You won’t want to skip on this hearty and delicious chicken poblano soup made with freshly roasted poblano peppers, corn and shredded chicken in a flavorful southwestern broth. Easy prep and storage so you have soup for days!

The BEST Chicken Poblano Soup

By now most of you know that I’m the self-dubbed soup queen. I have more soup recipes on the blog than any other types of recipes. I LIVE for soup season and honestly just have an intuitive sense when it comes to putting together the flavors in soup.

This Chicken Poblano Soup is no exception. I had a version at a restaurant a few weeks ago and while I enjoyed it, I found it a little heavy on the cream and butter. It didn’t really allow the southwestern flavor to shine and especially the roasted poblano peppers. I knew I wanted to recreate my own version at home.

But first, what is chicken poblano soup? Chicken poblano soup is a kind of Mexican or Southwestern-inspired chicken soup recipe. It features flavorful ingredients like roasted poblano peppers, corn and shredded chicken with a variety of other ingredients. It is typically made with a chicken stock-based broth with classic Mexican spices and sometimes is paired with butter and heavy cream for a thicker soup.

My version leaves out the butter and cream and instead thickens the broth with a little bit of flour. This helps the fresh ingredients to really shine. Enjoy!

Ingredients in Poblano Soup

• Olive oil – I use olive oil in this recipe in place of butter. Feel free to sub in butter if you prefer.
• Yellow onion – you can also use white onion if that’s what you have
• Garlic cloves – ideally freshly minced garlic
• Fresh poblano peppers – You can find these at most grocery stores with the bell peppers. They typically are not spicy but feel free to remove the seeds if you prefer.
• Red bell pepper -or whatever bell pepper color you have.
• Celery stalks- this adds some nice crunch to the soup
• Corn kernels – I use frozen corn kernels but you can use fresh or canned as well
• Spices – chili powder, dried cumin, salt and pepper.
• Flour – I use regular all-purpose flour but you can use gluten-free flour if you want to keep this poblano soup gluten-free.
• Chicken stock – you could also use veggie stock or beef broth.
• Chicken breasts – chicken thighs also work, just be sure to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
• Lime juice – from fresh limes, ideally.

How to Make Chicken Poblano Soup

STEP 1: ROAST POBLANOS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spread out poblano peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until lightly charred on the outside. Remove from oven and allow to cool so peppers can easily be handled. Use a knife to chop off stems and remove seeds. Dice remaining poblano flesh and set aside.

STEP 2: COOK VEGGIES + SPICES

To a large soup pot or Dutch oven add your remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add yellow onion and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic cloves, red bell pepper, celery stalks and corn kernels and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Stir in chopped poblanos, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add in flour and a 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Stir until a thick liquidy base is formed.

STEP 3: POACH CHICKEN + SHRED

Add in remaining chicken stock and chicken breasts. Bring soup to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Poach chicken in soup for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Using kitchen tongs remove chicken from soup and place on a cutting board. Shred chicken using two forks and then add back into soup.

STEP 4: ASSEMBLE SOUPS

Squeeze in lime juice and any additional salt and pepper, as needed. Top with desired toppings and serve.

Storage Instructions + Freezing

Soups are the best because you can make them in big batches and freeze leftovers!

In the Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat leftover soup on stovetop or in microwave.

In the Freezer: Freeze in airtight containers (you’ll likely want multiple) for up to 6 months. Allow to thaw on countertop for several hours or overnight in the fridge. Reheat in microwave or on stovetop.

FAQs

Is this Chicken Poblano Soup Spicy? I personally do not find it very spicy. Poblanos typically are not very spicy so any spice that comes through is probably from your chili powder or the odd extra spicy poblano so just be sure to use a mild chili powder if you’re sensitive to spice.

Can I use rotisserie chicken? Yes! You can absolutely just add rotisserie chicken to the last few minutes of cooking rather than poaching your chicken in the soup. Both are great options and lead to a delicious soup.

Can I make this soup vegan? Yes you can. Just omit the chicken and replace the chicken broth with veggie broth. I would recommend adding in a plant-based protein like black beans to build out the soup otherwise it might be a little liquidy.

Is this Chicken Poblano Soup gluten-free? Technically it isn’t because I use flour to thicken the broth, however if you are gluten-free you can just use gluten-free flour instead.

Toppings for Chicken Poblano Soup

• Tortilla strips – If you can’t find tortilla strips you can make your own or just use crushed up tortilla chips.
• Shredded cheese – I like using sharp cheddar or pepper jack cheese.
• Fresh cilantro – or whatever fresh herbs you prefer.
• Sour cream – just a dollop goes a long way. You could also use Greek yogurt for some tanginess.
• Sliced radishes – for garnish and a little crunch
• Lime juice – add directly to the soup or leave a little wedge on top of each bowl for individual squeezing.
• Fresh avocado – cubed or sliced, as desired.

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