Name: Cheesy Chili Relleno Soup with Chicken – Tex-Mex Comfort
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 3 medium poblano peppers; 2 cups cooked shredded chicken; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 4 cups chicken broth; 1 cup heavy cream; 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional, for garnish)

If You Love Chili Rellenos, This Soup’s For You (And Me!)

Alright, let me set the scene—it’s raining outside, the cat is giving me side-eye from the edge of the counter, and I’m/we’re all craving something cheesy, warm, and maybe a little spicy. That’s when I break out my go-to: Cheesy Chili Relleno Soup with Chicken. Honestly, I made it on a random Tuesday night once, and now it’s a family must-have, no matter the weather—although, it’s particularly magical when there’s a chill in the air. Okay, funny story: first time I served it, my husband thought I’d ordered takeout because (his words, not mine) “no way homemade soup tastes this creamy.” If only he knew how many dishes it took… but let’s not get into that right now!

Why I Keep Coming Back To This Soup

I make this when I just want a dinner that bulls-eyes the comfort spot, quick-ish, but still a bit fancy-ish. My family goes nuts for it because—you guessed it—all the cheese. There was a time I tried to lighten it up, swapping in half the cheese, and my dad actually asked if I’d made soup or sadness. (Lesson learned.) If you’ve got leftover rotisserie chicken, it’s even easier, and I love that, because who doesn’t forget to defrost chicken now and then? And it’s one of those recipes that forgives your shortcuts and rough measurements. Even if you dump in too many chiles (guilty), it’s still darn tasty.

Stuff You’ll Need (And Some Swaps I Swear By)

2 tablespoons butter (once I used olive oil—does the trick, but butter’s better for comfort, imho)
1 onion, chopped (yellow, white, or whatever is on sale at the store…I can’t tell a difference in this testy soup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (the jarred stuff is fine; who has time to mince by hand after 5pm?)
3-4 roasted poblano peppers, peeled and chopped (or a 7-oz can of whole green chiles if you’re on the struggle bus)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano, if you have it–my grandma always insisted, but I use whatever’s in the spice drawer)
4 cups chicken broth (bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water work great in a pinch)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie, poached, grilled leftovers—I’m not picky)
2 cups shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or “the more cheese, the better”—melty is the main thing!)
1 cup half-and-half (or go wild with heavy cream; milk works but isn’t as lush)
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, but I love the pop of color)
Crushed tortilla chips, for topping (or whatever salty crunchy thing you love—sometimes I use those corn dippers from Trader Joe’s)

$Cheesy Chili Relleno Soup with Chicken – Tex-Mex Comfort$

How I Actually Make It (With All My Little Side Notes)

Melt the butter in a big pot (I use my trusty Dutch oven—I think it’s from Target?). Toss in the chopped onion and let it sizzle till soft, probably 7 minutes, stirring while you hunt for the garlic you swear you had yesterday.
Add minced garlic, poblano peppers, cumin, and oregano. Give it a good stir and inhale. (This is where I usually sneak a taste of the peppers—sometimes one is a sneaky spicy one!)
Pour in the chicken broth and add the shredded chicken. Bring it all up to a friendly simmer. Don’t worry if it looks a bit weird at this stage—a little color separation is normal. Just stir it and trust the process.
Reduce the heat. Slowly stir in the cheese a handful at a time, letting each batch melt before adding more. Honestly, the gradual melting is key unless you like cheese blobs (ask me how I know).
Pour in the half-and-half and gently heat—don’t let it full-on boil or things could get weirdly grainy. Season with salt and pepper.
(Optional) Stir in fresh cilantro at the end, or leave it out if your kid is suspicious of green bits.
Ladle into bowls, pile on crushed chips, and go to town. And seriously, pause for at least 10 seconds to bask in the cheesy aroma. It’s mandatory.

A Few Notes: Read Before Diving In

I once tried fire roasting my own poblanos on the stovetop, and let’s just say my smoke alarm is still mad at me. Canned is perfectly fine, I promise.
If things split (the cheese separates a bit), just give it a good stir. It still tastes like cheesy heaven.
I’ve found that doubling makes leftovers, and this tastes even better the next day—assuming you actually have leftovers. In my house? Fat chance.

$Cheesy Chili Relleno Soup with Chicken – Tex-Mex Comfort$

Variations (Some Winners, Some Not-So-Much)

Vegetarian? Skip the chicken, add a can of black beans. Still hearty, maybe even cheesier.
I tried this once with jalapeños instead of poblanos—whew, that’s for the brave (or the reckless).
Sometimes I stir in a scoop of cooked rice near the end, just for fun. Adds a nice bite, but don’t overdo it—rice is a sneaky soup-thief!
(Confession) I once tried it with smoked gouda. Tasted…interesting. Not my fave, but go wild if you’re feeling adventurous.

Tools I Use—But You Don’t Need Fancy Gear

I love my Dutch oven for this (that thing’s a workhorse), but honestly, any big pot will do. If you don’t have an immersion blender and like a smoother soup, a regular blender works—just let it cool a couple mins and do it in small batches so you avoid launching soup all over the place (voice of experience here).

$Cheesy Chili Relleno Soup with Chicken – Tex-Mex Comfort$

How To Store (If You Manage Not To Eat It All)

Just pop it in an airtight container and stash in the fridge; it holds up for about three days, but, honestly, it never gets that far at my house. You can freeze it, but the cheese can make it a bit grainy when reheated—still tasty, just not as creamy. I will say, it tastes even better after a night in the fridge.

Here’s How I Like To Serve It (But Do Your Thing!)

I always serve with a mountain of tortilla chips, a wedge of lime, and a little sliced avocado on top if I’m feeling flush. Sometimes, if I really want to do it up, I make cornbread—my kids fight over the corner pieces. Oh, try it with a drizzle of Valentina hot sauce (I swear by the stuff).

Pro Tips (Aka, The Mistakes I’ve Made So You Don’t Have To)

I once tried to throw in all the cheese at once—bad move, turned the soup stringy. Add it slow, trust me.
Don’t let it boil after you add the dairy. I did once, out of impatience; ended up with a weird curdled mess. Not fun.
If you use cream, stir lots as it heats. Otherwise, it forms that skin on top. Not the end of the world, just annoying.

Soup Questions I Get All The Time (Because My Friends Are Nosy)

Is this spicy? Not really—poblanos are mild, but you never know, sometimes you get a wild card! Add jalapeño if you want to spice things up, but I usually don’t (kids, ya know?).
Can I make this in a slow cooker? Probably, but you’ll want to stir in the cheese and half-and-half at the end so it doesn’t go weird. I did it once, forgot to add the cheese late, and it separated. Still edible but not pretty!
Is there a vegan way? Oh, for sure—skip the chicken, add beans, and use your favorite vegan cheese and plant milk. Actually, I find it works better if you add a squeeze of lime to boost the flavor at the end when you go vegan.
Can I freeze this? Technically, yes. But it can get kind of grainy after thawing, so if that bugs you, probably just eat it fresh (which is what my whole crew pretty much does anyway).
What’s Tex-Mex exactly? I get this a lot! It’s basically Mexican food with a Texas twist—think cheesy, hearty, and sometimes a little wild with the toppings. There’s a good breakdown here at Serious Eats if you’re curious.

And there it is! My not-so-secret, super-cozy, cheese-loaded, Tex-Mex comfort soup. Hope it hits the spot for you like it does for us (just don’t let the cat steal your chips).

Cheesy Chili Relleno Soup with Chicken – Tex-Mex Comfort

If You Love Chili Rellenos, This Soup’s For You (And Me!)

Why I Keep Coming Back To This Soup

Stuff You’ll Need (And Some Swaps I Swear By)

How I Actually Make It (With All My Little Side Notes)

A Few Notes: Read Before Diving In

Variations (Some Winners, Some Not-So-Much)

Tools I Use—But You Don’t Need Fancy Gear

How To Store (If You Manage Not To Eat It All)

Here’s How I Like To Serve It (But Do Your Thing!)

Pro Tips (Aka, The Mistakes I’ve Made So You Don’t Have To)

Soup Questions I Get All The Time (Because My Friends Are Nosy)