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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Deborah L Burzinski
Made this delicious soup the other night. Hubbie loved it, and my father in law says "this is the best soup I have ever had in my life!" Pops is 87 years young
Patrick
Ahh good to know, thanks much for your note Deborah!
Evie Fuentes
Wish i made more ...will do next time. Used 4 peppers good spice mild to moderate....put frito chips on top for garnish with cilantro. Thanks for recipe!
Patrick
Thanks Evie, glad this one was a hit for you. Cheers.
Kathy
Patrick, Thank you so much for this recipe. I had Poblano soup at a restaurant and just fell in love with it, but of course when I went back it was no longer available. I LOVE Poblano's and always have some in my freezer already roasted and ready to go for those long Ohio winters when fresh isn't available. I am loving your site and can't wait to make more of these yummy recipes. I made the soup exactly as written and won't change a thing. I am amazed at the flavor of the cilantro stems - won't be throwing those away anymore! Thank you again and please keep cooking and sharing!
Kathy
Patrick
Thanks much for your note Kathy, so glad you found this recipe 🙂 Yeah I am sold on those cilantro stems, such a great way to add that little burst of flavor. Cheers.
Judy
Came out so good. I use 6 peppers and andded chopped up shrimp.
Patrick
Cheers Judy.
Alex
Very tasty soup. Only thing I did differently was I roasted an ear of corn I had from the other day along with my poblanos. I only had one ear of corn though and it was rather small. If I decide to add corn next time I do this I would use a little bit more corn as it was kinda hard to detect in the soup. But at the end of the day, it’s a good soup and it’s easy to make.
Patrick
Hey thanks much for mentioning your addition of corn Alex, such a natural fit for this soup. Cheers.
Di Di
I made this soup yesterday and it is quite delicious and flavorful! It was very easy to prepare and I think it can be adapted to use or add different ingredients such as more garlic or the addition of a different pepper to add another level to the taste. I added roasted riced cauliflower to the pot after the blending of the soup to add some texture and simmered it with the soup for the last 5 - 10 minutes .
This recipe is going in my Keeper file. Thanks for sharing it!
Patrick
Hey thanks Di Di, I'm so glad this one is going in the Keeper file for you! Cheers.
hannah chevais
Does it work well if you double the recipe???
Patrick
Hi Hannah, yeah you can double it, but if making a big batch I would be tempted to make it slightly milder so it's a little more crowd friendly. You could add 2/3 of the poblanos, blend, taste test, and simply add more poblano to increase the heat until it tastes right to you. Cheers.
John
I first made this basic Poblano Soup years ago. Always a crowd pleaser. The use of Cilantro Stems in place of leaves is a new twist for me. I love it. Thanks for making an excellent recipe even better
Patrick
Cheers John.
Dona
I used to get chili poblano soup from a great restaurant in El Paso. It was thick, creamy and spicy. Looked just like your picture. I will be trying this but wanted to know if the 4 cups of stock make it too soupy instead of a little thicker than normal soup consistency?
Patrick
Hi Dona! I would go ahead and use the 4 cups of stock because the flour will thicken it up a bit. You can always let it simmer a bit longer (no lid) for a thicker consistency. Cheers.
Clinton
I've made this recipe a few times and it always turns out great! I prefer cream of poblano soup so I use 1/3 heavy cream and 2/3 stock.
Patrick
Ahh good to know Clinton, thanks much for sharing your adjustment. Cheers.