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Creamy Roasted Poblano and Corn Chowder

This Creamy Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder is a healthy vegetarian soup that is creamy and robust with tender potatoes, corn, and a mirepoix vegetable mix. The poblanos offer a gentle heat that are tamed by the sweetness of the corn and the creaminess of half and half. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice for that hint of citrus! This is a great recipe to pack in those veggies and serve up a wholesome, flavorful main dish that reheats beautifully!

WHAT’S NEW?

We successfully hosted a house full of family last weekend – my parents and Mark’s parents were in for the weekend, celebrating my mom and father-in-law’s birthdays on Saturday. While they are, in fact, a year apart (and not related), we nearly had the girls convinced they’re twins 😉 My brother, my niece, and my nephew joined on Saturday for a REALLY full house. I made a massive brunch featuring Paula Deen’s homemade cinnamon rolls which are always a chore and always worth the effort. It was the perfect way to celebrate loved ones AND a wildly successful variety show 😉

This week is a busy one with something (mostly work) every night this week, and book club tonight. I’m looking forward to the weekend and NO ALARMS or commitments for 2 straight days! It will be short-lived as next weekend starts outdoor soccer season and I go into 2 weekends of travel. Mark and I are going to sneak in a date night Saturday and enjoy early hockey games — versus one another — on Sunday evening.

ROLL CALL FOR THIS RECIPE

  • Heat-cautious pepper lovers. Poblano peppers rank near the bottom of the Scoville Heat Units (SHUs) at a ranking of 1,000-2,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHUs,) a far cry from the spiciest of peppers coming in at over 1,000,000 SHUs! Poblanos are the beloved Mexican chile pepper and offer a beautiful deep green color and mild, smoky flavor. Traditionally roasted, as they are in this recipe, brings out all that delicious smoky flavor! This is the perfect level of heat for those who may not tolerate spicy foods all that well!
  • Comfort food lovers, this one is for you! Spring has rolled in but the temperatures are still a bit up and down here in the Midwest. Nevermind that comfort food is always in season (according to yours truly, anyway!).
  • One pot delights are always in-season and always welcome in my kitchen. Cooked all in a single Dutch oven or large pot, this recipe ensures a limited number of dishes and clean-up (especially if you can use a gas range in lieu of the oven broiler and immersion blender in place of the blender! More on that below!).

KEY INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

  • Poblano Peppers: These are a mild green chile that are very commonly found at the grocery store in the produce section, near the jalapenos. Offering mild to medium heat, they are definitely the best option in this recipe. That said, New Mexico chile peppers would be the best substitute for poblanos.
  • Oregano: Use Mexican oregano if you can find it — you’ll need half as much as the recipe calls for as Mexican oregano offers a stronger, earthier flavor. I can never find Mexican oregano, so I actually adjusted the recipe to use traditional oregano.
  • Corn: To keep things simple, this recipe calls for corn which is often not in season come soup season. That said, fresh sweet corn or leftover corn cut from corn cobs is a great option in this recipe. In a pinch, canned corn will work — a low-sodium or no salt added variety would be best! You will need roughly 3 1/2 cups of corn kernels which ever corn option you use.
  • Half and Half: Any creamy, fat-containing liquid will work here. Unsweetened coconut milk, soy milk, 2% milk, whole milk, half and half, and heavy cream are all good options.
  • Vegetable Broth: Low-sodium and vegetarian options are used in the recipe to keep the sodium in check and the recipe vegetarian. That said, you can certainly use a chicken broth or beef broth or stock, if preferred!
  • Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes are low- to medium-starch potatoes and are slightly sweeter than some other potatoes. Uniquely, they are all roughly the same size unlike many other potato varieties. Yukon gold potatoes do prefer refrigerator temperatures (40-50 degrees F) and may not keep quite as long as other potatoes. I love using them in soup recipes, however please use the potato of your preference – a pound of which ever you choose will work great! Potatoes aren’t overly fussy in this way 😉
  • Butter: There is something about butter than goes so perfectly with corn and potatoes, but olive oil or ghee will work great here, too!
  • Veggies: A mirepoix is used in this recipe, in addition to the corn, potatoes, and poblanos, but do feel free to add additional bell peppers (green peppers or red peppers would be great), mushrooms, zucchini, etc. The sky is the limit with the veggies that can be added.

NUTRITIONAL MERITS

  • Vegan Option: To make this a vegan recipe, use oil in place of butter, a dairy-free and sugar-free milk substitute of preference, and omit the cheese!
  • With over 5 grams of fiber per serving, this soup is a good source of fiber!
  • In order to further reduce the sodium or for those following a low-salt/low-sodium diet, omit the salt or consider use of a salt substitute, if desired.

VARIATIONS, STORAGE, AND TIPS

  • Roasting the poblanos to achieve that outer charred skin is most quickly and easily attained over an open flame. If you are fortunate enough to have a gas stove top, use it! The peppers will make a popping sound as they char. Be sure to turn on your hood vent to limit lingering smells of char.
  • The pureeing step of the recipe is optional, however it does create a creamy soup! I would definitely recommend this step!
  • Fat free options such as almond milk and skim cow’s milk will curdle when added to hot dishes such as soup. Adding slowly and a bit of fat help with this.
  • While the recipe calls for fresh cilantro and lime as a finish for this soup, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, and/or crunched up tortilla chips would be an equally fun finish!
  • Store the soup in fridge after allowing to cool to nearly room temperature. Reheat portions on the stove top of microwave, stirring often.

Creamy Roasted Poblano and Corn Chowder

Creamy Roasted Poblano and Corn Chowder

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

This vegetarian soup is creamy and robust with tender potatoes, corn, and a mirepoix vegetable mix. The poblanos offer a gentle heat that are tamed by the sweetness of the corn and the creaminess of half and half. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice for that hint of citrus!

Ingredients

  • 6 large poblano peppers
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 2 carrot, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn (about 3 1/2 cups)
  • 1 lb yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced into ½- inch chunks (about 5 potatoes)
  • 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 cup (4 oz) shredded mild cheddar cheese
  • fresh lime wedges, for serving (optional)
  • chopped cilantro, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place poblanos over a range grate set to medium-high, rotating every 1-2 minutes, until charred on all sides. Alternatively, preheat the oven broiler and place peppers on a baking sheet in the top rack of the oven, broiling for 5 minutes per side. Transfer charred peppers to a plastic bag or bowl fitted with cling wrap or aluminum to allow peppers to cool and "sweat" to easily shed their skin, about 5 minutes.
  2. Scrape off as much charred skin as able and slice to remove the stem, membrane, and seeds; dice peppers.
  3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions, celery, and carrot. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and stir; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  4. Add corn, potatoes, broth, bay leaves, salt, cumin, coriander, oregano, and black pepper; stir.
  5. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
  6. Discard the bay leaves and remove 4 cups of chowder and transfer to a blender to puree; return puree to pot. Alternatively, use an immersion blender for 10-15 seconds or until desired consistency is reached, ensuring most of the potatoes and corn are left in tact.
  7. Add the chopped poblanos, half and half, and cheese; stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
  8. Serve hot and garnished with cilantro and lime, if desired.

Notes

Recipe ever so slightly adapted from Isabel Eats

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 2 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 342Total Fat: 14.8gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 822mgCarbohydrates: 44.3gFiber: 5.0gSugar: 12.8gProtein: 12.7g

Did you make this recipe?

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Love a delicious bowl of soup…always!

Weekly Menu: April 2nd – 6th

  • Sunday: Trader Joe’s Mandarin Chicken with rice and cucumbers
  • Monday: pesto linguine with roasted asparagus, broccoli, and shrimp
  • Tuesday: Soba Noodles with edamame
  • Wednesday: Book Club for me, leftovers for the family
  • Thursday: French toast with blueberry compote and sausage

Be well,

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