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Chicken Poblano Soup

Chicken poblano soup with roasted poblano peppers and a smoky, lightly blended creamy broth. Shredded chicken, corn, and a sour cream-lime finish make it comforting and hearty.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cooked and shredded
  • salt To taste
  • black pepper To taste
Roasted poblano base
  • 3 poblano peppers Roasted under a broiler, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 onion Diced
  • 4 garlic Minced
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp butter
Seasoning & cream
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp chili powder
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 lime juice Juice of 1 lime
Serving
  • sour cream For serving
  • cilantro For serving
  • green onions For serving
  • tortilla strips For serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Roast and prep the poblanos
  1. Roast poblanos under the broiler until charred, turning as needed for even blistering, about 6–10 minutes. Remove, peel, seed, and dice the peppers.
Build the soup base
  1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté diced onion for about 4 minutes until softened.
  2. Add minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder, then cook for about 2 minutes. Stir constantly to bloom the spices without browning the garlic.
  3. Add chicken broth, corn kernels, and half of the diced poblanos. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until flavors meld.
Blend and finish
  1. Partially blend the soup until thick and some chunks remain, then return to the pot if needed. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes.
  2. Add shredded chicken, remaining diced poblanos, and lime juice. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the chicken is heated through and the peppers are tender.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with sour cream, cilantro, green onions, and tortilla strips.

Notes

Pro tip: partially blend (not fully) so the soup stays thick with visible corn and pepper pieces. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid curdling the cream. Freezing: not recommended due to the cream, but you can freeze before adding cream and then stir in cream when reheating. Dietary swap: use half-and-half or coconut cream in place of heavy cream for a lighter or dairy-free option (texture will vary).