Festive Roasted Green Chile Soup

I love making red or green-colored foods this time of year! This soup is a perfect cold-weather comforting soup, and easy to throw together after a busy day.

I love to make roasted red bell pepper soup, but decided to try a twist on that and use green chiles. I think I like this soup even better - the green chiles are delicious in a cream base. I used poblanos, one of the milder chiles, because I love the mellow but full flavored taste. To add just a little heat, I used one jalepeno, which was an excellent combination of flavor and heat. Don't skip the roasting step - this makes the soup have a wonderful roasted flavor.

Roasted Green Chile Soup

2 medium yellow onions, diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, diced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
About 1 pound any combination green chile peppers,(I like mostly poblanos with one jalapeño)
2 cans (14 ounces each) low sodium vegetable stock
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 pint half and half
1 cup light sour cream
A few dashes ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the onions in butter in a large stockpot over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in flour until absorbed.

Meanwhile, cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove stem, seeds and pulp. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and broil (or grill) until skins are dark brown. Remove from heat, let cool and dice.

Add to stockpot the diced chiles, stock, and vinegar. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until liquid is reduced in half. Stir in cream and simmer another 10 minutes. Blend mixture with a stick blender in pot or place soup in blender in batches and blend until very smooth.

Stir in sour cream, cumin and salt and pepper as desired. Serve warm, with a spoonful of sour cream and diced ripe avocados as garnishes if desired. Serves 4 to 6.

-- Posted by Donna