Cream of Jalapeño Soup is a lovely combination of spicy peppers in a creamy, cheesy soup base. Fresh cilantro and lime add the perfect touch to this unique soup.
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.
I found cornbread was the perfect sidekick for the soup. 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 cream 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!
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
Made this today for the first time. It was incredible! I charred the jalapenos first. I used an immersion blender because I don’t have a high speed blender so mine wasnt quite as smooth and incorporated. But that didn’t matter because it was so delicious!
Thanks for the feedback Vanessa. Sometimes I actually prefer the texture from a food processor for soups, the high speed blenders can makes things almost too velvety!
I would love to serve this cold as a shooter. I guess you’d have to leave off the cheese? Would that work at all?
This would make such fun shooters, and I *think* you could leave the cheese in, the soup would keep the same texture, I assume. Might need to experiment, but love the idea!
I just tasted mine right out of the fridge. Delicious!
It is a great recipe. I little too spicy for me. I will only use 2 jalapeños next time.( Granted, I used jalapenos from my garden and they were large, so perhaps they were hotter than ones from the store) Other than that it is good.
I didn’t have cream or 1/2 & 1/2 on hand so I used buttermilk. By the time you high-speed blend this, NOBODY is going to know that you used buttermilk. Luscious.
You can never go wrong with buttermilk 🙂
Delicious, I used 5 jalapeños, doubled the cilantro and an extra 1/2 cup of cheddar (because that just felt right in my heart). Holy moly. This is a delicious soup. My only complaint is that it makes so little! Next time I will triple the recipe. Yum!
Can you. Make this the day before and heat up the next day?
Yes, that would be fine.