Roasted Poblano Pepper and Corn Soup is mellow, sweet from the corn, and spicy with chile peppers; one of my favorites especially served with some fried tortilla strips.
I can't believe it's been six years since I first posted this Roasted Poblano Pepper and Corn Soup and admit I forgot about it. Now that I've got some fresh chiles and great corn on the cob; I needed to make it again and even more than that, I needed new photos.
Most of the posts I did within the past 6-8 years pass muster even if I'm not crazy about all of them but the originals for this post disappointed me from the getgo so it was time. All it took was a cloudy day and I was never quite happy with the outcome. So new photos, a reminder of a favorite soup and trust me, you'll be glad I'm reminding you too. Has to be my favorite end of summer soup!
I first had this recipe at a neighbor's home and asked her to share the recipe. She claimed it was not hers per se; knowing how I acknowledge authors when I use their work. She also had no idea where it came from. So thanks to the mystery writer, we LOVE this soup!
Last week it was more of the same in my kitchen, I had just purchased both Poblano Peppers and fresh Corn on the Cob the day before when I was shopping at Sprouts Market. It wasn't until the next day that a light bulb went off and I remembered that I wanted to make this soup again. I should make gallons and sell it, it is that good!
I had purchased two Poblano, two Jalapeno and one Serrano pepper and thought the combination of the three would be perfect. My plan was to cut the original recipe that called for 6 Poblano chiles in half and my motley crew seemed a good equivalent but with the addition of a bit of heat. A bit? A lot actually.
The heat was tempered by the addition of a dollop of sour cream in the garnish but I've removed the Serrano pepper from the recipe...that was a spicy meatball! If you want to make this soup with all Poblano pepper and no heat at all; use three total and forget the Jalapeno too...but I think without the Serrano pepper it will be quite tempered enough for most tastes.
If, on the other hand, you like things a bit spicier...do Serrano for sure; it's not blistering hot but I knew my crew would prefer it without.
All peppers are rated with a Scoville Heat Index and the Poblano is certainly one of the mildest. The Jalapeno and Serrano peppers fall into the same category but with a range between 5,000 and 15,000 units. That's about the limit on my spectrum. I do not recommend substituting a Ghost Pepper; do so at your own risk!
Pasilla; Mulato; Ancho; Poblano; Espanola; Pulla
1,500 - 2,500 Scoville Units
Yellow Wax; Serrano; Jalapeno; Guajillo; Mirasol
5,000 - 15,000 Scoville Units
Red Savina Habanero; Chocolate Habanero; Indian Tezpur; Scotch Bonnet;
Orange Habanero; Fatali; Devil Toung; Kumataka; Datil; Birds Eye; Jamaican Hot
350-855,000 Scoville Units
Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia aka Naga Jolokia);
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (hottest to date at almost 2.1 million SHU
855,000-2,100,000 Scoville Units
Have I hold you (maybe a bazillion times?) how I used to remove jalapenos from fajitas; how the thought of them made me hyperventilate? Admittedly my hatred of green bell peppers from my Midwestern childhood added to that caution but I have to take some blame because I presumed they all sort of tasted alike but that heat thing played a part too.
From Missouri to the rolling hills of North Carolina and the land of grits, cornbread and shrimp but not much heat, I was not prepared for Mexican inspired fare and I laugh now but by Mexican fare I meant Chili's. Fast forward a few years and an amazing baked Chile Relleno Casserole that I had at a Super Bowl party and everything changed. Thankfully because I would have missed soups like this.
Did you also know that soups like this Roasted Poblano Pepper and Corn Soup with some heat can actually help to make you feel cooler in the summer? Or I think I read that somewhere...I'm just trying to convince you to try this if it's still warm in your neck of the woods. If a chill is starting to set in at night, even better!!
Have you seen the viral video of this adorable little boy? He actually gave an interview about the corn he was eating, the fellow on the left set part of it to music and now it's an earworm all over the world!
My soup is garnished with some sour cream, cilantro and fried tortilla strips. I've found some raw tortillas at Costco that I typically heat in a skillet and use for quesadillas that were perfect for the tortilla strips but try at your own risk, do not do what I did! I so seldom fry anything and maybe my latest experience is why.
I put the pan with some oil on the stove and walked out on my back porch for a minute. Which meant when I noticed that a potted plant needed watering I took care of it and several more...until I heard the smoke alarms in my house going off!
Luckily not a lot of smoke really and no fire, thankfully, so I was lucky but I'm thinking better to recommend some packaged chips? Or at the very least a much more attentive cook; don't be like Barb and walk away and get distracted, please!
A really delicious and easy to make soup; now is the perfect time no matter where you live!