Jalapeno Popper Soup

This delicious soup had Alex and I going back for seconds. Even my brother, who turns his nose up to everything I make, got a bowl for himself. This soup is delicious, and the jalapenos are just enough to give you a back-of-the-throat tingle. Alex introduced me to jalapeno poppers years ago, and they were amazing, but unfortunately coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. I came upon this recipe from Pinterest, which lead me to iBreatheI'mHungry, which is where I've adapted a lot of my recipes from. 

Jalapeno Popper Soup

 

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon

1 block (8 oz) cream cheese

1 c. heavy cream

4 c. chicken broth

4 Tbsp. salsa verde (I was able to find a small can in the Mexican section in Wegmans)

1-2 tsp. minced garlic

2-3 c. shredded cheese (I used colby jack, use monterey jack for a whiter soup)

8 jalapeno peppers, fresh

1/2 tsp. guar or xanthan gum, optional

Directions:

1. Keep the bacon together as it is in the pack, and cut 1/4-1/3 in. wide slices. Peel the layers apart and pan fry until almost perfectly crispy. Save the grease. Set aside.

2. Wash the peppers. Place them on a baking sheet and roast at 450 F for about 20 minutes. Char them. When they are done, you can blanch them in cold water so they cool enough to work with them. Using the blunt side of a dinner knife blade (or a butter knife), scrape off the charred skin and discard. Cut off the top. Slit the pepper open lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Chop finely and set aside. 

3. Melt the cream cheese in the microwave. Put the cream cheese into the soup pot on medium and add the chicken broth bit by bit , stirring the whole time. (Note: I made the mistake of putting the cream cheese into the pot with all the broth when the cheese was still cold. I ended up having to puree everything with my stick blender to smooth out the still remaining chunks of cream cheese at the end.) 

4. Add the minced peppers, the garlic, the cheese, the salsa, the bacon grease, the heavy cream, and a dash of pepper. Let simmer until everything is melted and the soup is bubbly. Optionally, you can add xanthan gum to thicken it. You can also use an immersion blender to make it completely smooth, especially if you're having issues with cream cheese chunks. Ladle into a bowl and top with a pinch of the bacon crumbles. Enjoy!