Chicken Poblano Soup is loaded with flavor from roasted poblanos, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder. This hearty and healthy soup is chock-full of texture from carrots, celery, and corn.
No matter what time of the year it is, I love a good soup. I mean, isn’t that what air-conditioning is for? Just turn it down a notch, and you can make soup anytime. I love serving this with cheddar bay biscuits or jalapeno cheddar beer bread.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Poblano peppers: Choose firm peppers without blemishes or any sign of spoilage or decay.
- Carrots: For aesthetic purposes, peel the carrots. It really brings out that beautiful orange color.
- Dried marjoram: It is a milder, sweeter, less intense relative of oregano. But you can substitute oregano if needed or more convenient.
- Smoked paprika: This is not to be confused with sweet or hot paprika. Smoked paprika has a rich smoky flavor from smoking the peppers over a wood fire.
- Chicken Broth: Preferably low-sodium.
- Shredded cooked chicken: Use any chicken that shreds easily. Moist and warm are the keys to easily shredding chicken. I roasted a couple of large chicken breasts because that is what I had in the house.
How to Make Chicken Poblano Soup
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Roast the peppers and place them in a paper bag to steam for 10-15 minutes. Remove the skins, stems, and seeds.
- Shred some roasted, poached, or rotisserie chicken.
- Cook the onion, celery, and carrots in a little olive oil over medium heat until the onions and celery are soft. Reduce the heat and add the garlic, cumin, marjoram, chili powder, smoked paprika, and ground cayenne, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce and simmer until the carrots are tender.
- Add the shredded chicken, corn kernels, and poblano peppers. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Preparation Tips
- Ensure your parchment paper is rated for 425 before using it while roasting the poblano peppers. If it is not, use aluminum foil.
- You don’t have to roast the poblano peppers, but the roasted flavor adds to the soup. Plus, the texture is better with the skins peeled, and roasting them makes that easy.
- Stir in a cup of heavy cream and shredded cheddar cheese if you prefer a creamy finish.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this tasty soup with cornbread muffins, Dutch oven bread, or drop biscuits. Other great choices are arugula salad, cucumber tomato salad, and garden salad.
More Soup Recipes
Chicken Poblano Soup
Chicken Poblano Soup is loaded with flavor from roasted poblanos, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 206kcal
Ingredients
- 4 medium poblano peppers
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2½ cups shredded chicken
- 1 (15-ounce) can corn kernels, drained
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place the poblano peppers on the baking sheet with space between them. Roast for 15 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking process.
- Steam them in a paper bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. Peel the skins, cut off the stems, and remove the seeds. Dice them and set them aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until the onions and celery are soft.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic, cumin, marjoram, chili powder, smoked paprika, and ground cayenne, and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
- Stir in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Stir in the shredded chicken, corn kernels, and poblano peppers. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 638mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4609IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @smalltownwomanfoodnut or tag #smalltownwomanfoodnut!
Wayne
This is so tasty! We loved it so much! Thank you for the great recipe.
Manny
This is one delicious chicken soup. I am going to make it again this weekend. My wife and I loved it. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Manny!