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Chicken Poblano Soup with Corn, Black Beans and Potatoes | Umami Girl 780
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4.59 from 56 votes

Chicken Poblano Soup with Black Beans, Corn, and Potatoes

Inspired by a friend's lunch, this soup basically willed itself into being. I wasn't planning on sharing the recipe, but the very first incarnation was too good not to share.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Additional Time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Soups
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken poblano corn chowder, chicken poblano soup, corn chowder with poblanos
Servings: 6
Calories: 423kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

  • 4 medium poblano peppers
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large yellow onion diced small
  • 2 ribs celery diced small
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 pound chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes diced (no need to peel)
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder or ground carne asada seasoning
  • 10 ounces corn kernels frozen is fine
  • 1 15- ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 pint half and half
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  • Char the poblanos by placing them directly on the flames of a gas burner, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides. (If you don't have gas burners, you can char them under the broiler or on a grill.) Place charred poblanos into a large bowl, top bowl with plastic wrap or a plate that fits tightly, and let the poblanos steam until they're relatively cool. Then, using a damp paper towel or your fingers, peel off and discard the blackened skin.
  • Dice peeled poblanos, removing inner ribs and seeds.
  • In a heavy 5-quart pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened but not browned, about five minutes.
  • Stir in garlic and cook one minute more.
  • Add broth, raw chicken tenders, and potatoes to pot and raise heat to high until liquid comes to a boil. Then reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until chicken is just opaque throughout. (This should only take a few minutes.) Remove chicken to a plate or cutting board, cool slightly, and shred with two forks.
  • Add salt, cumin, and chili powder, and continue simmering until potatoes are tender.
  • Add corn and beans, along with reserved diced poblanos and shredded chicken, and simmer until warmed through.
  • Off the heat, stir in half and half, lime juice, and cilantro.

Notes

  1. Poblanos generally are not very spicy, but occasionally they can be. Taste yours once you've removed the charred skin to make sure they're about as spicy as you think they are. If they're super-hot, you can use less than the recipe calls for. If they're disappointingly mild, you can include some of the ribs and seeds in the soup to amp up the heat. (Poblanos are very flavorful even when mild, so the soup will have great flavor even without that additional heat — but just sayin.)
  2. If using chicken tenders, remove the tough white tendon before cooking, but otherwise leave them whole. If using boneless, skinless chicken breast if you like, cut into strips before cooking.
  3. Chicken poblano soup will keep for about a week in the fridge. If you plan to eat it over the course of a few days, it's a good idea to hold off on adding the lime juice and cilantro until you're ready to eat each serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.5g | Protein: 28.9g | Fat: 15.7g | Fiber: 9.1g