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All the flavors of a creamy, spicy, bacon-y jalapeño popper made into a delicious, flavorful soup! Made with plenty of cream cheese, fresh jalapeños, and bacon, this hearty soup is fortified with tender potatoes to make it the perfect dinner recipe when you’re craving lots of flavor.

Top-down view of a large white bowl holding pale yellow, creamy jalapeño soup, topped with sliced jalapeños, diced bacon, and shredded cheese.

🌶️ What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • Jalapeño popper soup has all of the flavor you love about jalapeño poppers, but in the form of a deliciously comforting soup. It’s super creamy and hearty, packed full with cheese, tender gold potatoes, fresh jalapeños, and bacon. Each spoonful is perfectly comforting and filling, perfect for cooler weather. The whole family will love this tasty soup!
  • This soup is easy and quick to make! There’s no over-complicated steps, and it’s ready in just under an hour. You can also double this recipe to serve a larger crowd, which is perfect for tailgating or family gatherings! Not serving a crowd? Make a batch at the beginning of the week and eat leftovers throughout the week.

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

  • You can totally customize this jalapeño popper soup! If you’re not a huge fan of spice, you can decrease the amount of jalapeños added in. Change up your toppings by slicing up some fresh green onions, add extra bacon crumbles, jalapeño slices, or even more shredded cheese. Even the pickiest of eaters will love this delicious soup!
  • This soup is a great make-ahead option! Cook the soup, then ladle it into individual airtight containers or ziploc bags. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, heat over the stove on medium heat, until warmed through. If cooking from frozen, allow soup to thaw in fridge overnight before cooking over the stovetop.
Overhead view of 2 large white bowls holding pale yellow jalapeño popper soup on a wooden table.

🍽️ Flavor-Packed Meals You’ll Love

Recipe By: Cheryl Malik

Jalapeño Popper Soup


Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 45 minutes
A hearty, creamy, flavorful soup made with potatoes, jalapeños, bacon, and cheese.
4 servings

Equipment

  • Sharp knife
  • Cutting board
  • Large, heavy-bottomed pot
  • medium plate
  • Paper towels to line plate
  • Slotted spoon or tongs
  • Large wooden spoon
  • medium mixing bowl
  • ladle
  • whisk

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 5-6 large jalapeño peppers approximately 11 ¼ pounds; stem and seeds removed, peppers minced
  • 1 half of one small onion chopped; approximately ¼ cup
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt more or less to taste
  • 1 pound gold potatoes peeled, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese at room temperature, cubed
  • 1 cup shredded fresh cheddar cheese at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice plus more to taste

Instructions

  • Place 4 slices bacon on cutting board. Chop each slice bacon into ½-inch pieces, then transfer bacon to large heavy-bottomed pot.
  • Place pot on stovetop over medium heat and cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until bacon pieces are crisp but not burnt. While bacon cooks, line medium plate with 2 to 3 layers of paper towels and set aside.
  • Use slotted spoon to transfer cooked bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Set aside. Do not drain pot.
  • Add 5-6 large jalapeño peppers and 1 half of one small onion to pot. Stir to incorporate, then cook ingredients 5 minutes or until onions are translucent and jalapeños are dark green and very soft. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
  • Once onions and jalapeños are ready, add 4 cloves garlic to pot. Stir to incorporate, then sauté ingredients 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant.
  • Add 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth to pot and stir to incorporate, making sure to scrape bottom of pot to dislodge any bits of food that may have stuck.
  • Add ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and 1 pound gold potatoes to pot. Stir to incorporate, then increase heat to medium-high. Bring liquid to boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium-low.
  • Simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until potatoes can be easily pierced with fork.
  • When potatoes are ready, place 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese in medium mixing bowl. Add one ladle worth of hot broth to mixing bowl, then whisk well until cream cheese has melted and is fully incorporated into broth.
  • Transfer cream cheese mixture to pot and stir to incorporate. Remove pot from heat and let soup cool slightly, then add 1 cup shredded fresh cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir until shredded cheese has melted, then taste soup and adjust salt, cumin, and lemon juice as desired.
  • When satisfied with flavor of soup, portion soup into serving bowls. Top each bowl of soup with cooked bacon and additional shredded cheese if desired. Serve warm.
  • Jalapeños: For a soup with more heat, leave the seeds in as many of the peppers as you like. The more seeds you include, the hotter the soup.
  • Shredded Cheese: For best results, shred your cheese from a block of cheddar. Pre-packaged shredded cheese contains starches and fillers to prevent clumping, which can make the melted cheese grainy or gritty and can affect the taste of the cheese.
  • Make it Gluten Free: Be sure your chicken broth is gluten free, with no hidden gluten or cross-contaminants.
  • Storage Instructions: Let soup cool completely, then refrigerate soup in an airtight container up to 3 days.
  • Freezer Instructions: Let soup cool completely, then transfer soup to a freezer-safe airtight container or food-safe sealable freezer bags. Keep frozen up to 3 months. Defrost soup overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
  • Reheating Instructions: Heat soup on stovetop over medium heat, stirring frequently, until warmed through. 

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 589calProtein: 22gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 2034mgPotassium: 813mgTotal Carbs: 28gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gNet Carbs: 25gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 278mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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