Cream of Roasted Jalapeño Soup
I first had this soup at one of our favorite local restaurants – Interurban (“IU”). As I examined the menu, I noticed the soup of the day “Cream of Jalapeño Soup” and was instantly curious. Before I tell you all about the soup – let me first tell you where I worked while in college — guess.
If you guessed Interurban, you are correct! I was a hostess and waitress for several years. I really liked that job. It was hard, nights were late, there were a few times I forgot to turn in a table’s order ((I really hated when I did that)) and there was that one time I slipped and fell in the middle of a crowded restaurant. But the atmosphere of working in the heart of Sooner Territory among a tribe of fans, hurriedly taking orders and serving yummy food late into the night that was appealing to my 20 year-old self. Actually, the wad of tips at the end of a late night was the real draw!
I think the biggest complement a restaurant can receive is when a former waitress CHOOSES to eat dinner ((and pay full price)) at her “Alma Mater”. And we choose this restaurant often — if it were up to the kids, we would eat here every week!
So, back to the soup. I asked the waitress for a sample – I mean really, “Cream of Jalapeño Soup” can go either way. As you may have guessed ((since I am sharing the recipe)), it was so tasty. Perfectly seasoned, creamy – but not too thick, spicy but not crazy hot – with the first bite, I knew I must have the recipe.
The chef was kind enough to not only visit with me about the soup, but also handwrite the recipe. He even adjusted the amounts from restaurant volume to just the right amount for the home cook. Talk about service!
When I was ready to make the recipe at home, I roasted a medley of peppers ahead of time. Roasting peppers really is much easier than I thought it would be! After a few minutes the peppers began to char and the skin shriveled – as all of these little things took place, I started to feel pretty proud of myself, in a caveman sort of way “me took fire and me burned food!”
To roast peppers, simply place them on a hot grill, rotating when the skin blackens and shrivels. Once all the sides have grill marks, place them in a paper bag, roll the bag tightly closed and allow the steam from the hot peppers to separate the skin from the flesh. After 30 minutes in the bag, the skin should peel off easily. I also removed most of the veins & the seeds in order to keep the soup mild.
Speaking of peppers, I used a blend of Anaheim, cherry & jalapeño peppers – just for funnies. I am not sure the mix affected the soup flavor, but I will say – the Anaheim peeled much easier than the others. For that reason alone, I would stick to Anaheims for future roasting endeavors.
Once the peppers are roasted, let the chopping begin!
- 2 c fresh tomatoes*
- 2 c bell peppers, I used red and orange
- 2 c white onion
- 1 c roasted peppers, peeled & seeded
- 2 T fresh garlic
*Next time, I will blanche the tomatoes in order to remove their skins. My critical eye noticed the tomatoes skins separated during cooking & tiny little bits of tightly rolled tomato skins floating through my soup is not my favorite.
With all of the fresh veggies prepped, it is time to start making the soup. Place onions, garlic & 1 T of butter into a 9 qt pot. Cook over medium flame until the onions turn translucent. Take care to keep them from browning; brown onions will make your soup brown.
While the onions are cooking, gather the liquid ingredients:
- 2 ½ qt. cream
- 1 qt. chicken broth ((or ¼ c. chicken base and 1 qt. water
- ¾ c. cornstarch + 1 c. cold water
- salt and pepper to taste
Once the onions are softened & translucent, all the remaining ingredients go in the pot. HOW EASY is that?!
Stir to combine and continue simmering over medium flame until the soup is thickened.
It is so simple & so tasty! ((Let’s just refrain from counting calories, shall we?!))
- 2 c white onion
- 2 T fresh garlic
- 2 c fresh tomatoes*
- 2 c bell peppers, I used red and orange
- 1 c roasted peppers, peeled & seeded
- 2 ½ qt cream
- 1 qt chicken broth ((or ¼ c chicken base and 1 qt water))
- ¾ c cornstarch
- 1 c cold water
- salt + pepper to taste
- In a 9 qt. soup pot, over medium flame, melt butter and cook onions & garlic until the onions turn translucent ((avoid allowing the onions to brown)). Add remaining chopped peppers & tomatoes, stirring to heat through. Add cream & chicken broth. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and cold water until well combined ((creating a slurry for thickening)). Pour the slurry into the soup and stir frequently until the soup comes to a simmer and has reached the desired thickness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with pico & corn tortilla chips as garnish.
- *I didn't blanche and peel the tomatoes the first time I made this soup, but will add that step next time.
