Easy Creamy Chicken Poblano Pepper Soup Recipe

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.

I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!

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. 
• Onions, Celery & Carrots | Use yellow, white or Vidalia sweet onions, make sure to chop them, but 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. *See note above on handling peppers properly.
• Spices | We’ll use kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, and thyme in this easy recipe. 
• Chicken Broth | Use chicken stock or broth, just taste for saltiness and adjust seasonings accordingly; I used organic
• Heavy Cream | a low carb lovers dream, but this is not a heavy soup, trust me!
• Shredded Chicken | Make your own using chicken breasts or chicken thighs 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
• Radishes | I am not a radish lover, but truly this adds amazing crunch and complimentary flavor! (optional)
• Tortilla Chips | Add some tortilla strips or chips for the ultimate Mexican soup.
• Sliced Avocado | creamy and delicious as a garnish on the soup

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

Top this creamy Mexican soup with your favorite toppings; try some sour cream, some black beans, or a cup of 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.

Can I Swap Poblano Peppers for Other Peppers?

Yes! Anaheim chili’s are the best and closest pepper to swap for Poblano peppers, I also believe that Hatch chili’s would work. 

I was hitting my 4th store to find Poblano peppers, when I was resigned to making this recipe using Anaheim peppers, and to my surprise, the last store I visited had Poblano’s! 

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 in a ziplock baggie or bowl covered with plastic wrap, steaming 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. 

Substitutions

• Can I substitute 1% or fat-free milk for the heavy cream? I would not recommend it, you can try using whole milk or 2% at the most, but the soup will not have the same flavor and depth. But hey, this is your soup, so do what you prefer!
• Can I use cooked regular chicken breast or thighs instead of rotisserie chicken? Absolutely! Shred or chop into bite-size pieces ahead of time. 
• Vegetarian? | Well why not, omit the chicken and perhaps try tofu or other plant-based protein and swap out the chicken broth for a good vegetable broth. 

Success Tips for Creamy Poblano Soup

• Roast the Peppers: I’m a simple girl, so I skip roasting in this recipe. But if you love that smoky flavor, it’s easy to do! Just pop your poblanos over a gas flame, under the broiler, or on a grill. Turn them occasionally until the skin is blistered and blackened. Then, seal them in a bowl with plastic wrap or in a resealable bag for about 10 minutes—this traps the steam and makes peeling off the skin a breeze. Once peeled, chop them up and add them to the soup as directed.
• Sauté Aromatics First: Start with onions and garlic cooked in butter or oil until they’re soft and fragrant. Then add the poblanos (roasted or fresh). This step builds the soup’s base flavor and softens the peppers so they blend beautifully.
• Avoid Hot Pepper Hands: Trust me, you don’t want to learn the hard way! The oils from poblanos can stick to your skin and cause burning, especially if your hands are dry. To avoid this:
  • Wear gloves while cutting peppers.
  • Wash your hands well with dish soap and cool water afterward.
  • If the oils still bother you, scrub your hands with a baking soda paste or soak them in milk to ease the sting.
• 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 make sure the lid is vented so the steam doesn’t create a blender disaster.
• Top It Off with Flavor: This is where you get to make it your own! Shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, crispy tortilla strips, 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 in them will separate when freezing, 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 in this soup, 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 Creamy Poblano Soup

How Do I Avoid Hot Pepper Hands? 

Be careful anytime you are 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

• The best way is to 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

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 or these simple honey butter rolls, or these brioche dinner rolls. Or one of these favorites below:

Best Sides to Serve with Chicken Poblano Soup

Serve this light soup with a salad, and call it a meal! You will be so satisfied, below are a few of our favorite salad recipes.

Try these other poblano pepper recipes

• How about these juicy Grilled Poblano Southwest Burgers!
• My favorite hearty vegetarian soup is this Panera 10-Vegetable Soup with poblano chile peppers.
• And this creamy Arroz Poblano

More amazing soup recipes

• Cream of Asparagus Soup
• Easy Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup Recipe (with Fresh Basil or Dill)
• Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
• Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup

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!