creamy green chile rice soup
Are ya ready kids…for some spice?
J and I are freshly returned from a side trip over his birthday weekend, and all I craved upon returning home was a big salad and a bowl of soup. Granted, the soup in question was not this particular one – that recipe comes later – but I guess travels bring about hearty desires for homey dishes, even ones as simple as a pot of broth. Healthy ones, too, since the night prior we enjoyed a lot of beer and chips and salsa and all sorts of indulgent goodies. Oh, and cake.
Speaking of cake – I really want to sift through my old recipes and rephotograph those which I love but boast pretty horrendous photos. Or, I could simply recreate them with a twist or three. I like both approaches to evolving my craft. Sometimes a recipe can use a small tweak to bring it from bro to BRUH, or the fix is as simple as a visual facelift. I don’t think I’ll ever delete a post off FMG. Measuring progress via hindsight sometimes offers healthy perspective. Or regret. But usually the former.
While I huddle at my dining table reminiscing on this hooey, I leave you with a piping hot bowl of Creamy Green Chili Rice Soup. Vegan, simple, and highly adaptable. If you have the time and resources, I highly suggest roasting fresh hatch chiles or Anaheim peppers for a beautifully fresh, slightly smoky flavor infused within an otherwise simple soup base. Don’t have the desire? A jar of salsa verde works great as well. Hence, this soup can be as easy or as crafty as you wish, but no matter which path you choose, its hearty and indulgent.
Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Piping Hot Peppers
Going the route of roasting? Stick with me here, then, for a bit. If not, skip down and resume your reading adventure.
Choose 6-7 larger chiles or Anaheims for the job. Roast them up in the broiler until black all over, which usually takes about 15-20 minutes. Drop them in a bowl and cover, or seal them loosely in a gallon sized ziptop bag, and steam for 10-15 minutes or so. The “sweating” process simplifies peeling the skin off the peppers.
You can leave some of the charred parts on the pepper, but strip most of them off. Scrape out the seeds as well if you want a bit less heat (especially in the case of the hatches), or leave a few more in if you like to breathe fire.
Throw the peppers in your food processor and blitz until smooth.
Rice and Bean Me
Now, let’s reconvene in the courtyard and continue with our lesson.
Heat some oil, saute diced onions for a bit until fragrant and soft. Throw in your minced garlic and dried spice blend: lots of cumin, dried oregano, chili powder, and fresh cilantro.
Then, stir in the pureed peppers or salsa verde, rice, and vegetable broth or water. Simmer the rice until tender, about 10-12 minutes or so. If the rice gobbles up all the liquid, as it tends to, add 1-2 cups more broth. You can also cook off the rice separately if you plan to store the soup for a few days: otherwise, you’ll definitely have servings of rice and beans, which isn’t bad by any means, but perhaps not your desired outcome.
Once the rice is tender, finish with a can of black beans, full-fat coconut milk, kale, and fresh lime juice. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.
This meal is really rich and hearty, but as-written with no dairy, cheese, butter, or the like. Vegans, rejoice! If you don’t love coconut milk, whether vegan or not, you can certainly use different milks. I’d recommend whole (if you don’t avoid dairy), or oat milk. Something creamy and somewhat fatty. The fat content also helps balance out any excessive heat.
I love topping my bowls with sliced avocado, some extra cilantro, and green onions. We ate our servings with corn tortilla chips as well. Can’t go wrong with some salty crunch as a companion, can you?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Chili cravings? Try these, too.
Cheesy Beer Braised Rice and Beans Chili Bake
Creamy Three Bean Enchilada Chili
Slow Cooker Spicy White Bean Potato Chili
creamy green chile rice soup
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
- 6-7 hatch chiles, anaheim peppers, or 1 cup salsa verde
- 1 1/2 cups white rice
- 5 cups vegetable broth, or water
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups kale, roughly shredded or chopped
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- green onions and sliced avocado, for serving
Instructions
- If using fresh hatch chiles or Anaheim peppers: heat broiler to high. Place the peppers on a baking tray and roast, turning 3-4 times, for 15-20 minutes until blackened and charred all over. Place in a bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap to "sweat" for 10-15 minutes. Carefully peel most of the blackened bits off and scrape out the seeds. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. This should make about 1 cup of pureed pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Saute the onion until fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cilantro for an additional minute. Pour in the roasted peppers or salsa verde, rice, and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook uncovered until the rice is tender, about 10-12 minutes. If the rice absorbs too much broth, add 1-2 cups more.
- Stir in the black beans, coconut milk, kale, and lime juice until heated through, about 2-3 minutes longer. Taste for salt and pepper. Divide into bowls and garnish with additional cilantro, green onions, and avocado, as desired.
