 25 minutes total in the oven.
In the old days I would put these in a bag and let them steam up so the skin comes off easier, but not anymore! Most of the skin will come off as is, and I've found that it doesn't affect the flavor if you leave some behind.
Note: it can be beneficial to remove the skin when serving the Poblanos in strips like in Rajas, but mostly for texture purposes and not flavor.
Meanwhile, get a chopped onion sweating in 3 tablespoons of butter until softened.
Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and saute briefly.
To thicken up the soup, we'll add 3 tablespoons of flour and combine well. Giving this mixture a couple minutes over the heat will ensure you don't taste the flour in the final product.
Next we'll add:
4 cups stock
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano (optional)
pinch of cumin (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
freshly cracked black pepper
Let simmer for 7-8 minutes or so.
You really don't need much beyond the poblano-butter-onion-stock combo, so you can consider the Mexican oregano optional if not available. More info on Mexican Oregano.
Once you've pulled off as much skin as you can, de-stem and de-seed the Poblanos.
Then roughly chop the Poblano pieces and add them to the simmering mixture in the saucepan.
Bring everything to a uniform temp and then combine well in a blender. Be sure to use caution when blending hot liquids!
Return the soup to the saucepan and give it a taste! I'm always amazed how complete it tastes given such a simple ingredient list.
I used a batch of zero-sodium homemade chicken stock so I added another 1/4 teaspoon of salt at this point. If you're using store-bought stock you probably won't need to add as much salt as I did.
You're left with a pan full of velvety goodness that already tastes good, but don't forget to garnish as it will give you an awesome bump in flavor.
It's amazing what a hint of acidity does to this soup.
I'm using a few drops of Valentina hot sauce, but vinegar or lemon/lime juice would have a similar effect. The acidity brightens up the flavor and makes everything pop.
So good!
I'm also using:
Mexican Crema
freshly cracked black pepper
finely chopped cilantro stems
The flavor burst from the cilantro stems is a real treat in this soup -- it also adds a bit of texture to each bite and that's something I'm more cognizant of lately.
I also wanted to mention that I've tried this recipe with cream mixed into the soup and found that it dulled the flavor of the poblanos too much!
But garnishing with cream and snagging a bit of it for each bite works wonders, so I always drizzle some on top.
That means that once you make your way through the top layer of garnish you have full permission to add another 🙂
Buen Provecho.
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Roasted Poblano Soup
Ingredients
- 4-5 poblano peppers
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 4 cups stock
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano (optional)
- pinch of cumin (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper
For the garnish (optional):
- finely chopped cilantro stems
- Mexican Crema (or heavy cream)
- hot sauce
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the poblanos and roast them in the oven at 400F. Give them a flip after 15 minutes. They'll be mostly roasted in another 10-15 minutes, so 25-30 minutes total roasting time in the oven.
- Add 3 tablespoons butter to a saucepan on medium heat. Roughly chop an onion and add it to the saucepan, cooking for 5-7 minutes or until softened. Mince 4 garlic cloves and add to the onion, cooking for a minute or so.
- Add 3 tablespoons flour to the onion mixture and combine well. Add 4 cups of stock along with 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano (optional), a pinch of cumin (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir well. Simmer for 7-8 minutes.
- Once the poblano peppers have cooled a bit, pull off as much skin as you can but don't worry about getting rid of all of it. Then de-stem and de-seed the poblanos. Roughly chop the poblano pieces and add them to the saucepan.
- Cook until everything is at a uniform temp and then combine the mixture in a blender. Be sure to use caution when blending hot liquids -- I usually just hold a paper towel over any openings just in case you get a geyser.
- Return mixture to the saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Salt to taste. I added another 1/4 teaspoon of salt but keep in mind the salt level will depend on which stock you use.
- Serve immediately but don't forget to garnish! I used Crema, finely chopped cilantro stems, freshly ground pepper, and a couple dashes of Valentina hot sauce.
- The acidity of the hot sauce pairs well with the poblanos so feel free to re-garnish once you make your way through the top layer. Other options for acidity: lemon/lime juice or vinegars.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Got leftover Poblanos? Make some Rajas! Or check out these Poblano Pepper Recipes.
Our latest post is this delicious Avocado Soup.
Still hungry?!
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Kathy Kaldis
I have made this soup twice with great success. My company LOVED it! Thank you...
Patrick
Ahh thanks for letting me know Kathy, glad it was a hit! Cheers.
Cindy
I use this recipe all the time 😍. You can dress it up by using a yummy bread bowl. Makes it extra yummy
Patrick
Ooh sounds good 🙂
Dan Craver
We just returned from vacation in Cozumel and this was our favorite thing that we ate there so naturally I wanted to try and replicate it once I got home. I used 4 poblanos and followed the recipe to the letter and this was just too spicy for my family. I could handle the heat but the flavors weren't near what we enjoyed in Mexico. This is good but there is way better out there so my search continues.
lynn halliday
Made for first time. Delicious and easy. Added some corn. I will make again.
Patrick
Thanks Lynn! Yup some corn would be an awesome addition. Cheers.
Chef Ken
I came across this recipe because i had an abundance of poblanos. followed the recipes pretty strict. I had on small white and 1 small red onion so i used both. passed on the hot sauce and ran with the lime. garnished with the cream (did not mix in as instructed) cilantro stems, and avocado. Then made corn cakes as a side. What an amazing dish. Needless to say this went into the recipe book. Thank you
Patrick
Oooh corn cakes on the side, awesome. Thanks much for your feedback Ken!
Jenny Baker
Phew!!! Used poblanos outta my garden and holy moly was my mouth on fire lol (used 5 smaller ones). I did add Great Northern Beans instead of flour. We're vegan and always need the protein so this gave us the creamy help with no flavor change and a protein boost. I also made smoked cashew cheese for the top and it was delicious! Just a few fun vegan tweeks. Thanks for the fun site and great recipe!
Patrick
Hey thanks much for your note Jenny, those are some helpful tips for others (and me!). Cheers.
Shari Jones
Had this in Arizona at a restaurant and just had to bring some pablano peppers home to make my own! My husband and I love this soup!
P.s. added some thinly diced bacon to ours and served with tortillas!🤗
Patrick
Bacon! Sounds like a combo worth trying 🙂
Phyllis
This soup is elegant and tastes amazing. It would sell well in a high-end restaurant. We will be eating it rregularly in our home.
Patrick
Thanks much for the feedback Phyllis, so glad it's on repeat! Cheers.
Michael
Im down in Mexico now and felt a bit stuffy or maybe its allergies or something so went to look at the soups in the store. Found cans of Herdez creme of Chili Poblano. Looked good and I love Poblanos so got one and came home and made it. For a canned soup it was Good! So I had to google a recipe and found several and yours looks best. My cooking operation here is limited, no oven and just a hotplate, so will have to wait until Im home to try it. I can get great poblanos at home. Cant wait to try it! BTW the Herdez has roasted elote (corn) and if fresh corn is in season Id probably put on one the grill with the poblanos. I expect it would be great either way. Thanks for making a site to share this with us. I also went and got more Herdez cans to satisfy until I get home. Herdez is everywhere at home but Id not seen this at home yet.
Patrick
Hey Michael! Ha I got in the habit of buying Herdez while down there too -- I would use the small cans of salsa to make some quick flavored rice, 1 can per 1 cup rice 🙂
So glad you found this recipe, I hope it treats you well! Cheers.
Stephanie P
Made this today. I used 6 poblanos and added smoked paprika and some cumin. It's so delicious! Thanks for the inspiration.
Patrick
Hmmm sounds delish, now craving it!