Chicken and Cheese Soup with Poblano Pepper
While most of you have been in the deep freeze this week, here in Colorado we’ve been enjoying mild temperatures. Mild enough that flip-flops have appeared, hikes have been taken, windows opened, decks occupied for sun starved bodies to soak up the warm rays and paths packed with dog walkers and bike riders.
Busy with work and play, aside from the soup pictured above, I didn’t cook much this week. One evening I made salmon burgers from the freezer department and micro’d frozen broccoli. The meal was so horrid that Bob demanded I get the camera and photograph and blog about it. We giggled ourselves out of that idea.
Without much cooking activity, let’s take a look at the week at a glance.
We got a new burger joint in our Highlands Ranch Towne Center, called Crave Real Burger. It’s truly an adventure in burger dining. Coworker Stacie, client Scott and I headed over to give it a try. I order the Drunken Onion (left) which is a burger patty topped with Cabernet caramelized onions, french fried onion rings and melted Swiss and Gruyere cheese. It was heavenly. Scott ordered the Popper (center) which is a burger topped with beer battered cream cheese, jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, onion, chipotle mayo and avocado. Stacie got the Cheesy Jane, your run of the mill cheeseburger. We shared an order of fried pickles with chipotle mayo dipping sauce (right).
We ordered tame compared to what’s available on the menu. How about The Luther which is a burger topped with bacon, lettuce, egg, onion and two Crispy Cream Donuts used for the buns. And then there’s the Fatty Melt which is a cheeseburger topped with bacon and pickle with two grilled cheese sandwiches used as buns.
It all sounds crazy fattening you say??? Just order a side salad instead of fries like I did, it makes it all okay. 😉
Left to right: Hubs, Maralee, Myself, and Greg
Thursday evening found us invited to a party hosted by friends Maralee and Greg and Flights Wine Bar in Morrison. Morrison is just a hop, skip and jump away from Highlands Ranch. A sleepy little town nestled in the foothills west of Denver.
Flights has set up shop in an 1870’s cottage, cozy with leather furniture and fireplaces. They offer over 100 wines on the bottle list and 40 by the glass. We enjoyed a great tasting of four wines and some really clever tapas creations. Good wine, good food and atmosphere, we’ll definitely go back.
Leftovers appeared on the table a few nights from this Chicken and Cheese Soup with Poblano Peppers. I’ve had this recipe forever and it’s one of our favorite soups.
Brothy with chicken stock, cheesy with cheddar, chunky with chicken, savory with chopped tomatoes, kicked with with some chopped poblano peppers, and topped with chopped cilantro and sour cream, this is a soup that will warm anyone’s day.
- 6 Cups chicken stock
- 1 151/2 ounce can chopped tomatoes undrained
- 2 T . butter
- 2 T . olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 poblano peppers seeded, veins removed and chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded, veins removed and chopped
- 2 t . ground cumin
- 2 t . chili powder
- 1/2 c . flour
- 2 C . milk
- 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 C . sour cream
- 2 C . diced chicken meat from rotisserie chicken
- leaves Chopped fresh cilantro to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Hot sauce
- Cilantro tortilla chips and sour cream for topping
- In a large Dutch oven, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the tomatoes, lower heat and simmer covered.
- In a skillet, heat the butter and oil. Add the onion and saute until tender. About 5 minutes. Add the chile's and cook until they have softened. Add the cumin and chili powder. Stir and then sprinkle in the flour, blending all with a wooden spoon.
- Gradually add the milk and stir until smooth.
- Ladle 2 cups of the stock mixture into the thickened milk and stir to thin. Pour the entire contents of the skillet into the soup pot and let simmer over very low heat, stirring often. Let cook about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese and sour cream. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the chicken and chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in some hot sauce. Cook on very low heat until everything is toasty and blended.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, crushed tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream.
Chicken and Cheese Soup with Poblano Peppers…It’s What’s for Dinner.
From the Kitchen of Lea Ann Brown, Cooking On The Ranch
Penny says
January 26, 2013 at 4:20 pmHad to laugh at the meal not blogged about. We should all do something like that. We too laugh at some of the things that show up on our table that should never again see the light of day. But your soup looks great! It would be fun to post recipes that didn’t work. I once posted pictures of my kitchen with all of the dirty dishes after Thanksgiving. If we posted pictures of disaster, we could call it “Let’s get real”. Just an idea.
Lea Ann says
January 27, 2013 at 7:42 amOh Penny, it was hideous. I sprinkled the broccoli with cajun seasoning, it was an awful combo. the Salmon patty was pretty good, but my “healthy choice” bun ruined it. I love you “Let’s Get Real” title.
Barbara says
January 27, 2013 at 5:56 amUmmmm…Crispy Cream Donuts on a burger? Wow. You guys have some interesting restaurants!! We are totally boring around here. 🙂
Great soup, Lea Ann. Haven’t had a cheese soup in years and this one has a nice kick.
Lea Ann says
January 27, 2013 at 7:38 amYup, Crispy Cream Donuts. I can’t imagine.
Karen Harris says
January 27, 2013 at 6:22 amSo glad we now have 2 Crave locations for our enjoyment. Their burgers really are good. I don’t know which I’d rather have, a burger or a bowl of your soup. Anything with poblano peppers and cheese sounds great to me.
Lea Ann says
January 27, 2013 at 7:38 amKaren, they have three locations. I can’t remember where the 3rd is, but I saw it on their website. I thought my burger was very good and Bob is dying to go, so my fat and calorie count is going to hit the moon this month. I love poblanos. Just the right heat and love the flavor.
Lea Ann says
January 27, 2013 at 7:40 amMy little point and shoot does a great job sometimes. I thought the burger photos turned out good. The soup was taken in poor light with my Canon. I was disappointed in that one.
nancyc says
January 27, 2013 at 10:26 amYour chicken soup sounds great! Those burgers you had sound great, too! 🙂
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:45 amThose burgers were incredible. Clever, fun and delicious.
Vickie says
January 27, 2013 at 12:39 pmJust getting caught up on email and found this post – loved Bob’s idea of blogging the freezer meal. The cheese soup sounds perfect with all the peppers and my favorite spices. Very nice. I love the pick of the four of you – Bob looks very dashing! Hugs to you both.
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:47 amThat freezer meal was horrible. I was laughing as I was eating it. That’s our favorite cheese soup. Had the recipe for years. Bob didn’t like that photo of himself, but I agree, thought he looked dashing.
Vickie says
February 5, 2013 at 8:36 amTried the cheese soup last night – Dana raved about it and said to add it to the favorite recipes. Loved it!!
Lea Ann says
February 5, 2013 at 5:30 pmI like that recipe. Brothy, just enough cheese, savory with chicken ….
adam @unorthodoxepicure says
January 27, 2013 at 2:18 pmThe soup looks really good, but I must confess that I now have a hankering for a ‘Fatty Melt.’
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:47 amLove the word “hankering” and it’s perfect for that Fatty Melt
Jane says
January 27, 2013 at 2:23 pmSo that was the hamburger bun? Looks amazing!!! The love the idea of chicken and cheese soup… how can you go wrong with cheese???
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:47 amYes Jane, and there were so many good things underneath it. ohmy.
lisaiscooking says
January 27, 2013 at 3:15 pmWe’re not really having very wintry weather either, but soup always sounds good. Love the chiles in this and the sour cream and cilantro toppings!
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:48 amLisa, I love all those toppings too. As always, thank you for stopping by and the comment.
Karen says
January 28, 2013 at 10:58 amPoblanos and cheese… what’s not to like. Yum!
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:48 amSimply said … and yes@
Rhonda says
January 28, 2013 at 3:04 pmYou know if it has cheese in it, I’m won over! And that bowl, love. The burger place sounds ah-mazing, love trying fun different stuff and then go home and make it even better 😉
We all seem to have those frozen salmon nights…
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:49 amI’m with you Rhonda. I love to copy=cat restaurant creations at home. And darn those frozen salmon nights. ;/
Larry says
January 29, 2013 at 1:30 amYour burger sounds delicious Lea Ann and the soup sounds awesome.
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:50 amYou’ll have to come back to Highland Ranch so we an visit CraveBurger.
Jenn says
January 29, 2013 at 5:22 amOh the meals that never show up on our blogs… if people only knew!!! lol Well, at least the soup was a huge hit… and I can see why! Love the flavors used…. all of my favorites!!
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:52 amThanks Jenn
Joanne says
January 29, 2013 at 5:37 amPoblanos always sound so good to me as does cheese! WHat a great soup!
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:53 amPoblanos are my favorite pappers.
Mary | Deep South Dish says
January 30, 2013 at 7:29 amLea Ann, this sounds like an amazing soup! We’ve had an extremely mild winter here in the Deep South coastal Mississippi this year. Today a front is passing through though so things will chill down again for a few days then back up to the 70s! Some of the azaleas have been blooming already.
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:54 amI can eat soup in any weather Mary. Thanks for stopping by. I’ve missed seeing you and your blog. When I lost my harddrive, I lost my RSS Feeds. I’ve just now resubscribed to your blog.
Rocky Mountain Woman says
January 30, 2013 at 4:14 pmI am all over that soup! Anything I can put poblanos in is ok by me….
xxoo,
RMW
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:54 amDitto RMW 🙂
Drick says
January 31, 2013 at 6:44 amI think I would eat myself silly in that Crave place… now, your soup is heavenly, the photo reminds me of a stuffed poblano pepper but in a bisque… this is gonna be a delight…
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:55 amI feel the same way Drick. I like your description of my soup. 🙂
Chris says
February 2, 2013 at 4:52 pmThat crust on the Popper burger’s popper looks so light and crispy that I want to dive into the picture to get it! The soup sounds heavenly too!
Lea Ann says
February 3, 2013 at 4:56 amFrom what I could tell, you have described it correctly. Since It wasn’t my burger I didn’t take my finger an poke at it or anything. 🙂 Those burgers were amazing.
Chris says
February 15, 2013 at 7:50 amNow that isn’t being a dedicated foodie…you should have spilled your drink on the burger owner and while they are in the bathroom drying off, steal a bite 😉
Lea Ann says
February 16, 2013 at 7:01 amI’ll do that next time Chris. 🙂
Susan says
February 5, 2013 at 6:42 pmI’ve been in a real ‘not blog worthy’ phase lately! We have a great burger place close to us that has take out it’s been dinner about once a week 🙂
Morrison, Co! I know the owner of the Morrison Inn. He’s originally from Milwaukee 🙂
The soup sounds like something we’d love! Delicious.
Lea Ann says
February 6, 2013 at 6:07 amI’ve been so darn busy at work that my poor blog has suffered. I’ve talked with the owner several times, don’t really know him. It’s one of the original Mexican joints in the Denver area.