I've been tweaking the measurements in this Poblano Soup recently and thought I would repost it for anyone who's new to it.
It's one of my favorite recipes on the site, and it's the perfect antidote for cold, grey days.
And yes, it's spicy so consider yourself warned!
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.
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Tony
Tried something similar to this on the cruise ship Allure of the sea. They added some sweet corn to the recipe and it worked. Csn wait to give it a go.
Sharon Schwartz
Just starting to make this. The poblano peppers I bought are huge! 6-7 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. Is this normal size? I never cooked with them before!
Patrick
Hi Sharon, so glad to hear you are trying out this recipe! Yeah those might be on the larger size but nothing too crazy. If you want a milder batch you can always omit 1 or 2 of them, otherwise just go for it 🙂 Cheers.
Tonya
I thought this was fantastic. I found the recipe yesterday and even though it’s not “soup season”, I had to make it. Glad I did!!
I like heat and did not find it too spicy yet it had a kick. Very easy to make also.
Patrick
Hey thanks Tonya, so glad you tried out this recipe! Cheers.
Janet
We loved this recipe. I only added 3 large roasted poblanos and it had just the right amount of kick. The only adjustment was I added a large chicken bouillon cube to the chicken stock. I served it with warm French bread and melted Parmesan cheese sprinkled on the bread.
Patrick
Hey thanks much for mentioning your adjustments Janet, so glad you tried out this recipe. Cheers.
Geneva
So excited to try this that I had to comment before even tasting it. Had creamy poblano soup at a restaurant in Scottsdale, nowhere near where I live, and have been craving it ever since.
Patrick
Yeah go for it Geneva, this is one of my favorite recipes on the site. Cheers.
Lora
Super flavorful and SUPER spicey. My husband LOVES heat, but, even only using 4 poblanos, this got him. I added some crema to the pot and it was still delicious, but manageable.
Patrick
Thanks Lora!
Daniela
I veganized this because I’m doing the Daniel fast by substituting olive oil for the butter and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. I replaced 3/4 cup on the stock with coconut milk. And I used a little fresh cilantro. But this was delicious and easy.
Patrick
Ahh good to know, thanks much for mentioning your adjustments Daniela!
Sarah
Very easy to make and so tasty! I generally like spice but I found this to be almost too spicy to enjoy; maybe I just had a batch of more spicy peppers. I might add a potato to thicken a bit, or maybe try Mexican crema instead of cream so as not to thin it out. Will make again - thank you!
Patrick
Thanks much for your note Sarah! Yeah feel free to omit one of the Poblanos if it's on the threshold of too spicy for you. You could also consider adding some corn to dilute the heat as seen in the Vegan Corn Poblano Soup. Cheers.
Amy
I made this tonight and it was a total hit! The store didn’t have poblanos so I used Anaheim and while I don’t know if there is a huge difference between Anaheim and poblanos, I can attest that it was still bomb. I followed the recipe but added a bit more cumin because it’s my favorite spice. It wasn’t too spicy for me but had a nice warm heat. Garnished with cilantro, lime and cream. I will definitely make this again!
Patrick
Hey thanks much for your note Amy, I've never tried this recipe with Anaheims but glad to hear it was a hit for you. Cheers.
Diana
Just made this for the first time, and its good! I did end up adding extra lemon and lime juice, as well as some milk and cheese stirred in at the end (seemed like it was missing something without the extra creaminess/cheesiness). I used 6 poblanos, and I don't find it very spicy tbh. I found that the extra simmering after blending is crucial to let the flavors develop more, and that might be why some of the other reviewers found it bland (before the second simmer it was a bit bland tasting). I will be making again!
Patrick
Hey thanks much for mentioning your adjustments Diana. Cheers.