Roasted Poblano-Cream Soup
This chile pepper is often mislabeled ‘Pasilla’, which is a different pepper entirely.It is one of the most popular chiles in Mexico and has won the appreciation of many a chef worldwide because of the superior flavor it has over regular bell peppers.
They have a tough outer skin that usually requires roasting and peeling before use. These very large chile peppers are most popular in chiles rellenos recipes, but cooking with these as a substitute for bell peppers in any recipe will enhance the flavor.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds roasted poblano chiles
2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) butter
1-1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup (or more) whipping cream
Instructions:
Melt the butter in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chiles and saute for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chiles are very tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in the cilantro, parsley and mint. Working in batches, puree the soup in blender. Return the soup to the pot and mix in 1/4 cup of cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more cream if soup is very spicy. Yields 6 servings.
Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine, September 2004.