Instant Pot Poblano Cheddar Soup

4.81 from 21 votes

This warm & hearty Instant Pot Poblano Cheddar Soup is super delicious and fairly simple to make. You will go for the double serving for sure.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 334kcal

Author: simplyvegetarian777

Equipment

Instant Pot 6 quart or Mealthy Multipot
Measuring Spoons, Measuring Cups, Stirring Spoon,
Chopping board and knife
Blender
Inner Pot

Ingredients

Fresh Produce

2 Poblano Peppers large
1 Onion, white medium, chopped into small pieces
2 Celery Stalks chopped into small pieces
2 Potatoes, golden medium, chopped into 1 inches cubes
4 Garlic Cloves minced
1 Lime Juice
4 cups Corn Kernels fresh or frozen

Other Produce

1/2 cup Milk or Heavy cream (for more creamy texture)
4 tbsp Butter
6 cups Vegetable Stock
1 or more cup Cheddar, sharp you may use any kind of cheddar

Spices & Condiments

1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Oregano, Spanish or use whatever oregano you have
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika or use whatever paprika you have
Salt as needed

Instructions

Please read the whole post for more tips and recipe related information.
You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest & Twitter for regular updates. And don’t forget to sign up for our E-Letter whenever we publish a new post.

Roasting the Poblano Pepper (see notes for more options)

Toss the peppers directly onto the rack of the gas stove so they get in direct heat from the open flame. Keep the heat to medium and make sure that the flames are not touching the peppers too much. Use tongs to turn occasionally so all sides are roasted and slightly blackened and the skin begins to peel away.
Once the peppers are roasted and charred from all the sides, add them to a bowl and cover the bowl tightly with a lid or foil. This will let the peppers steam inside and will make it easy to peel the peppers when ready to be added to the soup.

Pressure Cooking Instructions

TIP - when chopping your vegetables, make sure that they are of the same size so that they cook evenly. In this case keep vegetables about 1 inch in size.
Insert the clean inner pot inside the IP and plug it in. Press SAUTE button and set on HIGH. Once the screen displays hot, add butter. As it melts add onion, and garlic to the pot. Saute till onions become soft, for about 2 minutes. Then add celery, potato, corn kernels to the pot. Give it a good stir. Cook further for 3 minutes. Now switch off the Saute Mode.
Add Salt, Smoked Paprika, Oregano, Cumin powder to the pot. Give a good stir and mix. Add vegetable stock and stir again.
Place the lid on the IP and set the valve to SEALING. Press PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL MODE and set it on high for 3 minutes. Once the timer goes off, follow QPR (quick pressure release). Carefully open the lid.

Putting Poblano Cheddar Soup Together

Take half of your soup from Instant Pot and blend it smooth into a fine puree in a blender.
Now open the poblano pepper bowl. The peppers are steamed enough to be peeled. Peel the top skin of the peppers and discard. Cut it and de seed the peppers to make it milder. I kept the seeds as my family loves the heat. Now chop these roasted peppers into 1 inch cubes.
Add the soup puree back to the rest of the soup along with milk or cream and chopped roasted poblano peppers. Press Saute again and set it on Normal. Once the soup starts bubbling, add shredded cheddar cheese. I used shredded extra sharp yellow cheddar. Cook for about 5 minutes till cheddar melts into the soup.
Serve it hot in bowls. Add good amount of lime juice if you like to bring that tang to it. It is one of the most delicious soups I have ever tasted. I am sure you will like it too.
If you would like then you may top it with some fried tortilla strips and cilantro leaves. Sprinkle some more paprika if you would like.

Notes

Prime Day Deal Sneak Peek: Kitchen

HOW TO ROAST WHOLE PEPPERS?

Grill: You can grill these on an outdoor grill. It can be a gas grill or charcoal grill. Heat the grill to a high heat and oil the grilling rack. Toss peppers onto the grill and let roast until the skins are cracked and blackening, turning occasionally so that all sides get roasted.
Gas Stove: This is what I did. Tossed the peppers directly onto the rack of the gas stove so they get in direct heat from the open flame. Keep the heat to medium and make sure that the flames are not touching the peppers directly. Use tongs to turn occasionally so all sides are roasted and slightly blackened and the skin begins to peel away.
Broiler: You can place your peppers on a baking sheet directly beneath the broiler in your oven. Roast under the broiler, turning occasionally, until peppers begin to blacken and the peel begins to crack.
Air Fryer: You can easily roast these in air fryer as well at 390/400*F for 8-10 minutes till these char. Turn occasionally for even grilling.

Once you’ve roasted your peppers using one of the above methods, place them immediately into a deep bowl and cover with a lid. Or wrap them up tight in a foil. The heat from the peppers will create steam. The trapped steam will loose the skins from the peppers and make them easy to peel off. After about 15 minutes of sitting, they should be ready to be peeled.

Can I make it Vegan Pepper Chowder?

Actually you can make any recipe vegan. Swap the dairy ingredients with non dairy ingredients. And you have a vegan chowder ready.

Is it a Gluten-free Chowder?

Yes this is absolutely a gluten-free recipe. Isn't that great? No flour added and still it is creamy and rich.

What kind of Cheddar do I use for this recipe?

I have used yellow color shredded Sharp cheddar for this recipe. But you can use mild or moderate yellow or white color cheddar for this recipe. Basically, you can use what suits you the best and personalize the recipe.

Can I make this recipe in advance?

This soup is best served fresh. But you can certainly prep for it in advance. Roast the peppers and keep them ready to be used. Do the basic pressure cooking of this soup and keep ready. And when ready to eat, just follow the final instructions of pureeing, adding cream/milk, cheddar and roasted poblano peppers while heating it up.

MORE INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPES

If you like your soups and chowders during the cold weather, then check these out -

Olive Garden Copycat Minestrone Soup

Panera Copycat Corn Chowder

Asian Sweet Corn Soup

Nutrition