Roasted Corn and Poblano Soup: A Bright Spot in an Otherwise Forgettable Meal

Some meals come together perfectly, where every dish shines and complements the others. And then there are meals like the one I made Friday night—where one dish steals the show, leaving the others best forgotten. I had planned to write this blog about the entire meal, but, well… the sous-vided Chilean sea bass was underwhelming, despite being served on a bed of sautéed spinach with a hint of nutmeg, and the mushroom risotto was so salty I might as well have made it with seawater. We also had roasted carrots, which were fine, but they couldn’t save the meal.

So, let’s skip all that and focus on the real highlight: a roasted corn and poblano soup that turned out absolutely fantastic.

Ingredients

• 64 ounces low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)

• 4 ears of corn

• 2 poblano peppers

• 1 onion, diced

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 can of corn (for added sweetness and body)

• 3 teaspoons garam masala

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1 lime, juiced

• Olive oil, for roasting and sautéing

The Process

I started by roasting four ears of corn and two poblano peppers on the grill. Before they hit the flames, I tossed them in olive oil, salt, and pepper to bring out their natural sweetness and depth. The goal was a good char on both, which added a nice smoky element to the soup. Once they were nicely blistered, I set them aside to cool.

  

While the roasted ingredients were cooling, I sautéed a diced onion in olive oil with a little pepper. Once the onion softened, I added four minced cloves of garlic, letting them cook until fragrant. To build the base of the soup, I added a can of corn (yes, canned corn—because sometimes convenience is king) along with 64 ounces of low-sodium chicken and vegetable broth.

As the broth simmered, I got back to the roasted ingredients. I removed the kernels from the corn cobs and peeled the poblano peppers, dicing them large because Jacque isn’t a fan of peppers. I wanted them big enough for her to pick out, but if she weren’t eating it, I probably would have diced them smaller.

At this point, I used my immersion blender to blend everything in the pot until smooth. Then, I added back the roasted corn kernels and diced poblanos, along with garam masala, cumin, and lime juice. The result? A warm, comforting soup with just the right balance of smokiness, spice, and brightness.

Final Thoughts

This soup turned out light but hearty, flavorful but not overpowering. Next time, I’d probably finish it with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro for a little extra freshness. But even without those additions, this dish was the clear winner of the night.

As for the Chilean sea bass on spinach and the mushroom risotto? Let’s just say they won’t be getting their own blog post anytime soon.

Until next time—here’s to the dishes that shine, even when the rest of the meal doesn’t.