Green Chile Tomatillo Soup

By
Molly Watson
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
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Updated on 09/27/20
Green Chile Tomatillo Soup

Molly Watson 

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Fresh, roasted green chiles and roasted skinned tomatillos make a lightly spicy and luscious pureed soup all on their own. Add a bit of potato and/or cream to make this soup thicker or creamier as you see fit (instructions included!).

This soup makes a great starter to any Mexican or Southwest meal, or lunch or light dinner all on its own with a green salad and some toasted corn tortillas or corn tortilla chips.

Ingredients

  • 12 fresh mild green chiles (such as Hatch chiles)
  • 8 fresh tomatillos
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable (or olive oil)
  • 1 medium onion ( chopped)
  • 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 6 cups chicken broth ​(or vegetable broth)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)
  • Optional: 1 medium potato (peeled and chopped, for a thicker soup)
  • Optional: 1/4 cup heavy cream (for a creamier soup)
  • Optional: cilantro (chopped)

Steps to Make It

  1. Roast and peel chiles (use either the stovetop method or broiler method). Remove papery skins from tomatillos. With the stove flame or oven broiler still on, roast the tomatillos until lightly blistered. Set aside until cool enough to handle and peel off as much of the skin as possible.

  2. In a medium pot, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chiles, tomatillos, broth, salt, and potato, if using. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes to thoroughly cook vegetables and blend flavors.

  3. Whirl, in batches, if necessary, in a blender or food processor until very smooth (you can also use a hand-held blender if you have one). Add cream, if using. Add more salt to taste.

  4. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro, if you like.

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
248 Calories
7g Fat
40g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 248
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 10%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 1304mg 57%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 7g 23%
Protein 10g
Calcium 128mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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