White Cheddar Poblano Soup Recipe

This poblano soup recipe brings roasted poblano peppers and sharp white cheddar together in a rich, creamy broth that’s ready in about 30 minutes once your peppers are roasted. Stir in some chicken to make it a hearty dinner, or leave it out for a vegetarian version that’s just as good.

If you’re a poblano fan like I am, you’ll also want to try our Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers and this Creamy Poblano Sauce. And if you’re in a soup mood, our Butternut Squash Soup with roasted red peppers is a lighter option you’ll love.

Everyone seems to enjoy hearing where recipe inspiration comes from, so here’s the story on this soup. In 2017 I went with Buddy (hubs) on a business trip to Arizona. We attended a rodeo-type event for Caterpillar equipment (those huge yellow trucks and tractors) and yes, I got to drive a bulldozer!

More important to this story, though, they served us the most delicious poblano pepper soup. We already have a Roasted Poblano & Corn Chowder on the blog and it’s just great, but it has potatoes, lime and corn. The soup I had in Arizona was cheesy. Really cheesy. Yum!

Then came a bumper crop of poblanos in our garden. We roasted, stuffed and diced those peppers and still had more. That’s when I remembered that cheesy soup and got to work recreating it.

A soup with Southwestern flavors might seem like an odd fit for a Southern food blog, but our cooking has always grown and changed over the years (Sara wrote all about that in Southern Food Then and Now). Cooking with whatever the garden is handing you is a tradition we’ll never give up.

Jump to:

• Ingredients Needed
• How to Make Poblano Soup
• Garnish Ideas for Poblano Soup
• Pam’s Expert Tips
• Storage Information
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe
• Soups & Stews

Ingredients Needed

• Butter - This is what I use to cook the onions and get the soup started.
• Onion - I use half of a medium onion, diced. Yellow or white both work fine.
• Garlic - One clove, minced. Fresh is best, but jarred works in a pinch.
• Poblano Peppers - You’ll need 2 to 3 medium poblanos, roasted and diced. If you don’t grow your own, pick some up at your local farmers market when they’re in season.
• Cooked Chicken (optional) - I had some cooked chicken on hand and wanted this to be a meal in a bowl, so I chopped it up and tossed it in. A store-bought rotisserie chicken makes this super easy.
• Tomato (optional) - I had a tomato, so I diced it up and added it, but it’s totally optional.
• Cumin - This gives the soup a warm, earthy flavor that goes great with the poblanos.
• Chicken Stock - Use vegetable broth if you’re keeping it vegetarian.
• All-Purpose Flour - Whisked into the half and half, this is what thickens the soup.
• Half and Half - This makes the soup creamy without being too heavy.
• Sharp White Cheddar Cheese - I remembered the original soup having white cheddar, so that’s what I used, but you could certainly use yellow cheddar or Monterey Jack. The world is your soup pot!
• Salt and Pepper - Season to taste.

How to Roast Poblano Peppers

The skin on these peppers can be a bit thick and tough, so for most recipes I roast them first. It’s easy to do:

1. Preheat your broiler or grill to medium-high or high heat. You can also roast them right over the flame of a gas burner.
2. Roast the whole peppers until they’re charred and blistered, turning them with tongs to roast every side.
3. Place them in a covered bowl or a plastic bag for 10 to 15 minutes to steam.
4. Cut a slit down one side of each pepper. The skin should peel right off.
5. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then dice.

The photo below shows about how the peppers should look after roasting. They could even be charred a bit more if you like. If you have extra, try them in any of our poblano pepper recipes.

How to Make Poblano Soup

1. Garnish and serve. Top each bowl with your favorite garnishes and dig in.
2. Cook the onion and garlic. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and cook the onion until tender. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.
3. Simmer the soup. Add the poblanos, stock, cumin, salt, pepper, and the chicken and tomato if you’re using them. Let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Thicken it up. Whisk the flour into the half and half, then pour it slowly into the pot while stirring until the soup thickens.
5. Melt in the cheese. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the white cheddar until it’s melted and smooth.

Garnish Ideas for Poblano Soup

• Tortilla strips - we were so excited to find these Fresh Gourmet Tortilla Strips!
• Fresh cilantro
• More grated cheese
• Additional poblano pepper, either diced or cut into strips
• Jalapeno peppers for some extra kick

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Pam’s Expert Tips

• Shred your cheese from a block. Bagged shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that keep it from melting as smoothly into the soup.
• Keep the heat low when you add the cheese. If the soup is boiling, the cheese can separate and turn grainy. Low and slow is the way to go.
• Want more heat? Leave a few seeds in your poblanos or add a diced jalapeño along with the peppers.
• Roast your poblanos a day or two ahead and keep them in the fridge. Then the soup comes together in no time on a busy night.

Storage Information

Store leftover poblano soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat it on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often, and add a splash of stock or half and half if it’s thickened up too much. Try not to let it boil, or the cheese may separate.

Soups made with dairy and cheese can turn grainy in the freezer, so if you want to freeze some, I recommend freezing it before you add the half and half and cheese. Let the soup base cool completely and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, warm it on the stove, and finish it with the half and half, flour and cheese.

Recipe FAQs

📖 Recipe