Creamy Corn Soup with Chicken and Poblano Chile

While in TX for Jeremy and Ann’s wedding I went shopping. I bought a Rick Bayless Mexican Everyday Cookbook. Yes, I realize that he cooks in Chicago. Been there and really liked it. I think he is the most creative cook in the US today. Having been there, I thought most of his cookbooks too hard and ingredients unobtainable in this area. The home cook appealed and we were eating a lot of good Mexican food while in TX. Today, it was announced that he will be cooking for the next State dinner for the President of Mexico. Weather here is awful, cold, rainy and overcast. So I thought this soup would make a great meal for tonight.


Makes 6 cups, 4 servings
1 large fresh poblano chili
1T vegetable or EVOO, I used EVOO
1 small white onion sliced ¼ “thick
2 garlic cloves
3C corn kernels
1T cornstarch
1 qt. milk
12-14 OZ boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into ½” cubes, it took three
Salt, approximately 1 ½ t
¼ C chopped cilantro for garnish, I used flat leaf parsley. I can only take cilantro in small amounts.
I put the garlic and onion on the stove in the oil and proceeded to roast the chili on the burner next to it. Cook the onion and garlic for about 7 minutes on medium. Turn the chili constantly until charred on all sides and wrap in a kitchen towel. After the onion and garlic are golden, place in the food processor with the corn and 1 1/2C milk. Set a Mouli food mill over the pan you cooked the onion and garlic in. Use the finest disc and strain the mixture into the pan. This makes a very creamy mixture. Bring this to a simmer over medium heat whishing frequently. Meanwhile rub off the blackened skin of the chili and pull out the core and seeds. Chop in a ¼” dice. Add to the pot. Add the salt, remaining milk and chicken. Simmer until the chicken is cooked. Sprinkle with the garnish.
This is the best corn soup I have ever tasted and it can be made many ways
Instead of chicken:
• Add cubed ham
• For vegetarian, add cubed zucchini or asparagus
• For seafood add shrimp or crab. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon
I can hardly wait to cook from this book again. As we were reading the article in the Wine Spectator from Paso Robles that we visited a couple years ago, we had a Vina Robles White, 2009. It went perfectly.