Potato, Poblano and Lentils Creamy Soup.
Poblano peppers are very unique in flavour and one of the most beloved Mexican chillies, they are known as poblano peppers when they are fresh and ancho chilli when they are dried; It mostly is a mild chilli but don’t take this for granted you can sometimes find very spicy ones as well , depending on the soil and conditions where they are grown.
I know I often mention the smell of charred poblanos on my stories , but there really is something very particular about the aroma of the burned poblano skin around your home and to me as comforting as freshly baked bread can be for others, the taste a poblano pepper also develops by doing this and transforms it into a beautiful ingredient to cook with.
They can be stuffed, used to make a sauce or transformed into a vegetarian dish in itself , either way they are amazingly delicious and one of my most favourite ingredients to work with.
Poblanos are not easy to come by here in London, you can find them in specialist stores during certain times of the year, but not in mainstream places, but if you find a little green grocers or market where they sell them don’t be afraid to try them, buy a big bunch because you don’t know when you will see them again and finally make sure you try this delicious soup recipe that will bring you warmth during any cold day in the winter.
Alternatively you can buy them canned they come already peeled and ready to use, to people living in the US they may be a bit easier to find fresh, either way I hope you like this soup very much.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
5 medium size potatoes, ( washed, peeled and cut into small cubes, reserve them in a bowl with cold water).
1 tbsp butter.
1tbsp olive oil.
1 yellow onion (chopped roughly).
1 fat garlic clove (peeled).
6 poblano peppers.
(4 fresh poblano peppers chopped roughly without the seeds, and 2 charred poblanos without the skin, check how to below).
500 ml of water.
500 ml of chicken stock.
1 tin of organic cooked brown lentils.
250 ml of full fat creme fraiche.
150 grams of feta cheese or fresh cheese.
Kosher salt and black coarse pepper to season.
Method.
Follow these steps to prepare your charred poblano peppers, for this recipe we only need two charred poblanos but what I like do is I to prepare a few of them since this can be bit fiddly.
I then store away what I’m not using, by simply packing them in ziplock bags and putting them in the freezer, in this way they will be ready to use next time I want to make this soup or use them for another recipe, check pictures below for reference:
Char directly against the flame , moving from time to time with the help of kitchen tongs.
Place them in a deep container and cover with a thick kitchen towel, let them rest for 20 min, (the steam will make it easier to peel the skins).
Place a bowl with a fine mesh sieve on top in your sink, this will help to catch the skins, grab one by one each one of your charred poblanos and gently remove the burned skin until they are completely cleaned.
Note: Avoid placing your peppers under the running water as they will loose flavour , but it’s quite handy to do this in the sink as you can wash your hands from time to time.
Now to make the soup start by adding your butter and olive oil into a deep sauce pan , when the butter melts add your potatoes and fry them over a medium heat, stir from time to time to avoid them from sticking.
At the same time place in your blender the fresh poblano peppers, onion and garlic, add 2 cups of water and blend as smooth as you can.
Then place a fine mesh sieve over your sauce pan and add the poblano juice mixture without the pulp over the potatoes, add the chicken stock and a pinch of salt , cover with a lid and simmer on a medium heat until your potatoes are cooked through.
Note: Don’t discard the poblano pulp mixture this can be used fried with minced beef and diced veggies to make a tasty picadillo, or I sometimes lightly fry it and then pour it into an egg mixture to make and omelette.
You can add now your lentils and stir , simmer for another 15 minutes and remove the pan from the heat, add the creme fraiche and finely chopped charred poblano peppers, freshly ground coarse pepper and taste, adjust seasoning if necessary !
Serve your tasty soup hot and add crumbly feta cheese on top, get crusty bread on the side to enjoy with this ultimate cosy weather soup.