Green Chile Cheese Soup

Green Chile and Cheese Soup Recipe

I like this soup because it has the perfect balance of creamy and spicy flavors and always turns out delicious. I can already tell this one will be one of my favorite comfort foods during the cooler months.

A handful of fresh and flavorful ingredients straight from your fridge and pantry: a few minutes on the stove, and voila! A delicious bowl of green chile cheese soup is ready to enjoy.

This time of year is always so busy with school schedules and extracurricular activities, and making dinner ahead of time can be a lifesaver on busy weeknights. On especially hectic days, I will sometimes prep an easy soup such as this one in the afternoon and then pour it in the slow cooker to keep warm for dinner whenever we get to it later. It’s an easy way to ensure a hot meal waiting for us when we get home without worrying about cooking in the evening. 

​Hatch Chile Soup 

A great way to customize this soup is with your choice of peppers. Lovers of New Mexican cuisine may want to swap the fire-roasted chiles listed in the recipe for the distinctive flavor of Hatch chiles. 

This variety of green chile peppers grown in the Hatch Valley region of New Mexico are typically in season during late summer, from August to September, with canned Hatch chiles generally available year-round in grocery stores. These peppers are known for their mild to medium heat level and unique flavor. If you choose to use hatch chiles instead of fire-roasted chiles in your soup, you can expect a slightly different flavor profile, more of an earthy sweetness. 

I prefer fire-roasted green chiles for this versatile soup, but any variety of canned (mild or hot) or fresh-roasted chiles will work, and the soup will take on the flavor profile of whichever peppers you use.

Ingredients for Green Chile Cheese Soup

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. Exact amounts are listed on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter – Olive oil works just as well.
• Onion and Garlic – Yellow onion and fresh garlic for a savory base to the soup.
• Fire-Roasted Green Chiles –  For convenience, I use canned green chiles and prefer the smokiness of the fire-roasted variety for this recipe. ‘Regular’ green chilies or spicier Hatch chiles can be used as well.
• Simple Seasonings – Ground cumin and black pepper
• Chicken-Style Broth – Better Than Bouillon’s No-Chicken concentrated base mixed with water works great. Vegetable stock is also a fine substitute.
• Half-and-Half – Heavy cream can also be used, although the soup will be… heavier.
• Cheddar Cheese – Cheddar is a classic pairing with chile peppers, but pepperjack for a spicier soup, or milder mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses also work for this recipe.

Optional Toppings

Try adding one or more just before serving:

• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Crushed tortilla chips 
• Sliced or chopped jalapeño peppers
• Chopped scallion/green onion
• Extra shredded cheese 

How to Make Green Chile Cheese Soup

STEP ONE: Cook the Aromatics. Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes, until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking for an additional 30 seconds. 

STEP TWO: Add Chiles and Seasonings. Stir in the green chiles, cumin, and black pepper. 

STEP THREE: Finish and Serve. Add the chicken-style broth, half-and-half, and cheddar cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the soup is heated and the cheese is melted. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.

More Soup Recipes You’ll Love!

• Green Chile Potato Soup
• Green Chile Rice and Black Bean Soup
• Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
• Pinto Bean Soup
• Taco Soup

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Green Chile Cheese Soup Recipe

Rich and spicy soup featuring fire-roasted green chiles and cheddar cheese!

5 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American, Southern, Tex-Mex

Keyword: comfort food, green chiles, soup, tex-mex, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 271kcal

Author: Holly Gray

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic minced
• 1 7-ounce can fire roasted green chiles, drained and chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups chicken-style broth
• 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

• Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes, until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking for an additional 30 seconds.
• Stir in the green chiles, cumin, and black pepper.
• Add the chicken-style broth, half-and-half, and cheddar cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the soup is heated and the cheese is melted. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 1197mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 788IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 1mg

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This post was updated on August 25, 2025.