Tips & Tricks: Poblano Chile Soup
It’s time for this month’s top recipe and have we got a tasty one for you: Poblano Chile Soup. This is a great meal to start off fall with – savory, rich, and with a nice heat.
Thanks to M.S. Miliken, S. Feniger, and Foodnetwork.com for the great recipe.
What You’ll Need
6 Poblano Chiles
8 Cups of Corn
2 Large Onions
6 Garlic Cloves
2 Quarts of Milk
4 Tablespoons of Butter (Unsalted)
2 Bay Leaves
1 Sprig of Rosemary
1 Bunch of Chives
2 Tablespoons of Cumin Seeds
2 Teaspoons of Ground Cumin
2 Teaspoons of Salt
Let’s Get Started
Step 1 – Roast the Chiles
The first thing you need to do is roast your chiles, which you can do over a gas flame or in a broiler (or over the open flame of a barbecue if you prefer). As you roast the chiles, carefully rotate them so they gets charred evenly.
Once you’ve roasted the chiles, put them in a large plastic bag and seal it. Let the peppers sit for about 15 minutes or until they’ve cooled down. Next, peel the poblanos; you can easily pull the skin off by hand. If necessary, quickly dip the peppers in cold water to remove any black flecks. Don’t rinse the peppers, though, or you’ll quite literally wash away the flavor.
Finally, cut off the stems, remove any veins, scoop out the seeds, and dice the chiles. Ta-da! First step done.
Step 2 – Other Prep Work
First, dice the two large onions and set them aside. Make sure you have tissues.
Second, mince the garlic and set it aside as well – if you’re not a garlic fan, you can reduce the recipe from 6 to 4 cloves.
Third, slice the chives. You want these nice and thin and preferably cut on a diagonal, since they’ll be serving as the garnish.
Step 3 – Get (Nearly) Simmering
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, bay leaves, cumin seeds, and rosemary – if you don’t have a fresh sprig, you can use a 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary. Stir the ingredients together and, over a low heat, bring this all to just below a simmer.
After this, turn off the heat, set the pan aside, and let this mixture infuse for 20 minutes.
Step 4 – Saucepan v. Stockpot
Next, break out your favorite stockpot or large saucepan and put it over a medium heat. Add in the butter, let it warm up, and then add in the onions and salt. Cook the onions until they’re a lovely golden brown, which should take about 15-20 minutes.
Once the onions are looking grand, add in the ground cumin and minced garlic. Let this cook for 5 more minutes – make sure you stir frequently. Finally, add in the chiles and corn, bring the heat down to a low setting, and cook for five more minutes. Like before, make sure you keep stirring.
Step 5 – A Bit of a Strain
Grab a fine strainer and strain the milk into the corn/chile combo. Mix this together and set it all to simmer – very slowly, mind you – for 15 minutes.
Step 6 – It’s Quite a Process
Break out the food processor, pour in about a third of the soup, and puree it. Pour this now-smooth soup back into the pot and mix it with the non-pureed chiles and corn.
Step 7 – Eat Up!
Finally – time to eat. Pour out the soup, add the chives as garnish, maybe add a small dollop of sour cream, and enjoy!
Thanks again to M.S. Miliken, S. Feniger, and Foodnetwork.com for the great recipe. Be sure to check out their original recipe and look at their other great meal ideas.
