Jul 27, 2012

Sopa de Chile Poblano (Poblano Chile Soup)

Sweet roasted poblano chiles add smokey depth to this soup made with spinach and enriched with cream. This recipe first appeared in our August/September 2012 issue with Patricia Quintana's article The Soups of Mexico.

Credit: James Oseland

SERVES 6�8

INGREDIENTS

2 lb. poblano chiles
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
1 rib celery, roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
4 oz. spinach, roughly chopped
⅓ cup minced parsley
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup crema or sour cream
1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
Fried tortilla strips, to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat broiler to high heat. Place poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet, and broil, turning as needed, until blackened all over, about 20 minutes; transfer to a bowl and let cool. Peel and discard skins, stems, and seeds; roughly chop, and set aside.

2. Heat butter in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add chopped poblanos, spinach, and parsley, and cook, stirring, until slightly wilted, about 3 minutes. Add stock and milk, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cream, and season with salt and pepper; puree in a blender until smooth, at least 1 minute.

3. To serve, divide soup among serving bowls and then dollop with about 1 tbsp. crema in the center of each; garnish with some of the serrano chiles and tortilla strips.