Hello Wednesday! I’ve been slightly MIA this week because I let several projects pile up and had to get a handle on them before I could get back to my computer. Between Christmas decorations, gifts (aka Cyber Monday), and life in general, it has been a crazy week. But I did want to pop in and share one of my favorite recipes that is perfect for this time of year: Chili Con Queso Soup.
Chili Con Queso Soup has a special place in my heart because it reminds me of my childhood and driving to Houston with my mom and sister for our special girls’ trip to Neiman Marcus. We would dress up in our best clothes and spend the whole morning looking around the store.
After a morning of perusing, we would take the escalator to the third floor and have a sit-down lunch at the cafe, which to us small-town girls was the epitome of a fancy lunch. The warm croissants with homemade strawberry butter. The tiny cups of hot chicken broth. And the waiter just brought them to you at the start of lunch without even asking!
It was during one of these lunches that I first had the Chili Con Queso Soup. It’s hard to explain the flavor of the soup because you automatically think “queso” even though it’s really so much more flavorful and unique. But it’s the perfect, hearty, cold-weather melt-in-your mouth soup. The warm cream cheese melds perfectly with the green chiles, and the chicken broth adds a depth of flavor.
Sadly the soup is no longer listed on the menu. I was told a few years ago that the cafe offered it on Fridays, but I’ve since been on a Friday and the waiter didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. Thank goodness for the internet and this 1998 archived recipe from one “Diane” who posted the recipe to the internet at a time when the internet was just a baby.
I follow Diane’s recipe for the most part, but simplify the ingredients a bit. For example, I don’t remove the seeds from the green chiles and tomatoes. I use diced Hatch green chiles and diced tomatoes. I substitute heavy whipping cream for the half-and-half to make it more Atkins-friendly. I also use Knorr-brand Caldo de Sabor de Pollo bouillon (1 tsp per cup of water) instead of chicken broth. I think the soup tastes just as delicious as the real thing with my modifications. Plus, I usually have all of my ingredients on hand so I can make the soup in a pinch when I start to crave it.
Additionally, I’ve added few more detailed instructions. I highly recommend straining the green chiles and tomatoes using the colander method from my Roasted Garlic and Chipotle Salsa recipe. I have this set of strainers from Williams-Sonoma and this one
Oh! And definitely put your grated cheese in the bottom of your serving bowl BEFORE adding the soup. The warm soup melts the cheese to the perfect consistency. You get these nice cheese strands with every bite. Sooooo delicious.
Here’s my modified recipe for the Chili Con Queso Soup if you want to give it a try:
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 3 (4oz) cans diced green chiles (I prefer the Hatch brand)
- 4 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1.5 packages cream cheese, cut into pieces (12oz total)
- 4 cups chicken broth (I use bouillon in hot water)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 8 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Grated monterey jack cheese
- Cayenne pepper (optional)
- Strain green chiles and diced tomatoes in a metal colander over sink. Use rubber spatula to press out as much liquid as possible. Transfer to cutting board and dice as finely as possible.
- Melt butter in pot 3-4 quart pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until onion becomes clear.
- Add strained green chiles and tomatoes to onion. Continue cooking over medium to medium-high heat until you no longer see liquid in the bottom of the pot when you stir the mixture (around 5 - 10 minutes).
- Stir in cream cheese and continue cooking until cheese is melted.
- Stir in chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, and lemon juice. Keep on heat until warms up.
- Place ¼ cup of grated monterey jack cheese in each serving bowl. Pour soup over cheese. Season with cayenne for extra heat.
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