You will love how easy this chicken poblano soup recipe is chock full of veggies, and tender chicken in a light and creamy broth. A naturally gluten-free, low-carb soup that will have your family screaming for more! A cream of poblano soup if you will.
I was scrapbooking with some friends and my friend served us this amazing soup for lunch! A Joanna Gaines recipe, that will become a family favorite.
Grab these other recipes to round out soup season: Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup, Cauliflower Soup (30 minutes), this Panera Thai Chicken Soup and Italian Wedding Soup.
Chicken Poblano Soup ingredients
- Unsalted or salted butter: Sautéing the veggies and peppers in the butter gives this dish incredible flavor! But you can use vegetable or olive oil if you prefer. I typically use 4-6 tablespoons of butter.
- Onions, Celery, and Carrots: Use yellow, white, or Vidalia sweet onions. Make sure to chop them, but keep in mind that you’ll blend them later, so they can be roughly chopped.
- Garlic Cloves: again, with the amazing flavor!
- Fresh Poblano Peppers: I used medium, seeded and diced chile peppers; replace with Anaheim peppers or Hatch green chiles if unavailable. *Read how to handle cutting hot peppers.
- Spices: I use kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, and thyme.
- Chicken Broth: I use chicken stock or broth, just taste for saltiness and adjust seasonings accordingly; I used organic broth, adjust amount to taste.
- Heavy Cream: A low-carb lovers dream, but this is not a heavy soup, trust me! Many readers have made using coconut milk in place of cream! YUM!
- Shredded Chicken: Make shredded chicken or use rotisserie chicken with a blend of white and dark meat, or chop some leftover chicken.
- Fresh Cilantro: A must for final flavor burst.
Optional Garnishes
- Radishes: I am not a radish lover, but truly, this adds amazing crunch and complementary flavor! This is, of course, optional.
- Tortilla Chips: Add some tortilla strips or chips for the ultimate Mexican soup.
- Avocado: Sliced or diced, adds great flavor.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Recommended Tools
- This is a great recipe to take advantage of an “alligator” food chopper, these things are brilliant!
- I love my Dutch oven for making soups!
How to Make Chicken Poblano Soup Recipe
Step 1 – Saute veggies
Melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Then, sauté onion, celery, garlic, and poblano peppers, stirring often until tender and golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.
Add kosher salt, pepper, cumin, and thyme and sauté for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and caramelized.
Step 2 – Add liquids to soup pot
Pour in chicken broth and cream, bring to a low simmer, then reduce heat to low, stirring often, about 15-20 minutes — this marries the flavors.
Using an immersion blender; blend the soup carefully until smooth (or use a stand blender, blending in batches — careful though, the heat can build when using a blender, so be sure to do in small batches, never filling more than half full, vent the blender and place a paper towel over the top – removing the lid slowly) Pour the hearty soup back into the pot.
Step 3 – Add Chicken and Finish Soup
Add the juicy chicken to the soup and bring to a simmer for another 15-30 minutes.
Before serving, stir in cilantro.
Serve warm, and if desired, garnish with tortilla chips, sliced radishes (highly recommend, even if you don’t like radishes – like me), and some chopped avocado.
Variations & Substitutions
- Top this creamy Mexican soup with your favorite toppings; try sour cream, black beans, or sweet corn.
- Try adding a little of your favorite hot sauce or a dash of chili powder.
- I also love adding a squeeze of lime juice, about ½ a lime, squeezed into the soup just before serving, giving the best flavor.
- Swap the heavy cream for coconut milk like several of my readers have done.
- Try with Anaheim or Hatch chile peppers too!
- Can I use cooked regular chicken breast or chicken thighs instead of rotisserie chicken? Absolutely! Shred or chop into bite-size pieces ahead of time.
- Vegetarian? Omit the chicken and swap out the chicken broth for a good vegetable broth.
Can I Swap Poblano Peppers for Other Peppers?
Yes! Anaheim chilies are the best and closest pepper to swap for Poblano peppers. I also believe that Hatch chilies would work.
I was on my 4th store to find Poblano peppers, resigned to making this recipe using Anaheim peppers, when I was surprised to find Poblano peppers at the last store I visited.
Anaheim peppers have a bit more kick, so if you are spice-sensitive, clean those seeds out well and maybe only use two peppers instead of three. They are also slightly sweeter, so keep that in mind. Now I am craving this Chile Relleno Casserole.
Roasted Poblano Soup
If you prefer to roast your peppers ahead of time, feel free to do so. Wash and dry peppers, place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in a 400°F (205°C) oven for 35-45 minutes, turning over halfway through. The skins should blacken.
Remove from oven, place charred peppers in a ziplock baggie or bowl covered with plastic wrap, and steam them for 10-15 minutes. Then slip the charred skins off (they will come off easily). Slice, deseed, and chop and add to the recipe.
Success Tips for Creamy Poblano Soup
- Sauté Aromatics First: Begin by cooking onions and garlic in butter or oil until they are soft and fragrant. Then add the poblanos (roasted or fresh). This step builds the soup’s base flavor and softens the peppers, allowing them to blend beautifully.
- Avoid Hot Pepper Hands: Trust me, you don’t want to learn the hard way! Check out my top tips when handling hot peppers.
- Choose Your Creamy Base: Want it rich and velvety? Use heavy cream or whole milk. Prefer something lighter? Half-and-half or non-dairy alternatives work, too. Pro Tip: Always add your dairy at the end and take the soup off the heat first to avoid curdling.
- Blend for the Perfect Texture: I like to use an immersion blender—it’s fast, easy, and contains the mess. If you’re using a traditional blender, let the soup cool a little and remove the vent (the little cup on top) and lay a paper towel over the top, that way the heat doesn’t cause things to erupt.
- Garnish away: This is where you get to make it your own! Shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, crispy tortilla strips, sliced radishes, avocado, roasted corn or fresh cilantro all make great toppings. And don’t forget a squeeze of lime—it adds a bright, tangy finish that takes the soup to the next level.
Storage Tips
Store any leftovers (cooled completely) in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-5 days. It may be frozen (after cooling) up to 3-6 months.
How Do I Freeze and Reheat Cream Soup?
We ate this soup so quickly, there wasn’t a question as to whether or not it would freeze, but yes, according to the original recipe, you can freeze this soup.
- Typically, soups with cream will separate when stored in the freezer, taking on a harmless curdled appearance and grainy texture.
- Optimally, thaw cream soups overnight in the refrigerator, then when you reheat, do it slowly to minimize the separation between ingredients.
- Stirring regularly, due to the higher fat content in the cream, you shouldn’t have as much of a separation problem.
The recipe adapted from Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table Volume Two is a beautiful and fun cookbook <– Here’s the link!
Tips for making Mexican chicken soup
How Do I Avoid Hot Pepper Hands?
Be cautious when cutting peppers with your bare hands. The oils from the peppers get onto the hands and may cause burning. Sometimes, especially in the winter, when your skin is dry and cracked, this burning can be intense. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do! 🙂
The Best Way to Handle Cutting Hot Peppers
- Wear gloves! I typically will wear non-latex gloves when chopping a lot of peppers, plus I wash the cutting board and knife once I am done with a little baking soda paste, and then dispose of the gloves.
- No gloves? Wash hands with soap and warm water (I suggest something even stronger, like this Salt Scrub), soap and water alone will not remove the oils.
- Next, make a paste out of baking soda and water, submerge hands in the paste, remove, and allow to dry, then wash with lukewarm water.
- I keep a tube of this Aloe Vera gel in my kitchen; it works wonders on any burns, even pepper oil burns. I have had severe stove burns that have blistered and slathered gauze with this aloe gel and the burn has all but disappeared the next day. Great stuff! Sunburns too!
- Lastly, be very, very careful if you have contact lenses and you have been handling hot peppers, I have burned my eyes more than once putting in or taking our contacts because of the residue on my hands — and it’s worth noting that you should not touch or rub your face after handling peppers.
Frequently Asked Questions
It sure is! This delicious soup is low-carb and keto-friendly.
Yes! Double-check all of your ingredients to make sure, but these ingredients are typically gluten-free.
– This Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup is NOT spicy, it has great flavor, but won’t burn your mouth!
– As a self-proclaimed spice wimp, that is always my first question! Poblano Peppers? Poblano peppers are mild, flavorful and amazingly delicious!
– If you love spicy, keep some seeds in; that will increase the heat significantly! Or dice jalapeno peppers and toss it in.
No, you don’t have to peel poblano peppers if you’re simply chopping and sautéing them—they work great as-is! However, if you roast the peppers first, peeling them is a must. The charred skin can be tough and papery, so after roasting, steam them in a covered bowl or resealable bag for about 10 minutes. This softens the skin and makes it easy to peel off before adding the peppers to your soup. Either way, your soup will turn out delicious!
Best Breads to Serve with Cream of Poblano Soup
Because every soup deserves a great bread to serve with it, try making homemade tortilla chips, honey butter rolls, basic sourdough bread or these brioche dinner rolls.
Best Sides to Serve with Chicken Poblano Soup
Serve this light soup with a salad, and call it a meal! We love this Mexican chopped salad with honey lime vinaigrette.
Try these other poblano pepper recipes.
- How about these juicy Grilled Poblano Southwest Burgers!
- My favorite hearty vegetarian soup Panera 10-Vegetable Soup with poblano chile peppers.
- And this creamy Arroz Poblano
More amazing soup recipes
I hope you loved this Chicken Poblano Soup Recipe — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
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Equipment
- All-Clad 18/10 Stainless Steel Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 4-8 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted, taste test when serving (½ – 1 stick)
- 2 cups onions diced, yellow, sweet or white onion is fine (about 1 large)
- 4 stalks celery cut into a medium dice
- 3 – 4 medium carrots diced
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 3 medium poblano peppers seeded and diced, may sub with Anaheim peppers. *See notes on handling peppers properly.
- 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 – 8 cups chicken broth 2 quarts, low sodium if desired, chicken stock fine too
- 1 – 2 cups heavy cream use less for lighter soup, more for creamier soup (may also be replaced with coconut milk, see comments)
- 3 cups shredded chicken make your own using chicken breasts and thighs or use rotisserie chicken with a blend of white and dark meat
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Optional Garnish
- Tortilla Chips or strips
- 2 – 3 Radishes sliced for garnish
- Avocado sliced or diced
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Sauté onion, celery, carrots, garlic and poblanos, stirring often until tender and lightly browning, about 12-15 minutes.4-8 tablespoons butter, 2 cups onions, 4 stalks celery, 3 – 4 medium carrots, 2 – 3 cloves garlic, 3 medium poblano peppers
- Add salt, pepper, cumin, thyme and sauté an additional 3-5 minutes, until fragrant and caramelized.1 – 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Pour in broth and cream (use less for an even lighter soup), bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, stirring often, about 15-20 minutes — this marries the flavors.6 – 8 cups chicken broth, 1 – 2 cups heavy cream
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup carefully until smooth (or use a blender, blending in batches — careful though, the heat can build when using a blender, so be sure to do in small batches, never filling more than half full, removing the lid slowly) Pour the soup back into the pot.
- Add the diced chicken to the soup and bring to a simmer for another 15-30 minutes.3 cups shredded chicken
- Before serving, stir in cilantro. Serve warm, and if desired, garnish with tortilla chips and sliced radishes and some chopped avocado.¼ cup cilantro, Tortilla Chips, 2 – 3 Radishes, Avocado
Notes
- The best way is to wear gloves! I typically will wear non-latex gloves when chopping a lot of peppers, wash the cutting board and knife once I am done with a little baking soda paste and then dispose of the gloves.
- If you cannot wear gloves, then once finished prepping the pepper. Wash hands with soap and water (I suggest something even stronger, like this Salt Scrub), soap and water alone typically will not remove the oil.
- Next, make a paste out of baking soda and water, submerge hands in the paste, remove and allow to dry, then wash with lukewarm water.
- I keep a tube of this Aloe Vera gel in my kitchen, it works wonders on any burns, even pepper oil burns. I have had severe stove burns that have blistered and slathered gauze with this aloe gel and the burn has all but disappeared the next day. Great stuff! Sunburns too!
- Lastly, be very, very careful if you have contact lenses and you have been handling hot peppers, I have burned my eyes more than once taking out contacts because of the residue on my hands — and it’s worth noting that you should not touch or rub your face after handling peppers.
Nutrition
Scott Young
Im confused on the heavy cream. The recipe says 1-2 cups. What tells me if I use 1 cup or 2 cups, or something in between? Im not sure what to do here.
The creaminess of soup is very taste and diet driven. It’s delicious with 1 cup but ultra creamy with two. So start with 1 cup and see if you like it. If not add a little more.
Vicki P
Another Keeper! This creamy soup was lovely to put together. I did “my usual swap” replacing heavy cream with (2 cans of) coconut milk (easier to have on hand) and reduced chicken broth to just 7 cups (vs. 8 cups). The soup was perfectly flavored and surprisingly not spicy!
Love your tweaks Vicki! Glad you made it yours. Thank you for your sweet comment and I agree, you would think it would be spicy, but they are such flavorful peppers!
Mary Jo
Vicki P I also reduced the chicken broth and substituted coconut milk for heavy cream. I put in a small amount of red pepper flakes to give a little kick!
Everyone voted it a keeper!!
I love your twists Mary Jo!! Yummy!
Alana
Family loved it. The suggestions for toppings were great, as well.
So glad you enjoyed it Alana!
Sierra
Can’t wait to make this this weekend! I don’t see when the carrots get added though I assume with the onions and celery. Also, wondered if putting those peppers on my smoker or broiler instead of sauté would add any depth of flavor? Any thoughts on that?
Yes, with the other veggies. I’ll have to go change that. And yes smoke or broil them that would taste great. Just peel off the charred skins before using in the soup.
Sara Welch
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a savory success! Easy to prep, smooth and delicious; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
Glad to hear that, Sara, thank you for your kind words.
Kristine
10/10 recommend. This soup was delicious – so full of flavor and I love that I can make it under 90 minutes! I’ll make this again, thanks!
Thanks so much, Kristine! So glad you loved it!
Mahy
Fabulous soup! I can’t wait for the colder days to come to try it. Yummy!
Thanks!!
Catherine
This sounds like such a wonderful soup. I love the addition of the poblanos! I know my family would love this…cannot wait to make!
Thanks, Catherine!
Tayler
I made this soup for dinner last night and it was incredible! Perfectly creamy and flavorul- thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
So glad you loved it!
Tasia
Happened to have everything I needed for this soup so it’s currently simmering {and smells so good}! It is a perfect soup for the slight chill in the air today. Also love your tip about keep aloe vera in the kitchen; I definitely need to get on that!
It’s a great “tool” or remedy to keep in your kitchen. So glad you loved the soup!
Hallie
Haven’t finished it yet in the process of making it right now. Confused on where the carrots get put in,considering they’re in the ingredients..
At the beginning with all of the other veggies, sorry it’s not in there but with the onions and peppers and such! I’ll fix that, thanks for catching that for me!
Kfh
Made this yesterday, wonderful soup. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much! So glad to share!
You are most welcome!
Danielle
Delicious and not too complicated and everyone liked it. Will be simpler next time bc it will be familiar. May add a jalapeño in w veggies or thinly sliced as a topping next time for a bit more heat. My daughter suggested a squeeze of lime and some of us did that for individual bowls and it was a great addition along w the avocado, cilantro and radishes.
For sure! Love the addition of the lime! I’ll try that next time!! Thank you Danielle!
Betsy Jones
Easy and delicious! Added about 1 tbsp. of Hatch Chile powder for heat and served with cotija cheese and garlic toast. Will definitely make this again.
Yum and bring on the heat!! Thank you so much!
Lady Di
Generally love this in restaurants. Made this with our own cooked chicken, and added queso fresco after made. Was deelish! Thanks for the recipe. Next time will add the radishes.
You will love it with the crunch of the radishes! So glad you loved it!
Aileen
Aileen
Everyone loved it! Thank you for a great recipe.
So so very glad to hear that Aileen!! Thank you for letting me know!
Michaela Kenkel
This warming soup really hit the spot this week when we spent 2 days digging out of 2 feet of snow! We all agreed this will be our new snow day favorite!
Ugh, send some of that snow our way! It’s a definite snow day soup!
Erin
So very happy that I found this soup because it is bursting with flavor! We had it for dinner tonight, and it was the perfect balance… and we all had seconds. We’ll be making this again and again while it’s cold outside.
Hostess At Heart
I absolutely loved this soup. The combination of the chicken with the creamy poblano base was amazing. I’m already craving another bowl! We’ll be making a double batch nest time.
Sandra Shaffer
We have been on a soup craze lately and added your recipe to our dinner this past weekend. Really, flavorful. We used Anaheim peppers. and kicked it to just 2 peppers as suggested. Came out perfect!
That sounds perfect Sandra! Thank you for sharing!
Patty
I made this for my family and we loved it! It has great flavor, not spicy so we added a dash of Cholula hot sauce to kick it up a notch! Delicious!