This creamy roasted poblano corn soup is a little sweet, and little spicy and absolutely delicious year round! Make it with fresh corn in the summer, or use canned or frozen corn in winter months. (gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian, vegan option)
Do you think I've gone crazy yet, sharing a soup recipe during the summer?
I'm one of those people who loves soup and can eat it any time of year, no matter the weather. So yes, sometimes I crave soup in the middle of the summer.
Why You'll Love This Corn Soup
If you're not one of those soup in the summer people, hear me out. This isn't just any soup. It's a creamy corn soup that's perfectly suitable for summer using fresh, sweet summer corn. It's got fiery roasted poblano peppers for a spicy kick, and a smooth, creamy, milky base. Put it all together and you've got a delicious combination of savory, spicy and just a hint of sweet!
If you're really opposed to hot soup in the middle of summer, you can serve this Mexican-inspired corn soup cold - like a gazpacho almost. That way it's both refreshing and full of flavor, but won't make you sweat. Unless, of course, you get a couple of particularly spicy poblanos. Then you might be sweating by the end of your bowl, regardless of the temperature!
How To Make Roasted Poblano Corn Soup
- Roast the poblanos. Place whole poblano peppers on a baking sheet and roast at 425, turning occasionally, until all sides are blistered, about 20 minutes. Remove peppers from the oven, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or foil to cool for 15 minutes. The trapped steam will help the skin come off easily.
- Peel the skin off the cooled peppers by gently rubbing it off. Remove and discard the seeds and stem. Dice the peppers and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened and fragrant, then add the corn, poblanos, spices and broth. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Pour the entire pot into a large, high powered blender (I love my Vitamix) and carefully blend (see tips!), or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
- Return the soup to the pot, add milk and lime juice, and stir to combine.
Tips For Making The Best Corn Soup
- Don't skip the simmering step. It's important for the flavors to intensify.
- If you're using a regular blender and not an immersion blender, be very careful as hot soup in the blender can make a mess if you don't do it right! When blending, slightly crack the lid or remove the center of the lid if that's a possibility with your blender, and cover the lid with a clean towel. This way the steam can escape and you won't have an explosion caused by pressure buildup. Don't ask me how I know.
- If you need to reheat the soup, do so before adding the milk back in. Or just gently reheat after adding the milk without bringing it to a boil, so the milk doesn't curdle.
- You'll need a high-powered blender for the best smooth and creamy texture.
Recipe Variations and Ingredient Substitutions
- I've had some readers comment that it's not very spicy with two poblanos. I still think it has plenty of spice with two, but if you like things hot, or your peppers aren't very spicy, you may consider using three.
- For a vegan version, use canned coconut milk in place of regular milk.
- If you would like to add more bulk, you can add cooked, shredded chicken or diced potatoes.
More Delicious Soup Recipes You'll Love
- Crock Pot Tortilla-Less Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- One Pot Tortellini Lasagna Soup
- Creamy Potato Split Pea Soup
- Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
- French Onion Soup
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating in the comments!
PrintCreamy Roasted Poblano Corn Soup
This creamy roasted poblano corn soup is a little sweet, and little spicy and absolutely delicious year round! Make it with fresh corn in the summer, or use canned or frozen corn in winter months. (gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian, vegan option)
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 60 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: about 6 cups 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 2 large poblano peppers (or 3 small)
- 1 tsp avocado or olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 ½ cups corn kernels (or 2 cans corn, drained)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cumin
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- Juice from 1 lime
For serving (optional):
- cheese
- sour cream
- cilantro
- jalapeño slices
- avocado
- lime
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°. Place poblanos on a baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, until outsides are charred and blistered on all sides, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place in a bowl. Cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. This will make the skin easier to remove. Once cool, carefully peel skin from peppers. Remove stems and seeds and discard them. Dice the peppers.
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, 5-10 minutes.
- Add diced poblanos, corn, paprika, salt, pepper and broth. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender or regular blender (see notes).
- Transfer soup back to the pot if you removed it. Stir in the milk and lime juice.
- If you'd like, gently reheat on low heat stirring, but don't bring to a full boil.
- Serve soup with cheese, cilantro, lime, jalapeño, avocado, or other garnishes of your choice.
Notes
- I've had some readers comment that it's not very spicy with two poblanos. I still think it has plenty of spice with two, but if you like things hot, or your peppers aren't very spicy, you may consider using three.
- For a vegan version, use canned coconut milk in place of regular milk.
- If you would like to add more bulk, you can add cooked, shredded chicken or diced potatoes.
- Don't skip the simmering step. It's important for the flavors to intensify.
- If you're using a regular blender and not an immersion blender, be very careful as hot soup in the blender can make a mess if you don't do it right! When blending, slightly crack the lid or remove the center of the lid if that's a possibility with your blender, and cover the lid with a clean towel. This way the steam can escape and you won't have an explosion caused by pressure buildup. Don't ask me how I know.
- If you need to reheat the soup, do so before adding the milk back in. Or just gently reheat after adding the milk without bringing it to a boil, so the milk doesn't curdle.
- You'll need a high-powered blender for the best smooth and creamy texture.
Keywords: roasted poblano corn soup, creamy corn and poblano soup
Mary K Barry says
Hi there. Do you nutritional information for the vegan version of this soup? Thank you!
Sharon says
I made it using fresh corn and heavy cream instead of milk. After blending and then adding the lime juice and heavy cream, I put in some frozen corn for texture. So good. I put diced red bell pepper, sliced avocado, cilantro, and a dab of sour cream on top to serve. Very good!
★★★★★
Kaleigh says
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Carlos says
I did the same. Heavy cream puts this dish over the top. Really good!
Carlos says
I followed the recipe to the letter and have to say that this is disappointing. I tweaked it by adding sour cream, cheddar cheese and cilatro. By itself the soup is just blended up corn and poblano with no flavor. It needs something, but haven't figured out what.
★★★
Kaleigh says
Sorry you found it lacking. I've discovered it largely depends on the poblanos, as they can vary greatly in the spice level and unfortunately there's no way to tell.
Carlos says
So, I gave the soup another shot. This time I used heavy cream. I know, more calories but the cream seems to give the soup a better flavor than just using plain milk. Actually taste really good.
★★★★★
Kaleigh says
Thanks for sharing your tip!
Dee Carlson says
This recipe was off the hook and a huge crowd pleaser. Thank you.
Note. The recipe calls for cumin but does not include it in the directions.
Fabu!!!
★★★★★
Dave Powell says
Turned out delicious. I would recommend not blending completely smooth. Leave a little texture. The heat is hard to figure. Pablanos are a mystery. Every one is different. I used 4 that were right off the plant in my own yard. I roasted them and put them in, but couldn’t tell they were in there at all. Add a little more heat, then this is pure gold!
★★★★
Kaleigh says
Thanks for leaving your review! It is hard to guess the heat with poblanos. I am growing some this year and can't wait to use them!
Sue says
Would this soup freeze well in small portions?
Kaleigh says
I haven't tried but I bet it would work great!
Terri says
I made this using high quality frozen corn. The flavor was great but the texture - yuck. I will make this again but use creamed corn instead and also add extra poblano.
★★★
Joanne says
I’m not sure if my poblano’s didn’t have enough flavor or what but it tasted like bland corn soup. I followed the recipe and was even a bit concerned that the two poblano’s I used were a bit too big. Suggestions?
★★★★
Kaleigh says
Hi Joanne, I do think it depends on the heat in your poblanos. When I make it, it usually comes out pretty spicy, enough so that I thought about cutting the recipe back to one pepper! I'm sorry it tasted bland to you!
Melissa says
Great recipe! I honestly might add more poblanos next time. This was also my first time roasting and peeling- and that went perfectly! The only thing I did different was set aside half of the corn and added that in after I used the immersion blender. I also added diced potatoes, just to make the soup chunkier. Thank you so much! I will keep this recipe close.
★★★★★
Kaleigh says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!