One woman's foray into cooking for herself, for her family, and for her friends. It's not always picture-perfect, sometimes a little messy,
but it's always delicious. Join me in exploring new recipes, savoring the "résultats" and learning from the "erreurs".



Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Roasted Poblano-Cream Soup

You're trying to come up with an idea for dinner. The temperatures have climbed to triple digits again. The first thing that comes to mind is... hot soup?? Unconventional, yes, but that's exactly what I wanted. Not just any soup. I wanted a soup that I have had at a local Mexican restaurant several times. It's a poblano cream soup. The color is beautiful with a flavor to match.

To find a suitable recipe, I went to my favorite treasure trove of gastronomic concoctions - Epicurious.com. That site rarely fails me. And it didn't today, either. I loved the idea of roasting the poblanos first. Roasting or charring gives a wonderful lightly smokey flavor.

Now the problem with the poblano pepper is its inconsistent heat factor. These chilies can be pleasantly mild or spicier than a 15-year-old boy's mind. Mine turned out to be a bit on the fiery side. To combat the heat, I added a bit of sugar and a dollop or two of sour cream. It was perfect. Keep that in mind in case you end up with a wicked poblano or two in your bunch!


Roasted Poblano-Cream Soup
Bon Appétit | February 2001
Yield: Makes 6 servings


1-1/2 pounds poblano chilies*

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1-1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup (or more) whipping cream

*Fresh green chilies, often called pasillas, available at Latin American markets and some supermarkets

Char chilies over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag. Let stand 10 minutes to steam. Peel, seed and chop poblano chilies.

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add chilies and sauté 1 minute. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until chilies are very tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in cilantro, parsley and mint. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to pot. Mix in 1/4 cup cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more cream if soup is very spicy. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and chill. Bring to simmer before serving.)

18 comments:

Thibeault's Table said...

OOOOH Roasted Poblano-Cream Soup. I like the sound of that. And I love the photo of the roasting pepper and then the different presentations of the soup. I'd like mine with the tortilla strips and a little sprinkle of cilantro please.

Ry @ Sotto Il Monte Vineyards said...

This soup looks lucious! I was just thinking this morning that I might make a potato-leek soup for dinner, but now I think I'll make your Poblano-Cream soup instead.

Cucinista said...

looks amazing! Great flavor. Plus, roasting peppers is fun.

Marysol said...

Lori, I can't help but wonder where those treacherous steps lead to.
Btw, I like the look of your blog, as well as your pretty soup. I have poblanos, but I wonder if the soup would be okay served cold. What do you say?

Lori (All That Splatters) said...

Sol, I think it would be good chilled, too, but it would definitely need to be thinned out a bit. I think it would be too thick otherwise. Let me know if you try it!

Gloria Kelley said...

Saw this one on FoodPhotoblog and knew I had to have the recipe. I love peppers of any kind . Thanks for posting it. Your photo looks good enough to eat.

Anonymous said...

I first had this wonderful soup at Los Capporels, a great Mexican restaurant at Moon Palace Resorts. I have been wanting to make it and I just finished roasting the peppers. They are smelling sooo good. i will let you know the end results.

Lori (All That Splatters) said...

I'm anxious to hear how yours turns out! I need to pick up some poblanos for a repeat of this wonderful soup for myself! :D

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I first had this wonderful soup at Los Capporels, a great Mexican restaurant at Moon Palace Resorts. I have been wanting to make it and I just finished roasting the peppers. They are smelling sooo good. i will let you know the end results.

Just wondering how this recipe turned out compared to the one at Moon Palace... I just returned from the Moon Palace and all I want is that soup AMAZING!!

Lori (All That Splatters) said...

I hope the recipe meets your expectations! I thought it was wonderful. I'm looking forward to hearing how yours turned out!

Anonymous said...

Just had a version of this at lunch today, and I loved it so much, now I'm trying to copy it for dinner! The restaurant's version had chunks of white chicken breast, and two thick slices of avocado within the soup; made it extra creamy. Thanks for your re-post of the Epicurious recipe; it's nice to see photos. Blessings from Texas.

Anonymous said...

How long can you keep poblano soup in the fridge after it's already made?

Lori (All That Splatters) said...

Hi Anonymous - I would feel comfortable letting the soup sit in the fridge for a couple of days but probably not much longer.

Thanks for visiting All That Splatters!

Anonymous said...

Just came back from Moon Palace and my husband and I had the best soup of our lives at Los Coporales! The Poblano soup was amazing! I was wondering how this particular recipe came out? I'm hoping to make some soon.

Thanks!

Lori (All That Splatters) said...

Anonymous, I love this soup. Some poblanos are hotter than others, but you can tame the heat a bit with the cream.

Let me know if you try it! Thanks for visiting All That Splatters!


Lori

Anonymous said...

I just got back from Moon Palace as well and fell in love with the soup there! Only differences between your recipe and what I had is they added in some corn, used a crouton on top, a little bit of chicken and a few soft creamy dollops of cheese creamy goodness in it. I can't wait to try yours!

Lori (All That Splatters) said...

I love the idea of adding corn! Thanks for visiting All That Splatters!

Anonymous said...

I had this soup at a little place called Cenotle Grill in San Marcos CA. It was rainning and the soup hit the spot. I can't wait to make it.

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