Not New to Me, but...

Okay, so technically this isn't a new recipe, because Mike and I make it all the time. It's still new to you (hopefully), and Emily's been wanting to try it, so we invited the fam over for Halloween dinner and trick-or-treatings. I made this Cream of Poblano Soup and a favorite stand-by: Potato Soup. The Cream of Poblano recipe can be found in Dallas Dish (check it out at Cookbook Marketplace).

Before puréeing..

Here's one recipe we make just as-is, no need for any tweaks or changes. I take that back...we don't stir the cilantro into the entire pot of soup, opting instead to sprinkle into our individual bowls. Some people are predisposed to dislike cilantro, so serving it this way would be a safer bet for a crowd, anyway. Make sure you pick out really good, blemish-free chiles. Bruises and dark spots can make the entire pot not-so-great. The spice really varies per batch...we've had some that weren't spicy at all, one that was too spicy for me that Mike loved, and mostly those pots that are "just right."

Cream of Poblano Soup

3 poblano chiles, cut into halves and seeded
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup shopped carrots
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
¾ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste
Tortilla chips
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Sauté the chiles, onion and carrots in the butter in a saucepan or stockpot for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the stock gradually and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chiles are soft and the desired consistency is reached.

Process the chile mixture in a blender until puréed. (Do this is batches, and hold the lid down with a kitchen towel or hot pad. Sometimes it gets hot, causing you to let go of the lid and soup to fly about your kitchen. Just ask Mike.) Return the purée to the saucepan. Stir in the cream and cilantro. Season with salt.