Roasted Poblano Soup
Roasted Poblano Soup is a creamy, mildly spicy dish featuring smoky poblano peppers blended with tender chicken, garlic, onions, potatoes, and a touch of cream. It’s a comforting, flavorful soup perfect for chilly evenings and one the whole family will love!
Poblano Soup
Soup Season is back and we’re more than ready. Fall is our favorite time of year because 1) the weather is cooling off, and 2) we get to eat soup! Grab your favorite stock pot and let’s get cooking!
Our soup collection continues to grow every year. It’s one of my favorite things to cook and I love throwing everything in a large pot. Leftovers are always even better than the first bowl too!
Why This Recipe Works:
- FULL OF FLAVOR – The flavor in our poblano soup is out-of-the-world delicious. Give it a try and see for yourselves!
- NUTRIENT DENSE – Our roasted poblano soup is loaded with protein and veggies – a perfect combo.
- DELICIOUS LEFTOVERS – I always say that leftover soup is even better than the first go-around. Don’t you agree?
What You’ll Need:
- olive oil
- poblano peppers
- unsalted butter
- onion, celery, potatoes, garlic
- seasonings – cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper
- chicken broth
- chicken breasts (or chicken thighs)
- heavy cream
- cilantro
How to make Roasted Poblano Soup with Chicken:
Step 1
Roast poblanos. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Slice poblanos in half and place skin side up on a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the tops of the peppers, and roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until slightly charred on top.
Remove peppers to cool slightly. Then peel the skin off the peppers and discard. Chop peppers and set aside.
Step 2
Sauté veggies. Heat a stock pot over medium heat. Add butter and then onions, celery, and potatoes – and cook until slightly softened, about 9-10 minutes. Add garlic and seasonings (ground cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper) and cook for another minute.
Step 3
Add broth. Then add chicken broth, diced poblano peppers, and bring to a boil.
Step 4
Add chicken. Add the large chunks of chicken to the soup, reduce heat, and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until a digital thermometer reads 160 degrees (allowing for a little carry-over cooking). Don’t overcook!
Then use a tongs to remove the chicken and let rest for 5 minutes before chopping or shredding.
Step 5
Blend. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup (without the chicken) for a few seconds. You can leave some of the chunks (we do!), if desired.
Step 6
Add chicken and cream. Add the cooked chicken (shredded or chopped), cilantro, and heavy cream – and stir. Simmer over low heat for a few minutes or until soup is piping hot.
Step 7
Serve. Serve poblano soup with some extra cilantro and freshly ground black pepper. You can also add tortilla strips, avocado, and cheese if desired.
NOTE ON CHICKEN. You can either use rotisserie chicken, roasted chicken from your own kitchen, or cook it directly in the soup as the instructions state.
Storing and Freezing Poblano Soup
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in microwave until hot.
Freeze leftover cooled soup in a large freezer bag. Lay bag flat in your freezer for up to three months.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes, if desired, you can chop the poblano peppers and cook it with the other veggies instead of roasting the peppers beforehand.
Poblano peppers are generally mild, but their heat can vary. You can add heat by adding jalapeño peppers or some cayenne pepper (in addition to red pepper flakes).
Yes, you can substitute the cream with full-fat coconut milk or a plant-based alternative like oat or almond milk. It may slightly change the flavor but will still be delicious.
You don’t need to blend the soup. But blending gives it a smooth, creamy texture. Use an immersion blender directly in the pot or transfer to a blender in batches (be careful—it’s hot!).
Other Soup Recipes:
Soup is my love language, as you can see from the wide variety of recipes on this site.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Roasted Poblano Soup
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium poblano peppers – halved and seeds removed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 medium white onion – chopped
- 1 cup celery – chopped
- 1 ½ cups baby gold potatoes – chopped
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 5 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut into chunks
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup cilantro – minced
Instructions
- Roast poblanos. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Slice poblanos in half and place skin side up on a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the tops of the peppers, and roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until slightly charred on top.Remove peppers to cool slightly. Then peel the skin off the peppers and discard. Chop peppers and set aside.3 medium poblano peppers, 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Sauté veggies. Heat a stock pot over medium heat. Add butter and then onions, celery, and potatoes – and cook until slightly softened, about 9-10 minutes. Add garlic and seasonings (ground cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper) and cook for another minute.1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1 medium white onion, 1 cup celery, 1 ½ cups baby gold potatoes, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Add broth. Then add chicken broth, diced poblano peppers, and bring to a boil.5 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- Add chicken. Add the large chunks of chicken to the soup, reduce heat, and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until a digital thermometer reads 160 degrees (allowing for a little carry-over cooking). Then use a tongs to remove the chicken and let rest for 5 minutes before chopping or shredding.1 ½ – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Blend. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup (without the chicken) for a few seconds. You can leave some of the chunks (we do!), if desired.
- Add chicken and cream. Add the cooked chicken (shredded or chopped) cilantro, and heavy cream, and stir. Simmer over low heat for a few minutes or until soup is piping hot.1 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup cilantro
- Serve. Serve poblano soup with some extra cilantro and freshly ground black pepper. You can also add tortilla strips, avocado, and cheese if desired.
Notes
- NOTE ON CHICKEN. You can either use rotisserie chicken, roasted chicken from your own kitchen, or cook it directly in the soup as the instructions state.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in microwave until hot.
- Freeze leftover cooled soup in a large freezer bag. Lay bag flat in your freezer for up to three months.
This is the 2nd time I’ve made this soup. So delicious and my neighbors are asking for it! The only thing I didn’t do was the cilantro…and, I added some egg noodles. I also bought a Motor City Pizza Co. deep dish 5 cheese bread…I added the solids of the soup to the bread…OMG! So delicious and now I am craving it! Thanks for this 5-star recipe!♥️
I’m so happy to hear this, Jennifer!
The roasted poblanos make this super tasty!
Thanks Josh!
Another delicious soup for the rotation. I love poblano peppers and never thought to use them this way. I used rotisserie chicken and added white beans to bulk up a bit. Will make again.
I’m always a fan of your soup recipes and this one is another winner!
100% yummy!
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I’m not a cook whatsoever. Do I put raw chicken in the soup to cook? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this.
Yes, you put the raw chicken in the soup to cook it. Then remove it to shred and place back in the soup after blending.