Chile Relleno Soup may just be my most popular soup recipe EVER. It’s creamy and cheesy, and chockfull of roasted poblanos and tender chicken. With 31 grams of protein and only 5.5g carbs, it’s, hearty, healthy, and delicious!
This wonderfully cheesy Chile Relleno Chicken Soup recipe has graced the pages of this website since 2015. From the moment I hit publish, it became one of my most popular keto soup recipes. And it remains so to this day.
It’s so rich and flavorful, and perfect for a chilly day. All the flavor from the roasted poblanos, cheddar, and garlic make it ridiculously satisfying. We make pots and pots of this stuff during the winter because the whole family loves it.
And many readers express the same. This is a recipe worthy of obsession!
If you love Mexican style soups, be sure to check out Chicken Enchilada Soup and my Keto White Chicken Chili! And don’t miss this Roasted Poblano Sauce, which is delicious over chicken, pork, and fish.
Why we love it
This is a recipe that even the low carb skeptics love, because it’s so rich and flavorful. It has all the same mouthwatering flavor of a Chile relleno in a velvety broth, with chunks of chicken for added nutrition.
In case you are unfamiliar, Chile rellenos are a popular Mexican dish that features poblano peppers stuffed with cheese and fried in an egg batter. They are seriously tasty, but the batter doesn’t make them particularly keto-friendly.
Since I love cheese and I love roasted poblanos, I knew those flavors would work well in a soup. I added chicken for a more hearty meal, skipped the flour (obviously), and used cream cheese to help thicken the broth and make it ultra-creamy.
And then I topped it with sliced cheese and broiled it for a delectable melty, cheesy twist. It was an instant success! And with 31g of protein, it makes an ideal low carb, high protein recipe.
Reader Reviews
“I have never left a comment on any recipes I’ve tried, but this is the exception! My husband & I are so in love! It was amazing! Thank you so much for the wonderful addition to my extensive soup ‘collection.’ This one will remain on the top of the list!” — Ann W.
“This soup is amazing! If you are on the fence about trying it, leap right on over and get’r’done! This will probably be the best soup you’ve ever made! Carolyn, my keto journey is becoming a lifestyle thanks to your wonderful recipes. Keep them coming, please!❤️” — Kathy
“This soup is delicious! Shared it with some friends who are picky eaters and they loved it. Pepper jack on top definitely adds that extra little kick. My husband loves that he can enjoy and not have to worry about a spike in his glucose levels. Cant wait to try some of your other soup recipes.” — Josie
Ingredients you need
- Poblano peppers: These large green peppers are typically quite mild and not spicy. If you don’t want to roast them yourself, you can used fire-roasted canned green chilies. If you like more heat, you can use Hatch Green Chilies which come in mild, medium and hot varieties.
- Boneless skinless chicken: You can use thighs or breasts. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken and add it at the very end.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese for extra creaminess.
- Cheddar cheese: You can use sharp or mild cheddar. Shred it yourself or use pre-shredded
- Sliced cheddar or pepper jack cheese: I like to top each bowl of soup with a slice of cheese and place it under the broiler to melt and brown. You don’t have to do this but it’s a nice touch!
- Kitchen staples: Butter, onion, garlic, chicken bone broth, cumin, salt and pepper.
Step-by-step directions
1. Roast the peppers: Roast the poblano peppers until the skin is charred and blistered. You can do this over the open flame on a gas stove, or by heating your broiler to high and placing poblanos within a few inches of the broiler (turning to get all sides charred).
2. Remove the skins: Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool, then rub the skin to remove as much as possible. Cut out the seeds and then place in a food processor or blender to finely chop. Set aside.
3. Sauté the vegetables: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and poblanos and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Simmer the soup: Stir in the chicken broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the chicken pieces and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
5. Blend it up: Add the cream cheese and the cheddar to the same blend or processor in which you chopped the poblanos. Add about 1 cup of the hot broth from the soup. Blend until smooth and then stir back into the soup.
6. To serve: Preheat the broiler. Dish the soup into individual ovenproof bowl and float a slice of cheese on top. Set under the broiler, about 6 inches from the heat and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Expert tips
If you are using canned chilies, you will want two 7-ounce cans or at least there 4-ounce cans. Drain off the liquid and chop them finely before adding to the soup.
The peppers can be roasted ahead of time. You can also roast, peel and the freeze the peppers in a reseable bag for up to 1 year. This is a great way to roast a big batch of peppers and you just grab a bag whenever you have a craving for this dreamy soup.
If you are adding cheese on top to broil, get the large square deli slices. They fit nicely over the top of most soup bowls, so they won’t sink in as you try to float it on top.
You can garnish your soup with some chopped avocados, green onions, cilantro, sour cream or some hot sauce, if you like some extra heat.
Recipe FAQs
Poblano peppers are usually quite mild, so you won’t find this soup recipe spicy. If you prefer it spicy, you can add some jalapeños or use medium or hot Hatch chiles instead.
This keto chicken poblano soup recipe has 7.5g of carbs and 2.0g of fiber per serving. That comes to 5.5g net carbs per cup of soup.
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing this one, as the creamy can make it split during the freezing and thawing process.
More delicious comfort food meals
Chile Relleno Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium poblano peppers
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups chicken bone broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken (thighs or breasts) cut into ½ inch pieces
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 slices cheddar or pepper jack cheese (thin sandwich slices, ¾ ounce each)
Instructions
- Roast the poblano peppers until the skin is charred and blistered. You can do this over the open flame on a gas stove, or by heating your broiler to high and placing poblanos within a few inches of the broiler (turning to get all sides charred).
- Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool, then rub the skin to remove as much as possible. Cut out the seeds and then place in a food processor or blender to finely chop. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and poblanos and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the chicken broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the chicken pieces and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese and the cheddar to the same blend or processor in which you chopped the poblanos. Add about 1 cup of the hot broth from the soup (avoid getting any of the chicken in there). Blend until smooth and then stir back into the soup.
- To serve: Preheat the broiler. Dish the soup into individual ovenproof bowl and float a slice of cheese on top. Set under the broiler, about 6 inches from the heat and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Lori says
This is the best low carb chili relleno recipe I have ever made. sometimes I will get on a roll and make them several days in one week. I have never made the sauce, I just use a low carb green or red sauce from the store.
http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/chiles-rellenos-29565
Gonna try this soup!
Judy says
Great, added a can of Trader Joe corn and three cups of cheese. Husband went nuts, a keeper
Anna-Marie Mars says
I made this last night with the real hatch green chile and it was outstanding!!! Thank you for the recipe.
Carolyn says
You’re welcome!
Denise S. says
Wonderful, great recipe…..I will make this over and over.
Katie G says
I really wanted this soup but I was pressed for time, so I subbed out two cans of diced green chilies for the poblano peppers, one hot and one cold. It was still delicious!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Katie G says
I meant one hot and one mild, not cold! 🙂
Sarah M. says
I was wondering! Lol
Deanne L Nikitin says
What size can chillis did you use ?
Emily R. Smith says
Is the chili supposed to be boiled before rolling with chicken ? Or can I just cut the peppers and put a strip in?
Carolyn says
They are supposed to be charred, skinned and then chopped, as per the instructions.
Carolyn says
I’ve never been a soup lover, but I’ve made this three times since you first posted the recipe – I love it!
Ben says
Oh man, this soup is amazing. I pour it over a bowl of steamed vegetables and it’s a super filling meal. I tried using Neufchâtel the last time and didn’t taste any difference, and the Neufchâtel blended in quite well. I’ve also used 4 pasillas when I can’t find poblanos, in case any of those substitutions is helpful for someone.
Amber says
What can one use instead of bone broth? I really have never had any luck making it and I honestly don’t want to make it. Can I use chicken broth instead?
Carolyn says
Yup, that will be fine.
Robin Pierce says
This soup is fantastic! Definitely a keeper. I was lazy and didn’t whiz the parts that the recipes calls to whiz, I just chopped up everything threw it in the pot. It was AWESOME!
Marcia says
also posted this over on It’s a sweet life
I love this – it was a big hit for us.
I think the calculations are off – can you clarify?
I calculated the macronutrients for this to serve 6 as stated
per serving: total recipe:
cal 381.8 2291
carbs 8.2 49
fiber 1.2 7
fat 29.3 29.3
protein 22.8 137
Carolyn says
I use MacGourmet, which pulls from the USDA database of nutritional counts. That’s all I have to say because it’s going to depend a lot on what you use and where it gets the data. I trust the USDA database to be accurate.
Lorraine says
This recipe popped up the day I thawed a batch of freshly roasted Hatch poblano peppers, serendipity! Chile relleno is my favorite Mexican dish!
It was a HUGE hit and I made a double batch that gave us 2 meals, a container for my daughter to take home and another for the freezer.
6 servings? Ha! Ha! Not when everyone has seconds!
Sally says
Curious whether this froze well. We love it and I was thinking about making some and freezing it to take camping in our RV. We are doing a 4 week road trip and I need to have some things that are premade.
Laura B says
OMG! This soup is fabulously delicious! I made it last week and both my husband and I had to have seconds. I ate the leftovers all week for lunch – it got spicier and spicier (Yum!). Thank you so much for such a delicious, creamy, satisfying soup!
Carolyn says
Glad you liked it.
Karen says
I made this for dinner yesterday. Oh my! Absolutely delicious! Carolyn, your recipes are always amazing, and this is going into permanent rotation at our house. Thank you!
Jan says
I made this soup and it was great! I’ve always liked chilis relleno, and this was definitely a credible soup version. Thanks!
Amy says
Is it spicy?
Wally Roode says
It’s as spicy as you want it to be.
Wally Roode says
Remember, spicy does not mean HOT. Cinnamon is spicy, but is not hot. Cardamom is spicy, but not hot. I could go on.
Serene @ House of Yumm says
Carolyn this looks wonderful! Love the changes you made, I’m thinking I need to add chicken next time I make mine 🙂 Thanks for linking back. xo
Carolyn says
Thanks, Serene. I thought the idea was absolutely brilliant but my readers can’t have flour like that. So this was my low carb version.
Kellie says
Can you make a crockpot version ??
Deborah @ The Harvest Kitchen says
This soup looks amazing!! Great combo of flavors! I especially like the add of the chicken and the omit of the flour!!!
Sarah G says
Thanks. Silly internet.
Oh yeah, definitely want it breaded and fried! We just got a fryer too.
Sarah G says
Looks so good! I was always ordering chile rellenos from the local Mexican restaurant and feeling proud of my low-carb, gluten-free discovery. Then I found out the outer, fried cheese layer had breading in it. 🙁 So, this is a great alternative.
Carolyn says
Some recipes just seem to dip them in egg, I think. I may need to come up with a good low carb chile relleno recipe!
Sarah G says
Here’s the link: http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2014/09/cheesy-chicken-stuffed-poblanos-low-carb-gluten-free.html The other one is from looking up my son’s confirmation saint. Oops, Sorry, please delete that one.
Carolyn says
Trashed it for you. 🙂 I know she has that recipe but I don’t think it’s quite the same because it’s not breaded and fried?
Jennifer says
When you do, please share!!
Donns says
Do you honestly think all that cheese is better for your health than a little flour now and then? Donna
Carolyn says
As a matter of fact, I really do. Honestly. And science is increasingly coming down on my side of things…sadly, nutrition advice is slow to change and catch up with the science.
Robin says
I eat the low carb way now and yes it is healthier and contrary to what you would think my fat just seems to melt away. Everyone notices the weight loss and I did it just to be healthier. Side note who said it was healthier the other way UMMM the same people who taught us the food pyramid and now had to revise that. Old studies were not accurate sad to say I grew up in the misinformed era.
VA says
I recently transitioned back to LCHF after several years away and convinced husband to switch, too. He has high cholesterol and I had to research quite a bit of science to show him this is safe. My point is simply that there has been quite a bit of research on this vs. low fat. One is not necessarily better, but LCHF had been shown to have faster results.
Wally Roode says
How is it that we lived sixty thousand years Learning to grow corn, wheat and rice and all kinds of agriculture, and survived to this day? Sure we ate meat the whole time, Killed bison and woolly mammoths and made use of every part of the animals. Now, suddenly, Carbs are a BAD thing?
Carolyn says
Actually, agriculture only began about 10 to 12 thousand years ago. And it has been hard on our health ever since. I wrote a research paper in grad school on this very subject. While grains can support a lot more people, they don’t support them in good health. Chronic conditions like diabetes, dental caries and diseases of nutritional deficiency are common in the remains of people living in agricultural societies. Whereas hunter-gatherers show signs of annual nutritional distress, they often have better overall health and lower incidence of disease.
Donna Hardin says
I cannot wait to try…chile relleno is one of my favorite meal choices when we eat out!
Robbie Cummings says
Where did you find the recipe? All I have seen is advertisements. and NO place to even print the recipe because there isn’t one here.
Patti says
Under the last picture there is a link to click on that says “Please see My Low Carb Chile Rellano Chicken Soup on A Sweet Life”.