Chile Relleno Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Place the chiles on a foil-lined broiler pan; broil, turning, until the skins char, about 8 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool, about 10 minutes.
• Peel the chiles. Slice each open lengthwise, about 1/2 inch from the top to 1 inch from the bottom. Remove the seedpod, then rinse to flush out any remaining seeds. Blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Carefully stuff each chile with a stick of cheese.
• Puree the tomatoes, onion and garlic in a blender until smooth. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add the tomato puree, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cilantro sprig and fry, stirring, until thick, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broth, reduce the heat and simmer until thickened but still brothy, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt. Strain, discarding the solids, and keep warm.
• Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat 1 to 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360. Beat the egg whites, 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon salt with a mixer until stiff but not dry. Beat the yolks in a separate bowl until combined, then gently fold them into the whites.
• Overlap the sides of the slit in the chiles to enclose the cheese, then dredge in flour, working with two chiles at a time. (Coat any tears with flour.) Using tongs, dip and roll the chiles in the egg mixture to coat. Fry in the hot oil until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer with a large skimmer or 2 spatulas to the paper-towel-lined baking sheet, letting the excess oil drip back into the pot. Repeat with the remaining chiles and egg mixture. Place in the oven on the lined baking sheet to cook off any excess oil, about 5 minutes.
• Ladle the tomato broth into 4 shallow bowls; place 2 chiles in each. Garnish with cilantro.

Steps:

• Clean and dry the poblano chiles. Places them on a cookie sheet covered in foil. Place under the broiler for 5 minutes. Turn the chiles over and broil for another 5 minutes. Chiles should be roasted with black skin. Remove from the oven and place the chiles in a sealable plastic bag. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cilantro. Cook for about 3 minutes.
• Add the ½ cup of flour to the saucepan and stir to coat the veggies. Cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the chicken broth, cream, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer.
• Once the chiles have cooled to the touch, remove from the plastic bag. Cut off the top, remove the seeds, and then remove the skin. (I found it easiest to use a paring knife to remove the skin).
• Set one of the chiles aside for the chile relleno topping. Chop up the other 4 chiles and add to the soup. Allow the soup to continue simmering approximately 15-20 minutes.
• While the soup simmers make the chile relleno topping. Slice the remaining chile in half (should already have the seeds and skin removed). This will give you two large pieces of chile.
• Set up two small bowls. Using the two eggs separate so that whites are in one bowl and yolks are in the second bowl. Beat the egg whites for about a minute and add the 2 tablespoons of flour. In the other bowl beat the egg yolks. Set up a small frying pan and heat the cooking oil over medium heat. Dip one of the chile slices into the egg yolk, then into the egg white/flour mixture. Add to the cooking oil and fry on each side about 1-2 minutes until golden. Repeat with the other chile slice.
• Just before serving the soup, add ½ cup of shredded Jack cheese and stir until completely melted. Serve the soup into bowls, top with the chile relleno and extra shredded jack cheese. You can place the bowls under the broiler if desired to melt the cheese on top, however, this step is not required.

Steps:

• Char the chiles.
• Turn a gas burner on high. Char the chiles on the burner grate, turning with tongs (Marcela is a pro and uses her hands!), until blackened all over. Or char the chiles under the broiler.
• Let them soften.
• Transfer the charred chiles to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and close. Let stand 10 minutes. The chiles will steam in the bag, making them soft and easy to peel.
• Remove the skin.
• Gently rub the chiles with paper towels to remove as much skin as possible. It's okay if a few flecks remain-they'll add flavor, so don't rinse them off.
• Open the chiles.
• Using a paring knife, make a slit across the top of a chile just below the stem, leaving the stem intact. Starting from the middle of the slit, slice lengthwise down to the tip of the pepper (cut through only one layer). Open the chile like a book and pull out the seeds and inner membranes. You may need to use a paring knife to loosen the top of the seedpod. Repeat with the remaining chiles.
• Prepare the sauce.
• Puree the tomatoes, onion and garlic in a blender until smooth. Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomato puree and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; the sauce will be broth-y. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
• Make the filling.
• Place the cheese in a bowl, then add the oregano, crumbling and rubbing it with your fingers to release its flavor. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the chiles.
• Fill each chile with about 1/4 cup cheese mixture. Fold in the sides to cover the filling, then thread 2 toothpicks across the seam to form an X. You will probably need to make a second toothpick X to secure each chile so the filling doesn't leak out when you fry.
• Mix the batter.
• Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and beat 3 more minutes.
• Batter and fry.
• Heat about 1 inch vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
• Dredge: Pour flour into a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. One at a time, coat the stuffed chiles with the flour.
• Batter: Holding each chile by the stem, lower it into the egg batter to cover completely. Let any excess batter drip off.
• Fry: Add the chiles to the hot oil, 1 or 2 at a time; fry, flipping once with tongs, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Eat!
• Place a fried chile on each plate and pour the warm sauce over it. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Roast poblano peppers until skin is charred and blistered. You can do this over the open flame on a gas stove, or by heating your broiler to high and placing poblanos within a few inches of the broiler (turning to get all sides charred).
• Place poblanos in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool, then rub skin to remove as much as possible. Cut out seeds and then place in a food processor or blender to finely chop. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and poblanos and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in chicken broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add chicken pieces and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Add cream cheese and two cups of the cheddar cheese and whisk until smooth.
• To serve, divide into 6 bowls and sprinkle each with 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Sit briefly under the broiler until cheese is melted and browned (this step is optional but OH SO GOOD!).