This Chile Relleno Soup is a crowd-pleaser that can be ready in under 30 minutes! With its smooth, creamy texture and rich flavor, it offers a comforting twist on the classic Mexican dish, Chile Relleno.
There’s nothing more soothing than a warm, flavorful soup on a cool fall or winter day. That’s why we love transforming our favorite recipes into soups that capture their incredible flavors! This Chile Relleno Soup is inspired by the authentic Mexican dish and brings all its wonderful tastes into one bowl.
Serving 8, this soup recipe is an excellent choice for gatherings, offering a unique blend of flavors and textures that’s sure to impress your guests!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Ready in No Time. This recipe only requires a couple simple steps and can be ready to serve in less than 30 minutes!
- Family-Friendly. You can serve up to 8 with this recipe so it is perfect for a large family or gathering.
- Incredible Flavor. This recipe has a unique blend of Mexican flavors and rich, creamy texture that will impress your friends and family!
Recipe Ingredients
- Cooking oil: we used avocado oil but any neutral oil will work
- Cooked, shredded chicken: a great chance to utilize leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken
- Vegetables: poblano peppers, red bell peppers, yellow onion, garlic cloves
- Chicken broth: using a low sodium chicken broth can help give you more control over the flavor
- Spices: cumin and salt
- Cream cheese: this helps create the creamy texture and rich flavor of the soup
- Shredded cheese: cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese
How to Make Chile Relleno Soup
Saute the vegetables
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion, poblano peppers, and bell peppers. Then saute for 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent and the peppers are softened. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
Simmer
Add the chicken broth, cumin, and salt, and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, then add the cubed cream cheese, cheddar, and pepper jack cheeses.
Add the chicken
Stir until everything is melted and well combined, then stir in the chicken. Next, heat for 1-2 more minutes. Then serve garnished with cilantro if desired.
Serve
This is a well-rounded meal full of protein and veggies that can be served as a stand alone dish. However, there are numerous side dishes that would work well with this recipe. We’ve included a few of our favorites to serve with soup below.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
This is a great meal prep recipe. You can prep the ingredients ahead of time to save time or go ahead and prepare the soup. Then you will simply have to thaw and reheat later. For storing, allow to cool completely. Then you can store this recipe in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or 3 months in the freezer. Be sure to use a freezer safe container when freezing.
For reheating, allow to thaw completely if frozen. Then reheat on the stovetop. You can reheat in the microwave in a pinch but we prefer reheating on the stovetop for the best flavor.
Tips and Tricks
- A whisk is helpful during step 4, to help the cream cheese get fully incorporated into the soup.
- This is a quick, delicious recipe to make when you need to find a use for leftover chicken.
- If you want a less-spicy soup, feel free to substitute more cheddar cheese in place of the pepper jack if you want a less-spicy soup!
- You can easily make this recipe vegetarian by holding the chicken.
- You can use different types of peppers if you’re trying to avoid a trip to the grocery store, but for the authentic Chile Relleno flavor, we highly recommend the use of poblano peppers.
Other Comfort Food Recipes
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole– With minimal prep and a short cook time this cheesy chicken casserole will be a new family favorite!
- Bacon Cheeseburger Soup– A low-carb, keto-friendly soup recipe that’s loaded with bacon, ground beef, cheese, and spices. Just under 6 net carbs per serving!
- Instant Pot Sausage and Cabbage Casserole– An excellent low carb dinner that is only 5 net carbs per serving!
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Chicken– This is a delicious, easy, and cheesy low carb soup recipe!
Chile Relleno Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 5 poblano peppers diced
- 2 red bell peppers diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 8 oz cream cheese cubed
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
- Cilantro optional for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion, poblano peppers, and bell peppers. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent and the peppers are softened. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth, cumin, and salt, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer, then add the cubed cream cheese, cheddar, and pepper jack cheeses.
- Stir until everything is melted and well combined, then stir in the chicken. Heat for 1-2 more minutes, then serve garnished with cilantro if desired.
Notes
- I used rotisserie chicken for this recipe and it turned out great!
- This soup freezes really well for up to 3 months and keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- I find it helpful to use a whisk during step 4 to help the cream cheese get fully incorporated into the soup.
- Feel free to substitute more cheddar cheese in place of the pepper jack if you want a less-spicy soup!
