Poblano Soup

Poblano Soup

Every now and again we take what we call a “retirement” day. I can already see the eye rolls from my employed friends, who think every day in my life is a retirement day. The reality is that retirement still contains daily obligations. Shopping, meal prep, laundry, landscaping, house cleaning. Exercise, pet care, volunteering. These items don’t miraculously happen of their own volition. Even though retired, we still need to carve out the occasional niche to just head off for fun. Which is how we discovered Wisdom’s Cafe and their poblano soup.

Wisdom’s Cafe is one of those quintessentially Arizona spots that one typically hears about via word of mouth.  While it’s quite near I-19, we breezed right past it, with the GPS providing its usual admonishment: tsk, tsk, what miserable navigators you are. Turning around, we found it in the boondocks near Tumacacori.  20 miles north of the border, with beautiful mountain vistas surrounding the property. It’s one of those places in the middle of nowhere that somehow seems to always have a full parking lot. We won’t miss it next time, as one of the restaurant landmarks is a giant chicken out front. Opened 80 years ago by a local couple, it has remained a large family operation with decor of family heirlooms and a huge menu of family recipes. 

I love a good green corn tamale and this looked like just the place to order one. My husband usually seizes on such an opportunity to order a meat-and-fat-filled plate of something, so I was quite surprised when he ordered the poblano soup. This soup was in fact vegetarian, but as it turned out, the soup base was pure dairy cream. A lot of dairy cream. He was more than satisfied with the amount of animal fat in his belly when finished. I tasted his soup, which was in fact scrumptious, but a killer for someone like me who struggles to digest bowls of saturated fat. (In addition to IBS, my gall bladder exited the scene decades ago.) I determined to recreate this soup at home, with a lower and healthier fat profile. 

Poblanos are very popular in Mexican dishes. Deep green and shiny, they have a naturally rich and earthy essence, edging into almost smokiness. The heat can vary, but most consider poblanos to be relatively mild. They are available in most grocery stores. I figured I could use my Provencal Style Asparagus Soup as a template, with a few adjustments. Sub in the poblanos for the asparagus; switch out the herbs de Provence for Mexican spices; and make the “cream” from cashews and pumpkin seeds in my blender. Now there is no shortage of my attempts to create recipes that have hit the trash can. But if I do say so, I nailed this one. Essence of poblano in a rich and creamy soup with no animal fat in sight. 

My poblano soup is also one of those all important soups for an Arizona summer, just as tasty served chilled as it is served hot. Serve it as a main dish, accompanied by salad, or in small portions as an appetizer in a summer menu. While sipping soup, picture yourself under an umbrella on a sun filled patio, surrounded by mountains and that lovely dry Arizona air. All the while under the watchful eye of a huge white chicken!

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Poblano Soup

Rich, creamy soup with the smoky essence of poblano peppers.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: poblano, soup
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup cashews
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds plus extra for garnish
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 medium poblano peppers
  • 1 3-oz potato
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped onion
  • 3/4 cup roughly chopped fennel
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 3/4 tsp green chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • grated cheddar, if desired for garnish

Instructions

  • Place the cashews and pumpkin seeds in a bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak while preparing remaining ingredients.
  • Cut the stem and inner seeds out of the poblanos and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in a large saucepan. Peel and cut the potato into 1-inch pieces and add to the pan. Add the onion, fennel, herbs, spices and vegetable broth to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until all the vegetables are soft, around 25 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool slightly.
  • Drain the soaked nuts and seeds. Pour into a blender and add the 1 cup of water. Blend at high speed to make a nut cream. When the mixture is smooth, add the cooked vegetable mixture. Vent the top of the blender lid and cover with a kitchen towel to allow heat to escape. Blend at high speed until mixture is smooth and creamy.
  • Pour the soup back into the saucepan and heat gently if the soup is to be served hot. If the soup is to be served cold, pour into a storage container and chill til ready to serve. Soup can also be served immediately at room temperature.
  • If desired, garnish the soup with grated Cheddar and pumpkin seeds.

Notes

  • Nutrition
  • Calories: 141
  • Total Fat: 7.9 g
  •     Saturated: 1.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 30 mg
  • Total Carbohydrate: 13.4 g
  •     Fiber: 2.3 g
  •     Total Sugars: 2.8 g
  • Protein: 5.9 g
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