Poblano Chicken Chowder

A rich and creamy, poblano chicken chowder soup that’s a perfect family meal to carry you through soup season and beyond.

It doesn’t have to be soup season (in my opinion) to enjoy a cozy chowder recipe. I love making soups and stews on a Sunday afternoon and then enjoying the leftovers for busy weeknights or for a quick mid-day lunch.

This recipe is ideal for that timeline. It’s not a very time intensive recipe, but it does involve some passive cooking time and some prep work to bring it all together.

There are some tips for cutting down the cooking time (I’ll share more of these details in the article below) by switching up the ingredients you use.

Be sure to read through all the notes below to help you with making this delicious roasted poblano soup recipe.

Let’s dive in!

“School” Supplies:

• Large Pot
• Knife and Cutting Board
• Measuring Cups
• Tongs
• Spatula or Wooden Spoon
• Immersion Blender (or regular blender)

“Class” Notes:

Welcome to my virtual classroom! Use the guided notes below where I often answer commonly asked questions I get from readers and cooks just like you. 

This information is meant to help you have a stronger understanding of this recipe and the process so you can find success all on your own. 

Ready to begin cooking? Simply jump to the recipe card below and begin. 

What Is Chowder?

A chowder is a type of soup that’s usually heavy cream based and often contains ingredients like potatoes and corn kernels.

The beauty of knowing what makes up the basics of this type of soup is that you can easily customize it to work with the ingredients you have on hand or one’s that you like.

Many chowders often contain seafood (thus the popular clam chowder), but I also love the addition of other lean proteins like shredded chicken in this recipe.

If you love creamy, rich, and delicious soups, check out this low carb beer cheese soup and my homemade chicken cauliflower gnocchi soup recipe too!

Ingredients:

• Poblano Peppers
• Grilled Corn On The Cob (sub with frozen corn)
• Smoked Pulled Chicken (use any pre-cooked/ shredded chicken)
• Onion
• Bacon
• Garlic Cloves
• Bay Leaves
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Chicken Stock
• Cream Cheese (I used cream cheese over standard heavy cream in this recipe)
• Corn Meal (this helps add flavor and slightly thickens the soup)

How To Roast Poblanos:

For this recipe, you want to char and roast the peppers so the outside skins burn and are easy to peel. This makes the pepper tender enough so it can be blended into the soup.

Here are some methods for doing this-

• Open Burner Method: Carefully place the pepper over an open flame on a gas stovetop. Let the pepper sit for a few minutes and rotate it until the outside of the pepper is charred and black. You can do this over open coals on a charcoal grill or with a gas grill as well.

• Broiling: Place the peppers onto a baking sheet and place them under the broiler for 5 minutes on high. Rotate them and allow the other side to char and blacken for an additional 5 minutes.

Place your charred peppers into a plastic bag or leftover grocery bag to steam and soften. I prep the soup while they sit and rest for 10 or 15 minutes.

Use your fingers to peel and push off the outside skins of the poblano peppers. I use a pairing knife to remove the inside seeds and for removing the stems. Place the peppers into a bowl and set them aside.

Soup Instructions:

1. Roast your peppers and allow them to rest in a bag and steam while you prep the soup base.
2. Begin by sauteing the bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat so it begins to release and render the fat and gets a little crispy. About 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion and continue to cook over medium-low heat until the onions are tender and smell fragrant. Add the garlic cloves and cook an additional minute.
4. Next, add in some additional olive oil and stir to combine. Then add in the cornmeal and allow the fat to help soften it. Mix everything in the pot together so it’s coated in the cornmeal.
5. Slowly begin to add the chicken stock to the cornmeal mixture (I like to add about 1/4 of a cup) and mix it together. Continue to add the stock to the pot and mix until all the liquid has been added. Toss in the bay leaves and allow the soup to come to a simmer.
6. Add the peeled and prepped poblano peppers and the softened cream cheese. Turn the heat off and cover it, letting it sit for about 10 minutes.
7. Use the immersion blender to fully blend the poblano peppers and cream cheese into the stock. Make sure you do this with the heat off! You want the entire mixture to be smooth and slightly thick and creamy. No immersion blender? Carefully transfer small batched to a regular blender and blend until smooth (you may need the soup base to cool before doing this safely).
8. Once the soup base is smooth and blended, return it to the heat and bring it back up to a simmer. Add in the diced potatoes, corn, and shredded chicken. Allow it to cook for about 30 minutes longer on a slow simmer or until the potatoes are tender.
9. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and serve!

Serving:

I love serving this soup with some fresh crema over the top (you can also slightly water down sour cream for this if you prefer).

Drizzle some over the top and garnish with homemade crispy tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, and any leftover bacon, chicken, or corn for garnish.

Pair your roasted poblano soup with some extra tortilla chips, some sliced crusty bread, or a fresh homemade biscuit or cornbread.

Can Your Freeze Corn Chowder?

Yes! I love to make a large batch of soup and freeze half of it in freezer bags for later.

Here are some tips for freezing soup:

• Use smaller bags if you want smaller portions.
• Ladle soup into the bag with the sides rolled over to create less mess when sealing.
• Use these smaller baking sheets to place the soup bags onto. This helps them freeze flat and even and helps with storage.
• Defrost in the fridge a few days prior to serving or place the frozen bag into a water bath to help speed up the process before reheating it on the stove or in the microwave.