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.
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.
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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.