Creamy Poblano Soup
Creamy Poblano Pepper Soup – Made with roasted poblano peppers and molten queso cheese. Loaded with herbs and spices, and pureed into a creamy rich broth.
Cream of Poblano Soup
Heads up soup lovers. Iāve got something truly spectacular for you today.
Around here, we love a rich creamy soup that warms the tummy and soothes the soul. Lt. Danās favorite is my Roasted Red Pepper Soup Recipe. Iāve been making it for him for years, yet every time I pull out that recipe his eyes light up.
One of my personal favorites is my Spicy Southwest Pumpkin Soup. Itās rustic and hearty with unique fall flavors and crunchy toppings.
This fall, Iāve been working on what I consider our new soup sensation. Itās a play off a roasted red pepper soup, yet made with smoky-sweet poblano peppers and Mexican-style cheese.
The poblano peppers add just the right amount of smoky heat, while the herbs, spices, and hot liquid cheese add depth and intrigue.
Our Creamy Poblano Pepper Soup is packed with zesty ingredients and comforting cheese. Perfect for a cool fall evening. You will love it!
Serve it with a side of tortilla chips, a side salad, and a cool Mexican beer.
Will This Soup Be Spicy?
I realize some people believe that anything made with peppers or chiles must be spicy, but that is not the case. Poblano peppers tend to be very mild and smoky with just a hint of heat. On rare occasions, you might come across a spicy one, but that is not the norm.
Donāt let the 10 poblano peppers in this recipe scare you away. Our Creamy Poblano Pepper Soup is silky and flavorful, but not overly spicy.
(P.S. You can tell if a pepper is going to be hot by removing the stem and smelling it.)
Anytime you are pureeing peppers, itās important to roast them in the oven first, so you can peel off the waxy skin. If you add raw peppers to the soup, the waxy skin creates a weird texture once pureed.
After the poblano peppers are roasted they are tender, sweet, and easy to peel.
You can easily pull off the bubbly skin with your fingers.
What Ingredients You Will Need For Pepper Soup
- 10 poblano peppers – average-sized
- Butter
- Large Onion – peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic – minced
- Fresh Cilantro – chopped
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Ground Cumin
- Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
- Mexican Queso good for melting – like “Queso Quesadilla,” Asadero, Chihuahua, or even Monterey Jack (not Queso Fresco or Panela.)
- Cornstarch
How to Make this Poblano Pepper Soup RecipeĀ
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the poblano peppers on top. Roast the peppers in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the waxing skin bubbles up over the surface of the poblanos.
Meanwhile, place a large saucepot on the stovetop over medium heat and add the butter, onions, garlic, cilantro, salt and cumin. Saute for 5-6 minutes. Then add the broth to the pot.
Once the poblano peppers are out of the oven, carefully peel off the waxy exterior. Remove the stems and seeds and place the flesh of the peppers in the pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Shred or crumble the cheese and toss with the cornstarch. Add the shredded cheese to the soup base mixture and stir to melt the cheese. Then use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth and creamy. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the soup as-is with a slightly rustic texture, or use a food mill to strain the soup for a fine creamy texture. Serve warm.
Get the Complete (Printable) Creamy Poblano Pepper Soup Recipe Below. Enjoy!
What Kind of Mexican Cheese?
QuesoĀ is strictly the word for cheese in spanish, so not all queso is the same. Just as fresh mozzarella, sharp-aged goat cheese, and American cheese slices are not all the same.
Make sure to pick a Mexican cheese that is good for melting. Asadero and Chihuahua, are all good choices, along with a nondescript Mexican-style cheese called āQuesadillaā that is often found in supermarkets.
Panela and Queso Fresco are not good options for this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do these Poblano Soup leftovers last?
You can store this classic soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. You can also keep this soup in a freezer storage container for up to 6 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stove or in the microwave.Ā
What if I can’t find the right cheese?
If you can’t find a Mexican cheese that is good for melting, use Monterey jack cheese. You can also pour the soup base into a standard blender if you don’t have an immersion blender, but be very careful. Open the vent in the lid so the heat can escape, then cover the lid with a kitchen towel to protect yourself before pureeing. Exploding hot soup is not a good thing!
Other Great Dinner Recipes
- Ground Beef Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Old School Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
- Lightened-up Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Tomato Basil Bisque
- Chicken Quinoa Bowls
- Zesty Ground Turkey Tacos
- Stuffed Pepper Soup by Cooking Classy
Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin c, and calcium percentages.
Creamy Poblano Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 10 poblano peppers, average-sized
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 48 ounces chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 14 ounces Mexican Queso good for melting, like "Queso Quesadilla," Asadero, Chihuahua, or even Monterey Jack (notĀ Queso Fresco or Panela.)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the poblano peppers on top. Roast the peppers in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the waxing skin bubbles up over the surface of the poblanos.
- Meanwhile place a large saucepot over medium heat and add the butter, onions, garlic, cilantro, salt and cumin. Saute for 5-6 minutes. Then add the broth to the pot.
- Once the poblano peppers are out of the oven, carefully peel off the waxy exterior. Remove the stems and seeds and place the flesh of the peppers in the pot. Bring the soup to boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Shred or crumble the cheese and toss with the corn starch. Add it to the soup baseĀ and stir to melt the cheese. Then use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth and creamy. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the soup as-is with a slightly rustic texture, or use a food mill to strain the soup for a fine creamy texture. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I thought that this was going to be super spicy, but the flavor of this soup is on point!Ā
Hi,
In your description you point out, “(P.S. You can tell if a pepper is going to be hot by removing the stem and smelling it.)”
What kind of oder should I find if a poblano is “spicy” or “to hot?”
Do you look for this oder before or after roasting?
I don’t have a problem, but I want to make this for some folks that are heat timid, ( actually they are paranoid of spicy food so I’m sure if I tell them this is made with poblano peppers, it will most assuredly blow their proverbial skirts up!)
Thanks in advance
—Whack
I could not find the quesadilla melting cheese at my local supermarkets. Any recommendation for a different type of cheese? Velveeta? I will look at another supermarket if not because the reviews are great for this recipe as is.
Thanks
Hi Simmie,
If it is not available to you the Velveeta “Blanco” is a good substitute. Happy Cooking!
This soup is the bomb, i took the left over, thickened with a little flour/cornstarch and used over roasted chicken as a sauce. i will make this a couple times a month. will make double the batch and freeze….
I just made this recipe today and the soup turned out amazing. Ā The recipe was very easy to follow and I liked that you added some helpful tips. Ā This recipe is excellent ! Ā It reminds me Ā of the poblano soup at one my favorite restaurants. Ā Thank you so much for sharing it ! Ā :) Ā
OMG SO delicious!!! Luckily I had a package of the Mexican queso from Costco, YUM!!! After painstakingly peeling the peppers I googled it and discovered… canned green chilies ARE poblano peppers!! I can throw this together now in literally 15 minutes!!! I’m quite sure the fresh will taste a bit better, but for the easy and quick version, use I will use canned!!
I wish I would have read the comments before I bought the fresh poblanos. But I will definately try the canned ones next time. Any time I can save cooking time I will. That’s what drew me this recipe in the first place. Thanks for the tip!
Hi! I love this recipe! Second time I have made it. However, I find it really hard to blend the cheese. I have used the queso quesadilla and the Monterey jack cheeses. Any suggestions? It initially melts but the clumps or “goops” up…
I absolutely love this soup but I’m so confused by the cheese. I’ve made it twice now and the cheese always ends up a giant glob of stringy cheese at the bottom of the pot. Ive used monterey jack and Oaxaca mexican melting cheese. I stir it in tablespoon by tablespoon, slowly. But I notice that it doesn’t melt, and the more I add in, the bigger the cheese glob gets. Then when I use the immersion blender, the cheese gets all stuck to it and it doesn’t blend it into the soup.
Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
I’ve had that experience with pre-grated packaged cheese. To prevent the cheese from sticking together, it has cellulose in it that makes it glob instead of melt in. Buy a block of cheese & grate it yourself.
Great tip Carol! It’s always best to shred cheese yourself. :)
Made this first for company and they loved it. Ā Living in Mexico makes finding good poblanos a breeze. Ā I follow the directions and add nothing additional and it comes out perfect. Ā The only hard part is pealing the skin off the peppers. Ā Using a paper bag when why come out of the oven for 10-15 Minues makes the job easier. Ā
This soup was easy to make and very flavorful, but way too spicy for my husband. I added some half and half to dilute the spice. Weāve had poblano soup at our local restaurant and it wasnāt spicy hot at all. Maybe I got a rare hot poblano. I removed all the seeds and ribs as directed.Ā
The soup was awesome. I add extra cilantro and cumin to the recipe. After blending the soup then I add dice potatoes.Ā
This is outstanding, would give it more stars if I could. Cream cheese can be used too. The 1st spoonfull is very spicym but after that, you want to drink the while bowl!
this was WONDERFUL. I added one jalepeno (baked it with the poblano peppers). I followed the rest of the recipe as instructed. I have a Blendtec blender, and after the soup cooked on the stove I put batches of it in the blender to smooth it.
Last thing I did to make it a complete meal, I crumbled 2 cans of chicken chunks into the soup.
I will make this again. Next time add another jalepeno.
I was searching for a recipe that would use up a bunch of cilantro at a time, and this one fit the bill and sounded delicious. I never roasted peppers before and I was surprised how easy the skin came off. A nice and creamy soup with just enough kick and the nice aroma of pepper and cilantro I was looking for!
Very delicious recipe. My local grocery store didn’t have enough poblanos so I supplemented the recipe with a few Anaheim peppers. I still roasted and skinned both peppers. The soup turned out so good. I ate some for dinner last night and breakfast this morning.
My family loved it and since the initial making, weāv made it again twice. Weāve also added some heavy cream to it and it was just fantastic.
Absolutely love this recipe! I had this soup on a cruise and this recipe is so similar. I highly recommend!
Amazing, amazing, amazing.. will make it for third time this coming week…
Hi Norma,
I’m so very glad you liked it! Thanks for reporting back. :)
Roasting the peppers in the broiler and then sweating them in a plastic bag makes removing the skins easier.
This soup is so incredibly delicious. It’s my new favorite soup. My husband doesn’t usually like soup or consider it to really be a meal, but he loved this soup and has been taking it for lunch this week. It’s perfectly spicy, creamy, cheesy, and extremely easy to make. Thank you for such a great recipe!Ā
This was amazing! Was trying to find a good recipe I’ve been craving this soup since I was in mexico and its spot on:)
Best recipe I’ve found so far!
This recipe is excellent and I’ll make it again, but the soup is spicy! Ā Next time, I will cut back on the cilantro, and in order to cut back on the cheese a little, will add a couple of skinned, diced up red or white potatoes (which will be blended into soup at the end) to balance spice and keep the soup creamy. Ā Also, Ā removing stems, ribs and seeds from cooked peppers was somewhat tedious. Not sure if I left too much “rib” in there and that caused the spice? Ā Next time will cut peppers into large chunks and remove ribs and seeds before roasting and remove skins later, as recipe indicates. Will save time. Ā Thank you for recipe! Ā It’s a keeper! Ā
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There is a restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas called Nuevo CafĆ© It is know for its Poblano soup. While this soup isn’t exactly the same it is still really yummy and satisfies my craving for soup. I will definitely make it again. Your recipes never disappoint.
Cathy McRoey, I am searching for a recipe to replicate the Nuevo Cafe poblano soup! It is out of this world! I haven’t lived in Corpus for years but I have really been craving that soup.
Since I feed a hungry busy family of 4 do you have any ideas what I might serve with this..I’m thinking spanish rice and a salad but maybe some other side dish to keep the active grand daughter full?
I made this last night and, oh my, it was incredible! Peeling the waxy skin off was a bit of a pain but oh so worth it in the end. Amazing flavor with just enough of a bite to make it interesting. My kids loved it and my husband did too. We’ll certainly keep this on the top of our soup list! Thanks Sommer!
LOVE poblanos! never thought to create a soup using them!
I love the way you think, Sommer! This is right up my alley, I adore peppers and get really excited when I find a new way to use them. I have never thought to make a pepper soup, but now I’m craving it!
so full of so many great flavors!
I love this. Ā It’s cold here today, and I have good bread for dipping. Ā I just need to find a few more poblanos. Ā My stock is low. Ā To the store I go.
I’m not great at the roasting and peeling thing. Ā How would not roasting affect things?
Hey Glenn! I wouldn’t suggest it. The roasting/peeling process sweetens the peppers and improve the overall texture of the soup. I guess if you have a food mill, you could skip the peeling and run the soup through the food mill to remove the waxy skin, but would still roast them. Happy cooking!
So many wonderful ingredients in this soup!