Poblano, leek, and potato soup

I love poblano peppers. I’m not entirely sure when I discovered them, but they were a revelation and for the past few years I have been addicted. While they are a little bit finicky to prepare, I love the smokiness and slightly hot bite they lend to dishes. I try to use them whenever I can, and soups are a particularly great vessel. This is one I concocted for the first time just recently. This recipe makes quite a thick soup. You can use a bit more water or stock if you prefer it a little thinner.

This ugly poblano really packs some delicious flavour when it's roasted.

5-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 or 2 poblano peppers. I’d go for 2 as it makes it a bit hotter and gives more of the poblano flavour.

2 big or three small leeks

3 medium potatoes

3 litres chicken or vegetable stock

1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano or marjoram

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Roast the poblano. If you have a bbq or gas stove, char the skin over the flame. If you have an electric stove, put it under the broiler for 10-15 minutes turning it so all sides get charred.  Put the hot pepper in a bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it sit/steam for 10 minutes or more. The skin should now come off easily when you rub it.  Remove as much as you can then cut out the stem and seed. Rinse the to get all the black stuff off and remove the final few stubborn seeds. Then roughly slice or chop.

Clean the leeks: chop the top darkest green bit off, then slice the leek in half longways, but not all the way so you don’t have two pieces. This should give you access to all the dirt that hides inbetween the layers when you rinse it.

Slice the leeks. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. You can peel them if you want but most of the time, I’m not bothered with that nonsense.

Sweating the leeks

Melt the butter along with olive oil in a medium to large pot. When it starts bubbling add the leeks and about a teaspoon of salt. On a med-high heat, let it all sweat and get delicious and soft for about 10 or 15 minutes.

Add the stock, and a bit of extra water — maybe ½ a cup — as well as the potatoes, poblano, oregano, a pinch more salt and pepper to the level you prefer (I love lots of pepper but others are not so enthusiastic about it.). Bring it all to the boil and once it’s boiling turn the heat down and simmer for half an hour.

Let's get smooth and silky.

Once it’s cooked, use a hand blender to make it smooth and creamy. Do it for longer than you think you should, about 3-4 minutes because that will ensure it’s very luscious and free of chunks.  If it’s too thick, add a bit of water or stock. Taste to make sure it’s got enough salt and pepper and serve.

We like to have this hearty soup with a grilled cheese or turkey sandwich for dinner. It’s a great weekday meal and there’s usually leftovers for lunch the next day.

This poblano, leek, and potato soup is a keeper.

© 2016 Gail J. Cohen