Chile Relleno Soup with Chicken
Posted: 09/21/2020
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Creamy, with just a touch of heat, chile relleno soup with chicken will warm you up from the inside out. If you love chiles rellenos, cheese stuffed poblano peppers, you’ll love this soup.
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Early fall is a great time to make this chile relleno soup. Those of you lucky enough (or should I say hard-working enough) to have a garden, have been harvesting ripe peppers from your vegetable patch. Even if you don’t garden, poblano peppers are in plentiful supply at farm markets and the grocery store. Homemade chile relleno soup is a delicious way to use some of those peppers.
I just love chiles rellenos. Peppers stuffed with cheese! Okay, I admit I like anything stuffed with cheese, I mean, who doesn’t? One of my favorite appetizers is sweet mini peppers stuffed with cheese. So addicting, I could eat the whole batch.
Chile relleno soup with chicken perfectly combines roasted poblano peppers, creamy cheese, and tender chunks of chicken into a soup that is equally as addicting. Perfect for a fall night!
About this soup
Chile relleno soup is easy to make. You get all the flavor of cheesy stuffed peppers without the hassle of stuffing the peppers. I also add chicken to the soup for more protein, making this a main course soup. Serve it with soft tortillas or tortilla chips and mango slaw for a fantastic dinner.
Roast the poblanos first for the best flavor. There are four easy ways to roast poblano peppers. The peppers can be roasted up to a few days ahead of time and refrigerated. Roast a few extra to make delicious poblano queso dip!
While the peppers are roasting and cooling, get started on the soup. Sauté the chicken and onions in a good-sized pot, then add the garlic and cumin and sizzle for a minute. Add the flour and cook for two minutes. Pour in the broth and start to simmer your soup. Meanwhile, skin and chop the poblanos, which should be cool enough to handle by now, throw them in the pot, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Almost ready to serve dinner? Stir in cream cheese and cilantro, and gently continue to stir and heat the soup. Serve immediately. Garnish each bowl with shredded Cheddar cheese and additional cilantro. I bet you can hardly wait!
FAQs
Are chile rellenos bad for you?
Just to clarify, chile rellenos are popular in Mexican cuisine. Poblano peppers are stuffed with cheese or meat, coated in an egg white batter and deep fried. There are many variations.
Poblano peppers are actually quite good for you, like most peppers are. It’s the cheese, breading, and deep frying that can add lots of calories and fat, making chile rellenos fall in the category of “treat” rather than every day fare.
Why do you have to peel chile rellenos?
I’m assuming that you mean poblano peppers from which the chile rellenos are made. Poblanos are mild in flavor and can be eaten fresh without the need to peel them. When you roast poblanos, the outer skin becomes tough and papery and is hard to digest. It’s easy to remove the skins after the peppers are roasted — they slip off easily.
Which is hotter: anaheim or poblano pepper?
Both peppers are in the mid-range, 1200-1500 on the Scoville scale. I’ve found that poblanos (and jalapeños, too) can vary quite a bit in heat. Sometimes they are very mild with almost no heat, and sometimes they are quite hot. There’s really no way to tell ahead of time (that I know of) so a taste test is probably the best way to determine how spicy a pepper is.
Make It Your Own
- Sub in a different type of pepper. While chiles rellenos are traditionally made with poblano peppers, you could use other varieties such as Hatch peppers. Bell peppers are good, too, especially if you don’t like spicy food.
- Add corn or potatoes: Add a cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels to the soup. Simmer a couple of chopped Russet potatoes in the broth until tender.
- Make it vegetarian: Chile relleno soup can be a delicious vegetarian soup, too. Just omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Make it gluten-free: Thicken the soup with cornstarch instead of flour.
- Add bacon: Sauté chopped bacon in the pan until crisp, remove the bacon, and then sauté the onions and chicken in the bacon grease. Crumble the bacon and add it as a garnish or stir it into the soup. Another option would be to just use bacon and leave out the chicken.
- Make it in your slow cooker: Leave the chicken breasts whole. Use chopped peppers, no need to roast them. Put all the ingredients except the cream cheese and cheddar cheese into the slow cooker. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken, shred it, and put it back in. Take some of the soup out, blend it with the cream cheese until it melts, and stir the mixture back into the crockpot.
- Rather not have a creamy soup? Try this delicious chicken tortilla soup!
- Looking for a less spicy soup? Creamy chicken rice soup is comforting and easy on the stomach.
Storage & Reheating Tips
I LOVE chile relleno soup leftover. I can’t believe how much I look forward to eating this soup the next day for lunch! Make a double batch if you want so you’ll have plenty of leftovers.
Store leftover soup, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Gently reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Try not to let the soup come to a boil because that may cause the soup to separate. The emphasis is on “gently” reheat!
Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this soup recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #27. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!
We’ll be adding a new meal plan weekly. If you’re interested, browse all of our meal plans.
More Recipes With Peppers
Do you love peppers? So flavorful, low calorie, and nutritious, peppers are perfect for healthy entrees. Try a few of my favorites:
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole (all the flavor of stuffed peppers, but in an easy casserole)
- Southwestern Stuffed Peppers with Chicken and Quinoa
- Pepperoni Pizza Stuffed Peppers
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (with rice, beans, and cheese)
- One Pan Sausage and Rice with Sweet Peppers
- Sheet Pan Fajitas with Chicken or Shrimp Sheet Pan Fajitas
- Green Chile Chicken Quinoa Casserole
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Creamy, with just a touch of heat, chile relleno soup with chicken will warm you up from the inside out. If you love chiles rellenos, cheese stuffed poblano peppers, you'll love this soup.
Ingredients
- 6 poblano chiles
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (see note)
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 1 cup diced onion (about 1 large onion)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
- ¼ cup minced cilantro, additional for serving
- Shredded cheddar cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Place whole poblano peppers on a baking sheet (line with foil for easy clean-up) and roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until skins are blackened, flipping once.
- Place peppers in a plastic bag, or a bowl covered with plastic wrap, and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken, onion, salt, and black pepper and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onions are translucent.
- Add garlic and cumin and cook for one minute, stirring, until fragrant.
- Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Once chiles have cooled, remove skin, stem, and seeds. Dice the flesh of the peppers and add to soup.
- Simmer soup for 20 to 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream cheese and cilantro, stirring to melt cream cheese.
- Serve topped with cilantro and cheddar cheese.
Notes
- If desired, substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for the breasts.
- Slow Cooker: Leave the chicken breasts whole. Use chopped peppers, no need to roast them. Put all the ingredients except the cream cheese and cheddar cheese into the slow cooker. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken, shred it, and put it back in. Take some of the soup out, blend it with the cream cheese until it melts, and stir the mixture back into the crockpot.
- Make Ahead Tips: Poblanos can be roasted ahead and stored in the refrigerator up to three days. If desired, rotisserie chicken or already cooked chicken can be substituted for the chicken breast.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 446kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 46g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 137mg, Sodium: 656mg, Potassium: 1266mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1164IU, Vitamin C: 149mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 2mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Maggie says
Wow this is good. The instructions for roasting the poblanos were on point (easy). I added mushrooms to the soup for some low cal bulk. I used neufchatel cheese. This will be in regular rotation.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you enjoyed it! Mushrooms are a great addition!
MLT says
Thank you for this recipe! It was so good with just the right amount of heat! And it’s perfect for this cold TX weekend.
I had to make substitutions because I’m currently on the Daniel Fast, but I don’t think I lost any flavor.
Chicken = mushrooms
Chicken broth = vegetable broth
Cream cheese = cashew cheese
And I added riced cauliflower.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
D says
Yum! My husband and I loved it! We added some lime juice. Will make again!
Rachel Gurk says
Lime juice is a great addition! I’m glad you liked it, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Sara says
What can you sub for the cream cheese? We can’t do dairy? I was thinking coconut cream but I’m not sure what the measurement would be?
On a side note we use your homemade seasonings all the time and love them!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad you like the homemade seasonings! I’m not sure about coconut cream…I don’t know if the flavor would work well with the poblanos. I think the soup would taste good without it. You could also puree a can of white beans (great northern or cannellini) really well with either an immersion blender, blender, or food processor, and stir those in for creaminess. It’s a great hack and adds extra protein, too!
Angie says
Made it twice so far and added a jalapeño the second time for a bit of spice. Any chance you could convert to Instant Pot recipe?
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you like it! In the Instant Pot, I’d probably do it similar to this chicken noodle soup recipe. You could even put the chicken in whole and shred it after it cooks. If you cube it first, you can probably reduce the cooking time a little bit. Add the cream cheese and cilantro when it’s done cooking and still on warm. I hope that helps!
Becky says
Delicious! I made it on the stovetop but did not roast the peppers, like you suggested if making in a Crockpot. This is definitely a keeper!
Rachel Gurk says
Awesome! Glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot to me.
denise says
looks like a tasty treat for fall
Rachel Gurk says
It really is – warms you from the inside out!
MARY CATHERINE MCCORMICK says
Just thought can u make a printer or snap shot friendly version of recipe
Hard to copy to save
Looks delish
Rachel Gurk says
Hi! If you go to the recipe card, you’ll see a “print” button which should make printing super easy. I hope that helps!