Name: Green Chile Cheese Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegan 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 vegan chicken-style broth; 1 1/4 cups vegan half-and-half; 1 1/2 cups vegan cheddar cheese (shredded)

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Green Chile Cheese Soup ~

This flavorful soup featuring fire-roasted green chiles and cheddar cheese is on the table in 15 minutes!

Serve with tortilla chips and Homemade Guacamole or warm crusty bread for dipping, and enjoy a cozy night in!

Green Chile Cheese Soup ~ Easy Vegetarian and Vegan Recipe ~ Rich and spicy soup featuring fire-roasted green chiles and cheddar cheese!

Table of Contents

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.

How to Roast Fresh Chiles

Roasting fresh Hatch, Poblano, or Anaheim chiles brings out their rich flavors and aroma.

Here’s how to do it:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Arrange peppers in a single layer on a roasting pan. Roast for 5-8 minutes, until the skins are blistered and charred. Carefully transfer the hot roasted peppers to a bowl or resealable plastic bag. Cover or seal for 10-15 minutes so the steam can loosen the skins. Remove the charred peel by hand and discard. Transfer the peppers to a cutting board and slice them in half to remove the seeds. Chop, and they’re ready to go.

Ingredients for Green Chile Cheese Soup

You will need the following:

1 tablespoon vegan 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 vegan chicken-style broth
1 1/4 cups vegan half-and-half
1 1/2 cups vegan cheddar cheese, shredded

Ingredient Notes.

Vegan Butter – Olive oil is a fine substitute.
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.
Vegan Chicken-Style Broth – Better Than Bouillon’s No-Chicken concentrated base mixed with water works great. Vegetable stock is also a fine substitute.
Vegan Half-and-Half – This can be substituted with non-dairy heavy cream. I use the Silk brand for both.
Vegan Cheddar Cheese – Or any vegan cheese of your choice. This soup would also be tasty with Pepperjack, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack cheese!

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: 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: Stir in the green chiles, cumin, and black pepper.

STEP THREE: 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.

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