365 in 365 - #117 - Cream of Poblano Soup

This was a recipe that I posted last year, before the challenge began.  It is soooo good that I wanted to bring it back and include it in the challenge.  I have changed it up a bit and the flavor profile is a bit more smooth and sophisticated.  The texture is creamy and thick, but I will warn you...this is spicy!!!!!

My mother-in-law discovered this soup in a restaurant and tried to make it.  Hers was very good, but I decided to give it a try and came up with this version.  Everyone agreed that this was the better of the two.  

This is a very rich and decadent soup and is not for everyday.  It is a wonderful “special occasion” soup for a holiday or birthday.  It is a beautiful soft green color and is on the spicy side.  It can also be used as a sauce for chicken or pork tenderloin.  Just substitute 1 quart of the half-n-half with heavy cream so you will have a thicker base.

8 poblano peppers, charred, peeled, seeded and deveined

2 jalapenos, charred, peeled, seeded and deveined

1 large bunch cilantro, chopped

1 medium onion, sautéed in 2 tsp olive oil

6 cloves of roasted garlic

2 quarts half-n-half at room temperature

1 pint heavy cream at room temperature

¾ tsp kosher Salt 

¾ tsp fresh ground / cracked Pepper

Garnishes

½ small bag of frozen corn, thawed and sautéed with a bit of olive oil until lightly brown 

4 chicken breasts, grilled and diced

4 ripe roma tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced

2 ripe avocados diced and spritzed with lime juice to prevent oxidation

Thinly sliced radish

In a blender, combine the onion, cilantro, garlic, enough of the half-n-half to cover and process until very smooth and pour into a 4 quart soup pot.  Process the poblanos and enough half-n-half to cover in the blender and add to the soup pot.  Add the remaining half-n-half, the cream, salt, pepper and stir.  If you like your soup more spicy, add the remaining 2 poblanos after processing them in the blender with some of the soup.  If you like even more spice, you can roast a few Jalapeno or Serrano peppers in the oven with a bit of olive oil to soften them.  Place them in a blender with a bit of the soup to process and add to the pot of soup. If needed, add more salt and pepper taste.

When reheating this soup, please be careful to do so on a very low heat stirring frequently or it will scald.  Also, because of the cream base, do not leave this unattended while reheating as it may boil over.  

Serve with your choice of garnishes and enjoy!