Midwest Mary

When summer produce begins showing up in our gardens and local markets, we have endless possibilities of dishes to serve our families. We can mix and match those veggies for tasty, fresh, crisp salads, soups, and stews.

Below is a recipe for a soup my family craves. The combination of peppers and onions, with the sweetness of the corn, creaminess of the potatoes, and smokiness of the sausage, offers a multilayered dish that’s packed with flavor and texture.

Honestly, I don’t follow recipes. I use them as a guide and add ingredients that I have on hand and in quantities I choose. For example, the following soup recipe calls for roasted poblano peppers. When I don’t have poblanos, I use green pepper and a jalapeño, which I grow in my garden. Most often, I don’t roast the peppers, although it does add flavor.

This recipe may appear to have a lot of steps, but if the vegetables are cut up at the beginning, it is just a matter of adding ingredients to the pot.

If you try this soup, please let me know what you think of it.

Roasted Poblano, Sweet Corn, and Potato Soup

Ingredients
2 poblano peppers
½ pound smoked sausage
Olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
Salt and pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium-sized potato, diced (about 1 cup)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk of your choice
1 cup sweet corn, I prefer fresh
2 tablespoons flour
Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Lightly rub the poblano peppers with olive oil. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Flip the peppers, and roast for another 10 minutes.
  Immediately transfer peppers to a large plastic bag to steam. Once cool enough to handle, slide off the skin. Remove the stem and seeds. Chop the peppers.
• Add about 2 tablespoons of oil and the onion to a large soup pot. Sauté until tender and caramelized. About 5-7 minutes.
• Add garlic, and sauté until fragrant. About 30 seconds.
• Add potatoes and peppers to the mixture in the pot. Stir to coat.
• In a small bowl, whisk flour and ½ cup milk. Set aside.
• Add the remaining milk and chicken broth to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Turn heat to medium-high until the soup bubbles. Stir frequently.
• Turn down the heat to a simmer until potatoes are softened, about another five minutes.
• Stream the milk and flour mixture into the pot while stirring. Continue to simmer until the soup is slightly thickened.
• Add sausage and sweet corn to the pot. Simmer until the corn is warmed. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
• Ladle into bowls, and garnish with cilantro.

©Mary K. Doyle, 2025

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