Chicken Poblano Soup
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In this Chicken Poblano Soup recipe, roasted poblano peppers are combined with black beans, corn and shredded chicken to create an incredibly flavorful Mexican soup! It’s easy to make in under an hour and finished with just a little bit of cream and cheese to make it creamy and delicious.
Why you’ll love this soup
During the fall and winter months soup is on the menu at least 3 nights a week at our house. There’s just something so cozy about warming up with a big bowl of flavorful soup. And that’s why I’m always in the kitchen testing new soup recipes to add to the website, and to our weekly dinner menu!
Making the same ol’ soup recipes can get boring week after week, but there’s nothing boring about this chicken poblano soup! And here’s why I know you’ll love it.
- It’s full of flavor! Roasting poblano peppers deepens their flavor and makes them a delicious addition to this soup. Then when you add in perfectly seasoned chicken broth, a little melted cheese, and a hint of lime juice, you really get a nice balance of flavors in this recipe.
- It’s easy to make! You can roast, peel and dice the poblano peppers ahead of time, then this recipe comes together in just 30 minutes on the stove.
- The leftovers are great, if you’re lucky enough to get any! I was really looking forward to the leftovers of this recipe the first time I made it. But my husband finished off the soup before I could get to it. The sign of a popular recipe in my house? I think so! That’s why I now double the recipe every time, so I make sure to get the yummy leftovers for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this chicken poblano soup recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Poblano peppers – these large Mexican chili peppers are mild in spice and perfect for roasting. I enjoy using them in recipes so much that I actually wrote an entire blog post on how to roast poblano peppers on the stove, in the oven and on the grill. You can find them at almost all major grocery stores. They’re mild-to-medium in spice. They are hotter than a green bell pepper, but not as spicy as a jalapeno.
- Olive oil – or another neutral-flavored vegetable oil, used to cook the vegetables.
- Onions – I recommend a diced yellow onion for this recipe. It will have the most neutral flavor. If you’d like a more punchy flavor, use a red onion instead.
- Garlic
- Cooked, shredded chicken breasts – you can pull the meat off of a rotisserie chicken, or use either of these recipes for Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken. Be sure to prepare the chicken before starting the recipe. If making your own shredded chicken, you can do so up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
- Frozen corn kernels (or canned corn) – either frozen corn, or corn kernels that have been drained and rinsed from a can, can both be used in this recipe. No need to defrost frozen corn, as it will thaw and cook in the soup.
- Black beans
- Chicken broth – since this is the main ingredient in the base of the soup, I recommend purchasing, or making, a high-quality chicken broth or stock. I found this Custom Culinary Chicken Base at a restaurant supply store in San Diego and absolutely love it. You can order it online. It’s a little expensive for chicken bouillon, but oh my gosh the flavor is so good.
- Ground cumin – this spice adds a warm, earthy layer of flavor to the soup.
- Salt and black pepper – to season the soup.
- Heavy cream – just ½ cup adds a nice creaminess to the soup at the end. You can leave this out and add an extra ½ cup of chicken broth if you prefer a brothy soup.
- Cheddar cheese – I mix some grated cheese into the soup at the end, then save some more to top the soup after it’s served.
- Lime juice – to finish the soup with a nice zest.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Roast the poblano peppers.
- Preheat the oven broiler to high and place the top rack in the oven 6-8 inches from the heat source. Place poblano peppers on a foil lined baking sheet.
- Place the peppers in the oven on the top rack, 6-8 inches from the heat source. Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until the skin is black and bubbling. Remove the peppers from the oven, flip and continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.
- Remove the peppers from the oven and use tongs to immediately transfer them to a plastic zipper bag, or a container with a lid. This will allow the peppers to steam and will make the skins of the peppers easy to peel.
- After 10 minutes, remove the peppers from the bag and transfer them to a cutting board. Once cool enough to touch, use your hands to peel the skins from the peppers. Discard the skins, then remove the stem and seeds inside the pepper. Dice the peppers into ½ inch squares.
This step can be completed up to a week in advance of making the soup. If you prefer to roast the poblanos over an open flame on a gas stove or grill, refer to this blog post on roasted poblano peppers for the full instructions.
Prepare the soup.
- Cook the onions. Place a large soup pot, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium-high heat. Heat olive oil in the pot, then add diced onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the other ingredients. Add the diced, roasted poblano peppers to the pot, along with corn, shredded chicken, black beans and chicken broth. Season with cumin, salt and pepper. Turn the heat on the stove up to high and bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat on the stove to medium and simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
- Make it creamy. Add heavy cream and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted into the soup. Turn the heat off on the stove and mix in the lime juice before serving.
Ways to top it
There are so many fun and delicious ways to top this creamy chicken poblano soup. I like to add grated cheddar cheese and garnish the soup with chopped fresh cilantro. Sometimes I’ll also add fresh sliced jalapeno peppers to spice it up.
You can also top it with crispy tortilla strips or sliced radishes for a crunch, sliced avocado for creaminess, or a dollop of sour cream. If you really want to amp up the flavor of roasted poblanos, you can also add a drizzle of my famous roasted poblano sauce on top.
How to make it with raw chicken
If you prefer to make this recipe with raw boneless skinless chicken breasts, or chicken thighs, here’s how to do it.
Start the recipe as instructed, by roasting the poblanos, then adding olive oil to a large pot on the stove and cooking the onions and garlic. Push the onions to one side of the pot, then add 1 pound of chicken breasts or thighs to the pot and sear on both sides for 2-3 minutes per side.
Add the poblano peppers, black beans, corn and chicken broth to the pot. Season with the cumin, salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything. Turn the heat on the stove up to high to bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and reduce the heat on the stove to medium. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
After the cooking time, remove the lid, use tongs to remove the chicken breasts or thighs from the pot and place them on a cutting board. Shred or dice the chicken and add it back to the pot with the heavy cream and cheddar cheese. Stir to combine everything, then turn the heat off on the stove and stir in the lime juice before serving.
Storage and reheating
Store leftover chicken poblano soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
The soup can be reheated in a pot on the stove over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also add the soup to a slow cooker and reheat on low for 1 hour.
To reheat the soup in the microwave, place a single serving of chicken poblano soup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated throughout.
You can also freeze leftover chicken poblano soup for up to 4 months. After the soup is cooked, let it cool before moving it to the freezer. To allow it to cool safely, place it in the refrigerator first.
Once cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer safe Ziplock bag. Flatten the soup in the freezer bag for quicker and easier defrosting. When it’s time to defrost the soup, I recommend placing it in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours to thaw.
After it’s thawed, place it in a slow cooker on low heat for 3-4 hours to reheat. You can also reheat the soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat for 20-30 minutes.
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Chicken Poblano Soup
Ingredients
- 3 poblano peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breasts, *see notes below
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels, or corn drained and rinsed from a can
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream, optional
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
Instructions
Prepare the roasted poblano peppers.
- Preheat the broiler in the oven to high.
- Add the poblano peppers to a foil-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven, 6-8 inches under the broiler. Broil the peppers for 4-5 minutes, or until the skin begins to turn black and bubble on the peppers.
- Remove from the oven, use tongs to flip the peppers and continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until the skin begins to bubble. Remove the peppers from the oven and immediately transfer them to a plastic zipper bag. Seal the bag shut and set aside for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the peppers from the bag and once they're cool to the touch, use your fingers to peel the skin away. Discard the papery skins. Remove the stem from the pepper and the seeds inside. Dice the peppers into ½ inch squares and set them aside.
Make the soup.
- Place a large pot, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium-high heat and heat the olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the roasted poblano peppers, cooked shredded chicken, corn, black beans, and chicken broth to the pot. Season with the cumin, salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat on the stove to medium and simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and cheddar cheese, stir until the cheese is melted into the soup. Turn the heat off on the stove and mix in the lime juice before serving.
Notes
- For the cooked, shredded chicken, you can pull the meat off of a rotisserie chicken, or use either of these recipes for Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken. Be sure to prepare the chicken before starting the recipe. If making your own shredded chicken, you can do so up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
- If you would like to make the soup with raw chicken breasts or thighs, refer to the blog post above for the full instructions.
- If you prefer to roast the poblano peppers on the stove or on a grill, refer to this blog post on how to roast poblano peppers for the full instructions. You can roast the poblanos up to a week in advance and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to make the soup.
- You can leave out the heavy cream and add an extra ½ cup of chicken broth if you prefer a brothy soup, instead of a creamy soup.
- To double this recipe, simply click on the 2X button above. The ingredient amounts will automatically update. This is great for making a big batch of soup for the week, or if you want to freeze a second batch for a future meal.
- Store leftover chicken poblano soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Nutrition Facts
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