Cream of Jalapeño Soup is a bold, creamy blend of spicy peppers, melty cheese, and a pop of fresh cilantro and lime. It’s rich, zesty, and totally unforgettable.
where has cream of jalapeño soup been all my life?
I’m not sure how I got along without this zesty soup made with fresh peppers, some chicken stock, a little cream, cilantro, lime, and mild cheddar or jack cheese. It begged for fresh baked corn muffins on the side, and I obliged.
little bowls of this pretty green cream of jalapeño soup work as appetizers, or a light lunch.
You could also keep it warm in a crock pot or Instant Pot and serve it to a game day crowd. As written it’s spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. I used 4 fat jalapeño peppers in mine, but you can moderate the heat if you like by using less, and/or by leaving out the inner pith and seeds. In any event the cream and cheese moderate the heat a bit.
cornbread is the perfect sidekick
The slightly sweet bread offsets the spiciness of the soup, and makes a satisfying meal. Cornbread is one of the easiest quickbreads to make, I’ve got lots of recipes for cornbread on the blog, but don’t be shy about using a mix when you’re strapped for time. I used a Marie Callander’s mix and it was pretty good.
the secret to the smooth texture of jalapeño soup
I blend my vegetables along with some of the stock in my Vitamix high speed blender, which is what gives it that silky smooth texture. You can use a food processor, but you will get a coarser texture. That’s not bad, but there is something I love about the velvety quality I get with my blender.
jalapeños are the (flavor) bomb!
- How to Make Jalapeño Butter
- Honey Jalapeño Cornbread
- Apricot Jalapeño Jam
- Grilled Chicken with Peach Jalapeño Salsa
- Quick Pickled Jalapeños ~ easy recipe!
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Cream of Jalapeño Soup
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp butter, divided
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 large jalapenos, sliced
- large handful of fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 15 ounce can chicken stock, divided
- 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 lime
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or mild cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil and one tablespoon of the butter in a stock pot and saute the onion until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes.
- Put the onions, jalapenos (seeds and all) cilantro, salt, pepper, and one cup of the stock into a high speed blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
- Melt the last 2 tablespoons of butter in the pot and add the flour to make a paste, or roux. Stir for a minute, but do not brown. Slowly add the rest of the stock and the cream, stirring or whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth and thick.
- Add the pureed pepper mixture to the pot, and stir to combine. Bring up to a boil, then turn down the heat and gently simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese. Taste to adjust the seasonings. Add a squeeze of lime juice if you like.
- Serve immediately in small bowls topped with fresh cilantro and cracked black pepper.
Nutrition
DO NOT USE THE WHOLE JALAPENOS!!! I followed the directions to use the whole things (including seeds) and ended up needing to dump the whole thing down the sink after it was finished. My spouse and I love spicy food but this was unbearable. I even tossed in a cup of sour cream to try to tone the heat down but it was too much. The flavor was great but the spice level was too much. I would recommend keeping only the seeds from maybe 1 of the 4 jalapenos.
This is a great recipe and one is make often now. You have a ton of wonderful recipes that i also browse through just to see if f there are other recipes I would like to try. Thank you for sharing all these with us.
What could be substituted for the cilantro, as I have a partner who has the cilantro soap gene?
You might try basil, or just parsley. I think tarragon would be nice, too.
This was absolutely delicious! I always grow jalapeños and get tired of salsa and poppers, this will be added to my repertoire. Thank you!!!
Thanks Michelle, just featured your comment in today’s newsletter 🙂