Poblano Chile Pepper Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill the poblanos skin-side down until blistering, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• While the poblanos are cooling, spray the grill pan with nonstick cooking spray and grill the Cotija cheese on all sides until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Cube the cheese and reserve for garnish.
• Remove and discard the blistered skin from the poblanos. Dice 1 poblano and reserve for garnish. Roughly chop the remaining 2 poblanos.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and the 2 chopped poblanos and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the Jack cheese. Pour in the 1 quart chicken broth and bring to a rolling boil. Add the cilantro. Boil for 30 seconds and then remove from the heat. Carefully puree until smooth with a handheld immersion blender or in 2 to 3 batches in a blender (do not fill the blender more than halfway full per batch). Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
• Make a cornstarch slurry by whisking together the cornstarch with 4 teaspoons cold water or chicken broth in a small bowl. Stir the slurry into the soup to thicken. Season with salt.
• Garnish with the pepitas, diced poblano and grilled Cotija cheese.

Steps:

• Take the corn off the cobs. You should have about 5 cups kernels. Set aside 1 cup of the kernels.
• Place the corn cobs in a large soup pot and add the water. Make sure they are covered or at least floating in the water; you can break them in half if they are very large. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, partly cover and simmer 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Remove and discard the cobs. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Strain the broth and measure out 5 cups. Freeze any leftover broth.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and then add the 4 cups of corn kernels and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the corn is just tender. Add the corn broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile roast the chilies, either directly over a gas flame or under a broiler, turning often until they are uniformly charred. Transfer to a plastic bag and seal, or transfer to a bowl and cover tightly. Allow the peppers to cool, then remove the charred skin, rinse and past dry. Remove the seeds and veins (I recommend that you wear plastic gloves for this) and cut in thin strips or dice.
• Steam the kernels set aside for the garnish for 5 minutes, until tender. Set aside.
• Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender, taking care to remove the insert from the top and cover tightly with a kitchen towel to avoid splashes. Return to the heat, taste and adjust salt, and heat through.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Combine the steamed corn kernels and diced chilies and place a spoonful in the middle of each bowl of soup. Garnish with a sprinkling of cilantro or chives if desired, and serve.