This Roasted Creamy Poblano Soup is a healthy recipe made with mild peppers, carrots, celery, onions, and cheese. It’s served creamy and delicious and is the perfect side dish for any meal.
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We had a roasted poblano soup out at a restaurant (when it was presented, we wondered, what is poblano soup?) and I knew I had to come home and create my own version. The version we had was a lot MORE CHEESY. I can tell they used a large amount of cheese and butter. I could tell because of the taste and the color of the soup. Feel free to add a lot more cheese than what is noted in the recipe.
Are Poblano Peppers Spicy?
Poblano peppers are mildly spicy, measuring 1,000–1,5000 on the Scoville scale. They are spicier than sweet peppers like bell peppers, banana peppers, and pimento peppers. However, they are a lot milder than hot peppers like jalapeño peppers, serrano peppers, and habañero peppers.
If you have never had them I recommend tasting them beforehand. This may also be helpful to do every time you grab some before cooking with them. Harvest time for peppers will impact the level of spice.
You can read more about How to Cook with Poblano Peppers here.
How to Shop for the Peppers
Look for peppers that are deep, dark green, and fairly dry. Peppers that are wet and damp will soften and lose freshness.
How to Roast the Peppers
I tested these in the oven and in the air fryer. Both methods took around the same time. You can broil the peppers or air fry them on 400 degrees. The time it takes will vary based on the size of the peppers. Smaller peppers will roast a lot faster.
In my area, we typically only have large peppers available and these would take 10-12 minutes. If you have small peppers it will likely take half of that time to roast. Roast the peppers until the skin of the peppers darken and form blisters.
Peeling the Skin
The thing I love most about this soup is the creamy texture. Peeling the skin from the roasted peppers will give it an amazing texture. Once the peppers are roasted, place them in a paper bag or Ziploc bag while hot. I prefer to use a paper bag.
Prep your ingredients for the recipe while the peppers cool. Once cooled, the skin will peel off easily.
How to Make Roasted Creamy Poblano Soup
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Roast the poblano peppers.
- Remove the skin and chop the peppers.
- Add butter or olive oil to a pot on medium-high heat. Add chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat on the stove to medium. Add broth and chopped peppers. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Use an immersion blender or pour the soup mixture into an actual blender.
- Add in the milk (or half and half), shredded cheese, optional lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Continue to cook on Low and stir until the cheese has melted and the soup has thickened.
Additional Substitutions
Any peppers you want to use will work in this recipe. You can also add additional vegetables such as:
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Spinach
- Kale
- Collard Greens
- Tomatoes
Ideas for Soup Toppings
- Shredded Cheese
- Tortilla Strips
- Chopped Peppers
- Crackers
- Croutons
- Cilantro
- Fresh Lime
How to Store Leftovers
The dish will last for 3-4 days tightly sealed in the fridge.
How to Reheat
You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove on medium heat.
Freezer Tips
You can freeze the soup for up to 2-3 months. I love to use these Souper Cube soup molds to freeze leftovers.
Pair With These Recipes
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Air Fryer Garlic Bread
Fried Chicken Salad
Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
Southwest Salad with Chipotle Dressing
Chicken Florentine Soup
More Soup Recipes
Ham and Vegetable Soup
Crockpot Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Slow Cooker Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
Creamy Chicken Alfredo Soup
Slow Cooker Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup
Roasted Creamy Poblano Soup
Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Canned Pumpkin
Chicken Lasagna Soup
Sweet Potato Soup
Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Ramen Soup
Buffalo Chicken Soup
Roasted Creamy Poblano Soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 3 garlic cloves Minced
- 3 cups stock or broth I used chicken.
- 2-3 large poblano peppers 4-6 smaller peppers
- 1 cup milk or half and half Heavy whipping cream will also work.
- 2 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice Optional
Instructions
- Place the oven on Broil to broil and roast the peppers.
- Broil the peppers for 5-10 minutes (cook time will vary based on the size of your peppers) or until the skin of the peppers darken and form blisters.You can also air fry the peppers on 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes (cook time will vary based on the size of your peppers).
- Remove the peppers from the oven and place them in a paper bag or plastic zip lock bag. I prefer paper bag. Allow the peppers to cool. This will steam the peppers and loosen up the skin. While the peppers cool I prep the remaining ingredients.
- Once the peppers have cooled, remove the skin from the outside of the peppers and chop the peppers into smaller chunks, a couple of inches in size.
- Add the butter or olive oil to a Dutch oven or soup pot on medium-high heat. Once melted, add chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Reduce the heat on the stove to medium. Add the broth and chopped peppers. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Use an immersion blender or pour the soup mixture into an actual blender. Pulse the ingredients until the soup is smooth. Be careful not to splatter the soup and burn yourself.
- If using a standard blender, return the soup to the pot. Add in the milk (or half and half), shredded cheese, optional lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Continue to cook on Low and stir until the cheese has melted and the soup has thickened.
Michelle Akey
Sunday 14th of January 2024
mine turned out spicy! I don't mind it but no one in the house other than myself will eat it; too spicy! I also wish it had a smoother consistency. I used an immersion blender and its still not really smooth
staysnatched
Tuesday 23rd of January 2024
It's a pepper soup, it's supposed to be spicy. I also recommend upgrading your immersion blender to a higher quality device.
shauna a
Saturday 20th of August 2022
Very unique and delicious recipe. i followed the recipe exactly and blended in a vitamix. it was nicely creamy
staysnatched
Saturday 20th of August 2022
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Angela
Thursday 18th of August 2022
This soup is delicious. I love making soup when I have a busy week. Brandi's recipes are quick and easy. I added cauliflower to this soup to make it creamier and heavier. I'm always looking for ways to hide extra veggies. This soup is very fresh and the pepper flavor is not overwhelming. This is a must try!
staysnatched
Friday 19th of August 2022
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!