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
I am going to make this tomorrow for a group potluck. I was thinking of transporting it in a crockpot, but i’m afraid it will be too hot. Crock pots always to seem to boil, even on low for me. Any suggestions?
It sounds like your machine might run a little hot. If it has a keep warm setting on it, you might use that. Otherwise you could transport it with the machine turned off, and turn it on high to get things warmed up when you get there?
This really is a beautiful soup. I roasted my jalapenos and added a roasted poblano, just because I had one on hand. Recipe is so yummy and soul-nourishing on a cold day.
Love that you combined the peppers!
This is a great recipe. I love jalapenos
I love this recipe
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.