Description
This Chile Relleno Soup with Cheddar and Cream Cheese is a creamy, comforting Mexican-inspired dish featuring roasted poblano peppers, tender chicken, and a rich blend of cheeses. The peppers are charred for smoky depth, then combined with spiced chicken broth and smooth cream cheese, finished with melted cheddar under the broiler for a satisfying finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Peppers and Aromatics
- 4 medium poblano peppers
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
Soup Base & Protein
- 4 cups chicken bone broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 slices cheddar or pepper jack cheese (thin sandwich slices, 3/4 ounce each)
Instructions
- Roast Poblanos: Roast the poblano peppers over an open flame on a gas stove or under a high broiler, turning frequently until the skin is charred and blistered on all sides for smoky flavor.
- Cool and Prep Peppers: Place roasted peppers in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let cool, then rub off as much skin as possible. Remove seeds and finely chop the peppers using a food processor or blender; set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic, ground cumin, and chopped poblanos; cook about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Broth and Chicken: Pour in chicken bone broth, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Add chicken pieces and cook until fully cooked, around 10 minutes.
- Make Cheese Mixture: In the food processor used for poblanos, combine cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and about 1 cup of hot soup broth (avoiding chicken pieces). Blend until smooth. Stir this creamy cheese mixture back into the soup.
- Broil Cheese Topping: Preheat the broiler. Ladle soup into individual ovenproof bowls. Top each with a slice of cheddar or pepper jack cheese. Place bowls under the broiler about 6 inches from heat source until cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly browned, about 2-4 minutes.
Notes
- To easily remove pepper skins, placing roasted poblanos in a sealed bowl or bag while still warm helps loosen skin.
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs for juicier meat; breasts work well too if preferred.
- If you don’t have chicken bone broth, regular chicken broth can be substituted, but bone broth adds richer flavor.
- Adjust salt and pepper according to taste, especially after adding the cheese mixture.
- Use ovenproof bowls for broiling to safely melt the cheese topping.
