Green Chile Tomatillo Soup

(recipe, Matthew Barker)

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Introduction

Fresh, roasted green chiles and roasted skinned tomatillos make a lightly spicy and luscious pureed soup all on there own. Add a bit of potato and/or cream to make this soup thicker or creamier as you see fit (instructions included!). This Green Chile Tomatillo Soup make s a great starter to any Mexican or Southwest meal, or a lunch or light dinner all on its own with a green salad and some toasted corn tortillas or corn tortilla chips.

Ingredients

12 fresh mild green chiles, such as Hatch chiles or poblano chiles
8 fresh tomatillos
1 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (preferably Homemade Chicken Broth)
½ tsp. salt plus more to taste
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped (optional, it will make the soup thicker)
¼ cup heavy cream (optional, it will make the soup creamier)
Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Steps

Roast and peel chiles (use either the stove-top method or broiler method). Remove papery skins from tomatillos. With the stove flame or oven broiler still on, roast the tomatillos until lightly blistered. Set aside until cool enough to handle and peel off as much of the skin as possible.
In a medium pot, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chiles, tomatillos, broth, salt, and potato, if using. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes to thoroughly cook vegetables and blend flavors.
Whirl, in batches if necessary, in a blender or food processor until very smooth (you can also use a hand-held blender if you have one). Add cream, if using. Add more salt to taste.
Serve hot, garnished with cilantro, if you like.