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Creamy Chicken Soup With Poblanos And Black Beans

Creamy chicken soup with poblanos and black beans featuring roasted, charred poblano strips and a smoky, velvety cream broth. Shredded chicken and black beans simmer until tender, then finish with cream cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream for a thick, spoonable texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cooked and shredded.
Poblanos and Aromatics
  • 2 poblano peppers Roasted, peeled, and diced.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
Beans and Broth
  • 15 oz black beans Drained.
  • 4 cup chicken broth
Creamy Base
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 8 oz cream cheese Cubed.
Spices
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp chili powder
For Serving
  • 0.25 cilantro Chopped, for serving.
  • 1 lime Wedges, for serving.
  • 1 tortilla strips For serving.
Seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste.
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Roast and prep the poblanos
  1. Roast poblano peppers directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until charred, about 6-10 minutes total. Remove to a bowl, then peel, seed, and dice once cool enough to handle.
Build the smoky onion base
  1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the onion for 4 minutes, stirring until softened. Add the minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder and cook 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
Simmer the soup
  1. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the cubed cream cheese until melted and smooth, then simmer 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add the shredded chicken, drained black beans, and diced poblanos. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and the flavors meld.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the heavy cream and sour cream, then season with salt and black pepper to taste. Continue simmering gently for 2-3 minutes just to warm without boiling.
  2. Serve hot with cilantro, lime wedges, and tortilla strips on top.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, melt the cream cheese over a gentle simmer and avoid a hard boil after adding the dairy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months, though dairy-based soups may slightly change texture after thawing. For a lighter option, swap the heavy cream and sour cream for evaporated milk and a plain low-fat Greek yogurt topping added off-heat.