Artichoke

Creamy Artichoke & Green Chile Soup

by:
March 29, 2023
4.5
10 Ratings
Creamy Artichoke & Green Chile Soup
Photo by Ty Mecham
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 3 to 4
Author Notes

This recipe was inspired by a soup from Wil Yeung that's lush—and entirely vegan—thanks to a little cashew cream and a thinly sliced potato, which add richness and body, respectively. Most importantly, Wil rinses the potato after slicing to get rid of any extra starch that could make the soup gluey.

For this riff, I brought in the flavors of two beloved soups served at Duarte’s—a 129-year-old tavern in the tiny California fishing village of Pescadero—Cream of Artichoke Soup and Green Chile Soup. If you can’t decide, order them half and half and they’ll elegantly swirl the two soups together, like latte art in a bowl.

A few tips:
1. Frozen artichoke hearts are the closest to freshly cooked, but they aren’t always easy to find. Canned artichoke hearts are more widely available and, when drained and rinsed, work great, too (but note you won’t need as much salt or lemon). For the crispy bits, you can swap in drained marinated artichoke quarters—delicious and no extra oil or salt needed!

2. If you’re not using a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix), Wil recommends soaking the cashews overnight for maximum smoothness. If you’re having any trouble blending the cashews, feel free to add a few tablespoons of water or the broth from the soup pot.

3. The heat level of poblanos, like any fresh chile, will vary, so you can’t predict the exact spiciness of your soup here (adventure!). Your best clue will be tasting or smelling the chile when you cut in: If it stings your nose, you’ve got a hot one and can adjust to your taste and mood.

4. Unless you're using a homemade or boxed stock you know to be delicious, you’re better off with plain water or a quick stock made from Better Than Bouillon.
—Kristen Miglore

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Creamy Artichoke & Green Chile Soup
Ingredients
  • For the crispy artichoke bits:
  • 16 ounces frozen artichoke hearts
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • For the soup:
  • 8 ounces frozen artichoke hearts
  • 1 large onion (about 12 ounces)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium Russet potato (about 10 ounces)
  • 2 poblano chiles (about 9 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 4 cups vegetable stock (homemade or Better Than Bouillon) or water
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
Directions
  1. Make the crispy artichoke bits: Heat the oven to 425°F. Thaw the 16 ounces frozen artichokes in a bowl of warm water. When they’re no longer cold to the touch, about 10 minutes, drain, then roll them in a clean kitchen towel to dry well while you prep the vegetables for the soup.
  2. Slice the onion in thick slices and lightly crush the garlic cloves with the side of your knife. Scrub the potato under running water, then slice it thinly. Rinse the slices well in a small bowl under running water to remove extra starch, then drain. Slice the poblano in half longways and scrape the core and stem out with your knife (don’t worry about getting all the seeds).
  3. Unroll the well-dried artichoke hearts onto your cutting board and slice longways into ½-inch pieces. On a large sheet pan, toss the sliced artichokes with olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Roast in the oven till the edges are crispy, curling, and golden, about 20 minutes, tossing with a spatula halfway through. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt to taste and set aside till the soup is done.
  4. Make the soup: Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden at the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the poblanos, potatoes, remaining 8 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, a big pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the pepper has brightened, about 4 minutes. Add the stock or water, turn up the heat slightly to bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 10 minutes.
  5. Make the cashew cream: Add the cashews, ¼ cup water, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. (Don’t worry about any little bits of cashew on the sides of the blender—they’ll blend smooth when you add the rest of the soup.)
  6. Carefully ladle the soup into the blender with the cashew cream. (If your blender is more than ¾ full, do this in two batches.) Remove the center of the lid to let steam escape, cover the open hole with a folded kitchen towel, and blend until very smooth.
  7. Ladle the soup into bowls. Squeeze the lemon juice over it all, adjust the salt to taste, and serve sprinkled with the crispy artichoke bits.
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8 Reviews

MBE
MBE November 8, 2024
Delicious but does not outshine our Creme de Poblano. I may combine the two recipes and use the crispy artichoke bits as a garnish in the more poblano forward Crema de Chili Poblano
 
sfchicken
sfchicken March 3, 2024
I love Duarte's and I love this recipe. Yes, the technique is genius! I prefer a lot more poblano peppers- 5 big ones and I roast them over an open flame for a lovely smoky flavor. The cashew cream is brilliant, as are the crispy artichoke bits.
 
Jane
Jane March 1, 2024
This is so good! Has anyone frozen it? I know that potatoes don't always freeze so well, so wondering how this will hold up.
 
Jen
Jen January 29, 2024
This is Next Level soup! I used canned artichokes and had to substitute shallots for onion, pecans for cashews and tossed the nuts in with the soup while it simmered. It all then went into a food processor and was really delish. The roasted artichoke crisps were great.
Keep these types of recipes coming. Thank you
 
Jaxmccaff
Jaxmccaff December 3, 2023
This was delicious! The crispy artichoke are an essential garnish for the soup. Delicious, creamy and easy. Will make again!
 
Alejandra M.
Alejandra M. November 10, 2023
I love this soup! I sent Kristen Miglore the original mushroom soup that this recipe is based on, because I thought it was a very clever method, but I have to say that she turned that into this even better one, the combination of artichokes and poblano peppers is sublime, and the fact that you can make this very easily with frozen artichokes is fantastic. I have this soup on a regular rotation in my house, I can't recommend it enough.
 
Clareobrien726
Clareobrien726 June 7, 2023
I really love this soup! I add the cashews in to cook with all the other ingredients rather than making them separately in the blender (unclear why this is in the recipe). Simmering them with the soup essentially quick soaks them so the soup is really creamy!
 
bobbie J.
bobbie J. May 8, 2023
I didn't have poblanos, but I had 2 small cans (8 oz. total) of hatch chilis. This soup is SO delicious! I have it on the stove right now - haven't gotten to the vegan cream, or the crispy artichoke bits yet, but I can say that it's already amazing! Just a touch of heat with the artichokes. Great combination! Really glad I stumbled on this recipe!