Chicken Poblano Soup is a delightfully easy soup to make and the flavors are out of this world. A creamy chicken soup with both salsa verde and red enchilada sauce come together to make a super comforting, absolutely delicious soup with warm Mexican flavors. With minimal prep, a short cook time, you'll have a cozy bowl of tasty goodness on the table in no time!
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And, if you're in the mood for more wonderful Mexican-Inspired recipes just like this, you've landed on the right perch. My Carne Guisada, Skillet Chicken Enchiladas, or Steak Tacos are just the thing!
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Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup is a flavor-bomb-hug-in-a-bowl. It is over the top good and comes together in about 30 minutes. It's great for cold days, when you're feeling a little under the weather, and is perfect when you are just craving an awesome bowl of soup.
I love to make this soup when I don't have much time and we are craving a Mexican-style chicken soup. Which is often. Anytime I can dunk a tortilla chip or add a little shredded cheese and avocado to something, count me in. This is exactly what we do here. My kids especially love dipping homemade flour tortillas in this wonderfully, creamy soup.
Make this on busy weeknights, for friends when you're having a Mexican-themed get-together, or just when you're looking for a fantastic comfort meal. Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup will check all the boxes. I promise.
What You'll Need
Avocado Oil, Onion, Poblano Pepper, Garlic - The base flavor sauté situation for this recipe.
Chicken Broth - USE A GOOD QUALITY ONE. This is a simple soup with simple ingredients. Find the best you can find or make your own.
Salsa Verde - A delicious green salsa made from poblanos that helps flavor this soup. You can find it jarred anywhere or make it yourself. It's a tangy, delicious version of a red salsa you may be more familiar with.
Red Enchilada Sauce - Again, for wonderful flavor. It's smokey and has a ton of depth of flavor. Again, you can find it in most grocery stores or make it yourself. If you do it yourself, it will take a whopping 5 minutes. You know which I prefer.
Taco Seasoning - More flavor. I have a fantastic recipe you can make at home and keep on hand for everything from tacos to nachos to burritos and soups.
Cream Cheese and Sour Cream - To make this soup luscious and creamy.
Cooked Chicken - Reach for that rotisserie chicken. Make your life easy. They're delicious, too!
Lime - For tang and to bring all the flavors together. Lime juice is an acid. Acid enhances the flavor of food. You need this.
More About Poblanos
The more I cook with poblanos, the more I love them. They have a wonderfully earthy, smokey flavor. For the very most part, they are super mild. You might get one here and there that is a bit spicy, but for the most part, they are not. My kids have no problem eating the recipes with these peppers in them.
Poblanos hail from Puebla, Mexico, and are beautifully dark green in appearance and can even be heart shaped. When they're dried, they're called ancho chilies.
No matter how you slice it, they're delicious and you should start incorporating them into your cooking.
The Importance of a Good Dutch Oven
You need a good dutch oven. That is all there is to it. It's a true workhorse in the kitchen and if you buy a good one, it'll last a lifetime. Everything from soups, to slow-braised pot roast to this Dutch Oven No Knead Bread.
I own both the Staub brand and the Le Creuset brand dutch ovens. Expensive? Yes. Will last and they back up their warranty. Yes, they do. I've had a couple cheaper versions and they have all chips and/or cracked in a few years. I recommend saving your money and investing in quality.
How To Do It
One of the many beautiful aspects of these luscious yet light, creamy soup is that it is so very simple to make. I'll give you the nuts and bolts here, but the specifics will live in the recipe card below. All you have to do is:
- Sauté the onions and peppers.
- Add in the broth and other flavor enhancers.
- Simmer.
- Add sour cream, cream cheese, and chicken.
- Finish with some lime and garnish until your heart is content.
Make it rain garnishes. Serve it however you please. A little chip and dip is my fav. Salsa Verde or Pico De Gallo is perfect here!
Serving Ideas
I am a toppings and garnish girl from wayyyyyy back. For this soup, I have a ton of ideas on what to sprinkle on top, dip with, and mix-ins.
- Shredded Cheese - I love using cheddar or pepper jack. Let it get nice and melty.
- Avocado - I don't think you can have Mexican-style soups without little cubes of avocado on the top. I think there is a law about this somewhere.
- Green Onion - I love the subtle onion flavor and slight crunch these give the soup.
- Pico De Gallo - A bright red fresh salsa brings in color, texture, and fantastic flavor!
- Cilantro leaves - I could eat a cilantro salad, so I make it rain as a topping for this soup. If you don't like them, skip this suggestion.
- Tortilla or corn chips - Serve chips on the side or ladle the soup on top of them for a lovely tortilla soup variation.
- Sour cream or crema - A dollop of either give a little creamy tang that works so very well with this recipe.
- Jalapeño or Serrano slices - If you are like me, and you love spicy, throw on a few slices of your favorite hot chili pepper!
Tips and Tricks
- Let the cream cheese hang out on the countertop for a bit before making the soup. Softened cream cheese will mix in easier.
- Cut the onions and peppers into similar small sizes so they cook more evenly.
- Serve this soup over tortilla or corn chips to create a poblano chicken tortilla soup.
- This soup will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Store this soup in the freezer, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you're ready, let it thaw out slowly in the fridge. Slowly reheat on the stovetop.
Variations and Substitutions
- Roast the poblanos before adding the soup for an amazing bump in flavor. It's not necessary, but absolutely delicious. Just toss the peppers with little bit of oil and let them blister under the broiler. Let them cool, remove the seeds, chop and add to the soup.
- Add corn or black beans to this soup for color, texture, and flavor.
- Use your favorite jarred salsa for added flavor and heat.
- If you don't have any poblanos, you can simply swap them out for canned green chilis. They work fantastic!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chicken Poblano Soup spicy?
Quick answer: It depends. In general, this soup is not spicy. However, you need to check the spice level of the Salsa Verde you are using and the heat of the actual poblano pepper. Both can be very mild, but they do make spicy Salsa Verde and once in a while, a poblano can pack a little heat. Just taste both to determine heat levels.
Tip: If you are hesitant about using poblanos, swap them for canned green chilis. They are delicious and very mild.
Do you have to peel poblano peppers for soup?
Good news. You do not have to peel poblano peppers. For this recipe, you can simply dice them up and throw them into the dutch oven and carry on! I do recommend taking out the seeds, but that is just my personal preference.
Can I roast the poblanos first?
Absolutely! Roasting poblano peppers gives them incredible flavor. All you need to do is coat them with a little avocado oil and let them blister on all sides under a broiler. You can leave the skin on or off. It doesn't matter. Just take the seeds out, chop them up, and throw them into the soup for a Roasted Poblano Chicken Soup!
What taco seasoning do I use for this recipe?
Use my recipe! I have a wonderful, pantry-staple taco seasoning blend you can make in a matter of minutes. It's fantastic for this recipe.
However, if don't feel like making your own, use your favorite store bought version. Just be careful about the salt content. I would start off using 1 tablespoon for this recipe and add more if you think you need it.
Chicken Poblano Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 med yellow onion, diced
- 3 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 5-6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3-4 cups cooked, shredded chicken I used a rotisserie chicken
- lime juice
- Avocado, Green Onion, Shredded Cheese, Fresh Cilantro, Pico De Gallo, etc. for serving
Instructions
- In a dutch oven on medium-high heat, sauté the onion and poblano peppers in a little bit of avocado oil. Once those have softened, add in the garlic, chicken broth, salsa verde, and red enchilada sauce along with the taco seasoning.
- Bring the soup mixture to a simmer and whisk in the cream cheese and sour cream.
- Once the cream cheese and sour cream have been thoroughly incorporated into the soup mix, add the shredded chicken.
- Let the chicken warm through and, as always, check to see if you need any salt or pepper. Finish with a healthy squeeze of lime.
- Add toppings of choice and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
If you guys make this Chicken Poblano Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a star rating in the recipe card below! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments! And, as always, be kind. I’m only human.
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Chicken Poblano Soup recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. It makes my heart so happy! And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
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Carol Patterson says
Soooooo good! We love how easy this is too. We serve it with chips and salsa. Perfect for busy days! I wasn’t sure about the poblanos as we have never used them before. Will be making again.
Micah J says
such a great soup with just the right amount of heat. love sopping it up with a homemade flour tortilla, good stuff!