Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder
This Mexican-inspired Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder is made with chunky potatoes, sweet corn, and roasted chiles, all simmered in a flavorful veggie broth with fresh cilantro. It’s so rich, hearty, and perfect with a slice of warm bread. I love that is totally plant-based and ready in about 45 minutes.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 413kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 poblano chiles , can sub another chile too
- 3 cups corn , fresh or frozen, or about 3 ears
- Drizzle of oil or broth to roast and sauté
- 3 cups chopped Yukon gold potatoes , or other type you prefer (about 3 medium potatoes)
- 1 cup chopped sweet or yellow onion
- 3 - 5 medium cloves garlic , adjust for your preference
- ¾ - 1 teaspoon sea salt , adjust for salt content of broth
- ¼ - ½ cup lime juice , adjust to your preference (about 3 limes)
- ¼ - ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 cups veggie broth , low sodium if needed (plus 1 extra for creamy version)
- ½ - ¾ cup raw cashews , optional (see note, you can also sub in a dairy free cream or thick milk like coconut)
To serve (optional)
Instructions
- If using the oven to roast, pre heat oven to 400 F/ 205 C.
- Put chiles and corn on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil or broth and roast for 40 - 45 minutes until the skins are brown and popping. You can also roast the garlic here if you prefer a sweeter flavor.
- Alternatively, you can roast the chiles on the grill outside, this takes less time (about 5-7 minutes per side). This will work for the corn too if it is on the cob. If not, just saute it in the pot with the other veggies.
- When chile and corn are done roasting, put the chiles in a plastic bag or wrap in foil to steam. Then slice the kernels off of the cobs if you used cobs.
- After about 5 minutes of steaming, carefully peel as much skin off the chilies as you can. It helps to do this under running water. You can see my post on roasting peppers for step by step directions.
- Chop the chilies.
- Saute the potatoes, onion, garlic and salt in a large pot over medium heat with oil or broth until the begin to get brown (about 5-7 minutes).
- Add the roasted chile and corn. Saute a few more minutes.
- Add lime juice and cilantro. Saute about 3-4 more minutes.
- Add the veggie broth and simmer 5 more minutes.
- If making the creamy version, add about 1 cup of the soup, cashews and extra broth in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Put back into the pot and mix well.
- Serve with toppings of choice!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for making this roasted poblano corn chowder is to blend just a small portion of the soup before serving. I usually scoop out a cup or so, blend it until smooth, then pour it back into the pot. It thickens the soup just enough while keeping all the good chunky texture I love.
- Roast extra chiles: Roast a few more poblanos than needed and freeze the extras for future use in soups, tacos, or stews.
- Make it ahead: Prepare the soup earlier in the day and reheat when ready to serve. This helps with time management during busy evenings.
- Adjust seasoning at the end: Taste the soup before serving and adjust salt, lime juice, or spice as needed based on your preference.
- Use kitchen scissors for chiles: Use clean kitchen scissors to slice the roasted chiles directly into the pot. It saves me time and cleanup.
Nutrition
Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 554mg | Potassium: 1512mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1044IU | Vitamin C: 194mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 4mg