Smoky, Spicy, Creamy, Warm
This Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder is a deliciously smoky, spicy, and creamy way to warm up this season. Poblano peppers are roasted until blistered, which allows their smoky flavor to really come through, corn adds the right amount of sweetness to balance out the peppers, and Yukon Gold potatoes provide heartiness that makes this chowder a fantastic option to carry into the cold winter months. I’ve been making this chowder on repeat this season and we both always look forward to cozying up with the leftovers the next day.
What’s the best method for roasting poblanos?
Before adding the poblanos to this chowder, I prefer to roast them first. This allows the peppers to develop a rich, smoky flavor that makes this dish extra tasty and makes it easier to discard the skin, which makes for a better end-texture in this dish. There are three main ways to roast your poblano peppers and I switch between each method, depending on the season. For each method, you’ll want to ensure your pepper is whole (with the stem intact), clean, and dried well first.
Under the broiler
In the cold fall and winter months, this is my go-to way to roast peppers because it’s mostly hands-off and I can prep the rest of the ingredients while the peppers are roasting/broiling. Add your peppers to a parchment-lined baking sheet and place under the broiler on high (For most home ovens this is about 500-550 degrees F / 260-290 degrees C). Depending on the size of the peppers this usually takes between 15-20 minutes, flipping once with a pair of tongs. When the peppers have blistered and blackened slightly and the skin is pulling away from the flesh, remove them from the oven and immediately place them in a heatproof bowl with a tight-fitting lid or a food-safe, sealed baggie (that won’t melt) for 5-10 minutes. This allows the pepper to steam a bit, which makes removing the skins so much easier. Once they are finished steaming, allow the peppers to cool until they can be comfortably handled. At this point, you should be able to easily peel the skin off, pull the stem out, and remove the seeds. You can also run the peppers under a bit of water in the sink, which helps remove the skins and helps wash away the pepper seeds really easily as well.
On an open flame on a gas stovetop
Occasionally I will roast peppers over an open flame on my gas stovetop. This method is nice to use when you don’t feel like heating the kitchen up too much by using the broiler, but it’s not quite warm enough for outdoor grilling. You’re welcome to use this method for this soup, but it’s much more hands-on so I generally reserve this method for times when I need to roast peppers and the oven is already in use for other things. Turn your gas burner on high and place the peppers directly on the flame in small batches, 1-3 at a time is usually best, depending on the size of the peppers in proportion to your burner. Turn occasionally with heat-proof metal tongs until the peppers are blackened and blistered to your desired level. Keep a close eye on the peppers as this method produces blackened and blistered peppers quickly, and you don’t want your peppers to catch fire or turn to char. Once the peppers are finished, steam, peel, and deseed/destem them as directed in the broiling instructions above.
On a grill
In the summer months, I prefer to roast peppers on my outdoor gas grill over high heat. This is not my preferred option for this soup in the cold months of fall and winter, however, if you live in a warm climate and still embrace soup season, this method is for you. Similar to roasting over the open flame of your gas stovetop, the grill uses a flame to give the peppers their ideal blistered skin. You’ll want to lightly oil the grates of your grill prior to adding the peppers so they don’t stick and turn them occasionally with heat-proof metal tongs until they’ve blackened slightly and blistered. Steam, peel, and deseed/destem the peppers the same way as used in the methods above.
What should I serve with this Poblano Corn Chowder?
This chowder is hearty on its own, but if you would like to round the meal out a bit more, I love to serve this chowder with a side of crusty bread for dipping or a slice of my Brown Butter Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread. I also love to serve this dish with sour cream, shredded cheddar or smoked gouda, and additional green onions to top each bowl with.
WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?
- A bakers half sheet
- Parchment paper
- A set of kitchen tongs (you’ll want heat-proof metal ones if using the stovetop or outdoor grill methods)
- A cutting board
- A chef’s knife
- A large soup pot
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- A fork or small whisk
Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
A note for special diets
This Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder is gluten-free and can easily accommodate vegetarian diets if you choose to use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. It can also easily accommodate lactose-free diets if you choose to use lactose-free milk.
Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soups & Stews
- Method: Oven / Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder is a deliciously smoky, spicy, and creamy way to warm up this fall and winter.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb (about 4 large) fresh poblano peppers
- 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil – OR – 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup green onion, chopped
- 1 cup (about 3 large stalks) celery, thinly chopped
- 2 cups frozen corn (I prefer this fire-roasted one, but classic sweet corn is also great)
- 1 1/2 lb (about 5–6 medium) Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
- 4 cups chicken broth – OR – vegetable broth (if keeping this totally vegetarian)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper powder
- 2 cups whole milk (you may use lactose-free if needed)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- Optional, to top: Sour cream, shredded cheddar or smoked gouda cheese, additional green onions
Instructions
- You’ll want to roast your peppers first before doing anything else. In the cold fall and winter months, I prefer to roast the peppers under my oven broiler because it’s mostly hands-off and I can prep the rest of the ingredients while the peppers are roasting/broiling (for other methods, see the post text above). Add your peppers to a parchment-lined baking sheet and place under the broiler on high (For most home ovens this is about 500-550 degrees F / 260-290 degrees C). Depending on the size of the peppers this usually takes between 15-20 minutes, flipping once with a pair of tongs.
- When the peppers have blistered and blackened slightly and the skin is pulling away from the flesh, remove them from the oven and immediately place them in a heatproof bowl with a tight-fitting lid or a food-safe, sealed baggie (that won’t melt) for 5-10 minutes. This allows the pepper to steam a bit, which makes removing the skins so much easier.
- Once they are finished steaming, allow the peppers to cool until they can be comfortably handled. At this point, you should be able to easily peel the skin off, pull the stem out, and remove the seeds. You can also run the peppers under a bit of water in the sink, which helps cool the peppers, remove the skins, and helps wash away the pepper seeds really easily as well.
- Chop the roasted and prepped peppers into a small dice and reserve to the side.
- In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the garlic oil (or evoo + minced garlic) and the green onions. Allow to saute for a minute to allow the green onions to get some direct heat, then add the reserved poblano peppers and saute for one minute more.
- Add the frozen corn, the diced potatoes, and the broth. Stir to combine, then add the cumin, pepper, salt, and chipotle pepper powder and stir to combine.
- Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and allow to simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- In a large glass measuring cup or a small mixing bowl combine the milk and the cornstarch, whisking with a fork or a small whisk to combine until smooth. It is essential that you create this cold cornstarch slurry first before adding to the soup as cornstarch will clump up and get gummy if it’s not dissolved in cold liquid before being added to hot liquid. Add the milk and cornstarch slurry to the soup and stir to combine.
- Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Once the soup has begun to thicken it can be removed from heat and served.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 175 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 19 mg
Keywords: Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder
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