Description
This hearty Chicken Poblano Soup combines tender chicken breast with smoky poblano peppers, black beans, corn, and a creamy blend of cheeses and seasonings for a flavorful and comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- ½ cup beer
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce (Frank’s preferred)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup chunky salsa
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.25 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- ⅓ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
Seasonings
- ¾ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare Seasoning and Ingredients: Combine chili powder, mustard powder, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients to have everything ready before cooking.
- Season Chicken: Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and 1½ teaspoons of the seasoning mixture each side.
- Sear Chicken: Heat avocado oil in a 4.5-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden crust forms. Remove chicken and let rest for 10 minutes, then shred or dice. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage.
- Deglaze Pot: Add beer to the pot and reduce heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to scrape and loosen any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pot. Let the beer reduce by half, about 3-4 minutes.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add butter and diced onion to the pot and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add diced poblano peppers and minced garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add Flavorings: Stir in tomato paste, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and remaining seasoning mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add Soup Base: Pour in chunky salsa, black beans, corn, chicken broth, and crumble the chicken bouillon cube. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
- Cook Chicken & Cream Cheese: Add shredded chicken back into the soup along with the cream cheese. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and cream cheese is fully melted and incorporated.
- Finish and Serve: Reduce heat to low, sprinkle in shredded Monterey Jack cheese, stirring to melt slightly. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
- Use 2 cups leftover or rotisserie chicken in place of fresh chicken, adding it when the shredded chicken is added back to the soup.
- If you prefer no beer, substitute chicken or beef broth for deglazing.
- An undrained can of Rotel tomatoes can replace salsa if needed, though salsa provides better flavor.
- Using tomato paste from tubes allows for easy and accurate measuring.
- Frank's Hot Sauce provides mild heat, adjust amount to taste.
- Shredded cheese from a block melts better and tastes fresher than pre-shredded varieties.
- Philadelphia cream cheese from a tub melts most smoothly.
- Worcestershire sauce adds umami, hot sauce enhances flavors, mustard powder adds tang, and honey can balance acidity if desired.
- Crock Pot method: Skip searing and deglazing. Add all ingredients except corn, beans, cream cheese, shredded cheese, and cilantro to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Then shred chicken, add corn and beans, stir in cream cheese, then cheese and cilantro off heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
