Corn chowder isn’t just a summer soup. I love it year round. At this time of year, feel free to use frozen corn. The addition of poblano peppers makes it perfect for a winter soup. The gentle heat of the poblano peppers really warms you up from the inside-out! If you are not familiar with poblano peppers, they look like a green pepper but are skinnier and pointy at the bottom. They are a mildly spicy pepper, measuring about 1000-2000 SHU (Scoville heat units) on the Scoville Scale. For reference, a jalapeño measures around 8000 SHU.

I was inspired by Diana Kennedy’s recipe for Corn and Poblano Soup, from her classic book, The Essential Cuisines of Mexico. Sometimes corn chowder can be a bit bland. Not this version. Poblano peppers and plum tomatoes are roasted in the oven and then peeled. The poblanos add a gentle heat and the tomatoes add a welcome acidity. I also added some diced potatoes to the recipe to give the soup bit more body.

Because I’m all about texture, I cut some soft white corn tortillas into strips and shallow fried them in vegetable oil, until crispy. A bit of sour cream or whipping cream tames the heat and cilantro adds a fresh verdant note.