Jalapeño Popper Soup

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

Jalapeño Popper Soup

A hearty, creamy, flavorful soup made with potatoes, jalapeños, bacon, and cheese.

Prep: 15

Cook: 30

Total: 45

Yield: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 1-1 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.

Notes

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.

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik