Tag Archives: poblano chile

It’s easy.  It’s elegant.  It has a slight kick.  It’s my corn and poblano chile soup.

I got the idea for this little gem some years ago from a local restaurant called Thyme Matters run by Owner/Chef Alejandra Chávez.  Ursula fell in love with this soup at first taste, and I told her that I would have little trouble duplicating it.  And, indeed, I nailed the flavors on the very first attempt.  It really is that distinctive in taste and easy to make.

What you’ll need:

• 4 to 5 fresh poblano chiles, roasted and peeled
• 4 ears sweet corn, kernals shaved from cob after roasting
• 5 cups good, low-sodium chicken stock
• ½ cup Half & Half, or to taste

You’ve seen me roast poblanos, sweat in a plastic bag, and skin chiles before in my Chile Rellano recipe.  But, if you need a refresher, just click on that link and read the directions (or see the photos below).

Roasting Poblano Chiles

Make ’em Sweat

Skin ’em Alive

Gut and clean ’em Like a Fish

Coarsely Chop the Poblano Chile

For the corn, remove the husk and silk and wrap in heavy-duty foil.  Roast in an oven at 375° for 30 minutes, turning and rearranging the ears half way through the roasting.  Cool and shave off the kernals.

Freshly Roasted

Mix together the chopped poblano and corn kernals and place them into a food processor.

In Goes the Corn and Poblano

Pulse initially, until well mixed, and then chop until granular looking, but don’t purée.  You want some texture in this soup.

The Basic Mixture

Place the corn/poblano mixture into simmering chicken broth.  Simmer for about five minutes.

Simmer the Corn and Poblano in the Chicken Broth

Add the Half & Half — more if you want creamy, less if you’re health conscious, or about a half cup if you want the best of both worlds.

Add the Half & Half

Let simmer another minute or two, stirring well.  What you’ll have is a soup and warms you up as it warms your tongue.  But don’t worry.  It’s not that spicy.

Congratulations.  Here’s your latest culinary masterpiece:

Soup’s On! Step Back and Don’t Get Trampled in the Stampede!

Don’t forget the wine pairing.  Since this is a light dish a white is indicated.  The mild heat of the poblano chile would seem to beckon for a little sweetness, but remember that you already have that heat-taming sweetness built into the soup with the sweet corn.  So, to keep from battling the corn, I would recommend staying on the dry side.  That leaves my go-to white for so many occasions — a nice New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough appellation.  Save the red for the meat course that follows.