Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup

The tastes of the end of summer in a cozy soup.

Ingredients:

 4-8 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, taste test when serving (½ – 1 stick)

 2 cups onions , diced, yellow, sweet or white onion is fine (about 1 large)

 4 stalks Celery , cut into a medium dice

 3-4 medium Carrots , diced

 2-3 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed

 3 medium Poblano Peppers, seeded and diced, replace with Anaheim if unavailable. (See notes)

 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

 Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme

 8 cups Chicken Broth, 2 quarts, low sodium if desired, chicken stock fine too

 1-2 cups Heavy Cream or Coconut milk

 3 Cups Shredded Chicken, make your own using chicken breasts and thighs or used rotisserie chicken

with a blend of white and dark meat

 1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped

 Optional Garnishes:

 Tortilla Chips, or strips

 2-3 Radishes, sliced for garnish

 Avocado , sliced or diced

Method:

 In a large soup pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Sauté onion, celery, carrots, garlic and poblanos, stirring often until tender and lightly browning, about 12-15 minutes.

 Add salt, pepper, cumin, thyme and sauté an additional 3-5 minutes, until fragrant and caramelized.

 Pour in broth and cream (or coconut milk), bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, stirring often, about 15-20 minutes.

 Using an immersion blender, blend the soup carefully until smooth (or use a blender, blending in batches — careful though, the heat can build when using a blender, so be sure to do in small batches, never filling more than half full, removing the lid slowly). Pour the soup back into the pot.

Add the diced chicken to the soup and bring to a simmer for another 15-30 minutes.

Before serving, stir in cilantro.

Serve warm, and if desired, garnish with tortilla chips and sliced radishes and some chopped avocado.

Notes and Options:

You could prep, sauté, and freeze the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and poblanos while they are available now in your share for later use. Just thaw and proceed with the recipe from that point.