Creamy Poblano Soup
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Oct 13, 2024 
Creamy Poblano Pepper Soup Recipe – This smoky, lightly sweet and spicy soup features roasted poblano peppers, molten queso cheese, fresh cilantro and spices, all pureed into an irresistibly creamy rich broth.
Why We Love This Cream of Poblano Soup Recipe
Around here, we love a rich creamy soup that warms the tummy and soothes the soul. Lt. Dan’s favorite is my Roasted Red Pepper Soup Recipe. I’ve 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. It’s rustic and hearty with unique fall flavors and crunchy toppings.
This Creamy Poblano Pepper Soup recipe is definitely an instant hit, and perfect anytime of year! It’s 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 – not super spicy! – while the herbs, spices, and hot liquid cheese add depth and intrigue.
Are Poblano Peppers Spicy?
Let’s discuss before we really get started here… 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.
Don’t let the 10 poblano peppers in this recipe scare you away. Our Creamy Poblano Pepper Soup is silky and flavorful, but not overly spicy!
Ingredients You Need
- Poblano peppers – average-sized
- Butter – unsalted
- Onion – peeled and chopped
- Garlic – minced
- Fresh cilantro – chopped
- Salt and black pepper – taste
- Ground cumin – to enhance the smoky taste with some savory, earthy flavor
- Chicken broth – or vegetable broth for a vegetarian roasted poblano soup
- Mexican queso – choose one that is good for melting like “Queso Quesadilla,” Asadero, Chihuahua, or even Monterey Jack (not Queso Fresco or Panela)
- Cornstarch – to thicken the soup without flour
How to Make this Poblano Pepper Soup Recipe
- Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the peppers on top, pop it in the oven and roast them for 15-20 minutes, until the waxing skin bubbles up over the surface of the poblanos.
- Meanwhile, saute the butter, onions, garlic, cilantro, salt and cumin in a large saucepot over medium heat. Stir in the broth after about 5-6 minutes.
- Once the poblano peppers are out of the oven, carefully peel off the waxy exterior. Discard the stems and seeds, and place the flesh of the peppers in the pot. Simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
- Shred or crumble the cheese and toss with the cornstarch. Add this to the soup base mixture and stir to melt the cheese.
- Once the cheese has fully melted, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth and creamy. Taste, and add salt and pepper as you like.
Get the Complete (Printable!) Creamy Poblano Pepper Soup Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Top Recipe Tips
- Wondering if a poblano with be more of less hot? You can actually tell if a pepper is going to be hot by removing the stem and smelling it.
- Anytime you are pureeing peppers, it’s 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.
- Let the roasted poblanos cool to the touch. Then you can easily pull off the bubbly skin with your fingers.
- If you do want to make this a spicy poblano soup add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne along with the cumin, salt and pepper.
- Leave 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 bowls of soup with a side of tortilla chips, a side salad, and a cool Mexican beer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Queso 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 “Quesadilla” that is often found in supermarkets.
Panela and Queso Fresco are not good options for this recipe.
If you can’t find a Mexican cheese that is good for melting, use Monterey jack cheese.
Yes, you can 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!
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.
Looking for More Great Dinner Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- 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
Get the Complete (Printable!) Creamy Poblano Pepper Soup Recipe Below. Enjoy!
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
Video
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 (not 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 base 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.
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. Living in Mexico makes finding good poblanos a breeze. I follow the directions and add nothing additional and it comes out perfect. The only hard part is pealing the skin off the peppers. Using a paper bag when why come out of the oven for 10-15 Minues makes the job easier.
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. We’ve had poblano soup at our local restaurant and it wasn’t spicy hot at all. Maybe I got a rare hot poblano. I removed all the seeds and ribs as directed.
The soup was awesome. I add extra cilantro and cumin to the recipe. After blending the soup then I add dice potatoes.
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, we’v made it again twice. We’ve 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.