| | Published February 19th, 2020
| Warm up this winter with puréed poblano soup
| | | By Susie Iventosch |  | | Roasted Poblano Soup Photo Susie Iventosch |
There is a small correction for last week's recipe. Thanks to a tip from one of our readers, I learned that I had inadvertently typed "unsweetened" butter in the list of cake ingredients for the Rocky Road Cake. My sincere apologies for the oversight, especially since I've never even heard of "unsweetened" butter! The recipe can use either salted or unsalted butter, whichever you prefer, as it makes little difference in this recipe. If you use salted butter, you may want to drop the amount of salt to 1/2 teaspoon from 3/4 teaspoon. But otherwise you are good to go with either one.
This week's recipe is based on a delicious cup of soup I got at a food stand in Austin, Texas. Although I love roasted poblano peppers, I had never had puréed poblano soup before. It is absolutely delicious and a great comfort dish for cold wintery nights! Even though poblano peppers can vary quite a bit in their heat level from one pepper to the next, the cooking process mellows the peppers quite a bit, so you really don't have to worry too much about the soup being too fiery. In fact, I added a finely diced jalapeno and an Anaheim chili to balance out the flavors. But, if you are concerned over too much heat, just use an even mixture of poblanos and Anaheim chilies for this recipe. Also, to make the dish a bit heartier, simply add 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken breast after the veggies are pureed.
The toasty aroma of the roasting peppers is an olfactory delight, one that propels you to discover the source. In this case, it will be in your very own home, so you won't have to travel too far to find it. But, it can be a real pain to get the papery skin off the roasted peppers. If you don't roast the peppers, you can simply cut them into small pieces and sauté them along with the onions, and the skins will remain nice and soft and will purée nicely. In an effort to have the best of both worlds, I roasted just two of the poblanos and chopped the remaining peppers without roasting. When I left the house to run an errand shortly after making the soup, the house still had the lovely roasted pepper aroma several hours later.
There are several methods for roasting peppers and the website in the information box below will give you details on how to do all of them.
How to roast chili peppers: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/how-to-roast-poblano-peppers/
Roasted Poblano Soup
(Makes about 5 cups of soup)
INGREDIENTS
4 poblano peppers, (2 of them left whole, and 2 of them stem and seeds removed and diced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Anaheim chili, stem and seeds removed and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed and finely diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups roasted chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
*2 cups shredded chicken breast (optional)
Garnishes:
Grated Cotija cheese
Crema Fresca (can substitute créme fraiche or sour cream)
Finely diced poblanos
Fresh cilantro leaves
Chopped avocado
DIRECTIONS
Clean peppers and roast two of the poblanos in any of the methods you prefer. We charred them on the grill, but I have done them on the open flame of the gas burner as well as broiling them in the oven. When they are good and charred, remove them to a paper or plastic bag and seal. Allow them to sit for about 10 minutes to loosen the skins and allow them to cool. Remove skins using a knife or a kitchen towel, leaving as much of the meat of the pepper intact as possible.
Chop the remaining peppers and add to a small soup pot along with the olive oil, chopped onions and garlic. Saut until onions are translucent and peppers are beginning to soften. Stir in cumin, salt and minced cilantro. Add 1 cup of the broth and allow to cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and purée veggies using an immersion blender or food processor. Return purée to pot and add remaining 3 cups of roasted chicken broth and lime juice. Heat over low heat for about 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld. When ready to serve, heat soup over medium-high heat until bubbly and hot. Serve immediately with garnishes. If you decide to add chicken, add it after puréeing the veggies. |
 | | Susie can be reached at suziventosch@gmail.com. This recipe can be found on our website: www.lamorindaweekly.com. If you would like to share your favorite recipe with Susie please contact her by email or call our office at (925) 377-0977. | | | | | | | | | | | |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA