This Cream of Green Chile Soup is based on one served at Duarte's Tavern in Pescadero, California. Duarte's is also famous for their Cream of Artichoke Soup, and for the indecisive among us they are willing to give you a bowl with half artichoke and half green chile. The amount of cream in this recipe may scare some people. I'm not usually one for adding so much cream to soups, but this Cream of Green Chile Soup is so greatly improved and transformed by the creamy addition that I put in the full amount. Try it with less, if you must.
Serve Cream of Green Chile Soup with bread, warm corn tortillas, or tortilla chips.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 20 fresh, mild large green chiles (Hatch chiles are great here, but any poblano works)
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt plus more to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (Homemade Chicken Broth is a great addition to this soup)
- 1 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
- Roast and peel chiles using either the stove-top method or the broiler method. After peeling, put chiles in a large bowl to collect any juices.
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat,melt the butter. Add onions and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, another minute or so until the mixture is very fragrant.
- Add chiles and broth (3 cups for a thicker soup, 4 cups for a thinner soup) to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until vegetables are extremely soft and flavors have blended, about 15 minutes.
- Whirl mixture in a blender or food processor until super smooth. Whirl at least 2 minutes (this may seem like a long time) to achieve a velvety texture.
- Return mixture to pot and stir in cream. Gently heat until mixture is heated through. Add more salt to taste, if you like.
Makes 4 servings Cream of Green Chile Soup.
