Get ready for a flavor fiesta with our Vegan Keto Chile Relleno Soup! Low-carb, scrumptious, and on your table in a quick 30 minutes – it's a recipe you'll be cooking up on repeat.
This breezy chili relleno recipe puts a contemporary spin on the traditional Mexican staple, starring fire-roasted poblano peppers swimming in a luscious, taste-packed broth. Not only is it a cinch to whip up, but it's also an ingenious way to incorporate more veggies into your diet and add a dash of spice to your day. How's that for a recipe win?

This Keto Chile Relleno Soup recipe is sponsored by our friends at Pacific Foods Organic Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Cast Iron Keto recipes EPIC.
Jump to:
- Preparation and cooking overview
- Chef's note
- 🥣 Ingredients for this chile relleno soup recipe
- Ingredient substitutions
- Additional ingredients & toppings
- Cooking tools required
- How to make Chile Relleno Soup: step-by-step guide
- Cooking methods
- Cooking instructions
- The stovetop method
- Instant pot method
- Slow cooker soup version
- How to make it healthier
- Time-saving tips
- What can I prepare ahead of time?
- Storage and reheating instructions
- Leftover storage tips
- Easy reheating techniques
- Recipe wrap-up and conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
- 📖 Recipe
Preparation and cooking overview
Preparing our Vegan Keto Chile Relleno Soup is all about roasting poblano peppers to perfection, sautéing fresh veggies like onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro, and simmering everything in a flavorful broth. To give it a rich and creamy touch, we add in vegan cream cheese, making it a comforting and delicious treat. From start to finish, this hearty soup takes a mere 30 minutes, making it an ideal choice for a quick, wholesome weeknight meal.
Chef's note
Roasting your own poblano peppers for this soup is an incredibly fun and aromatic experience, but if you're short on time, canned, roasted poblanos can work too! Don't be afraid to experiment with this recipe - consider adding in other low-carb veggies or even some tofu for extra protein




🥣 Ingredients for this chile relleno soup recipe
Ingredient substitutions
Additional ingredients & toppings
Cooking tools required
To make this Chile Relleno Soup recipe, you'll need the following tools:
How to make Chile Relleno Soup: step-by-step guide
Cooking methods
Cooking instructions
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this creamy soup:
The stovetop method
- Roast poblano peppers: Roast on a gas burner or under the oven broiler. Roast until skin is charred (for 5 minutes). Place the roasted peppers in a glass container with a lid or a paper bag and set aside to cool.
- Prepare the vegetables: Once the peppers are cooled, scrape off most of the charred skin and slice off the stem. Remove the seeds and chop the poblanos into bite-sized pieces. Heat ¼ cup of avocado oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion, minced jalapeno, garlic, and chopped cilantro. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not browned.
- Season the vegetables: Add ½ teaspoon of white pepper and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Cook for another 30 seconds for rich flavors.
- Add the broth and milk: Pour 4 cups of Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth and 1 cup of almond milk (or other non-dairy milk). Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add the poblano peppers: Once the mixture is simmering, add the chopped poblano chiles. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese: After simmering for 10 minutes, stir in 4 ounces of vegan cream cheese (or regular cream cheese if not vegan). Taste for salt and add more if necessary.
- Blend the soup (optional): If desired, use an immersion blender to puree it to get a slightly creamier texture.
- Serve: Divide the soup between bowls and top with pico de gallo and diced avocado. Enjoy!
Instant pot method
Follow the same steps to roast the peppers, prepare the vegetables, and cook everything together under high pressure for 10 minutes. Use the quick-release method to release the pressure, then stir in the cream cheese.
Slow cooker soup version
Follow the same steps to roast the peppers and prepare the vegetables, then place everything in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Stir in the cream cheese before serving, and your crock pot chile relleno chicken soup is ready!

Chef's pro tip
The most common mistake when making our Vegan Keto Chile Relleno Soup is not fully roasting the poblano peppers. When the peppers are properly roasted, their skin turns black and blisters, making it easy to peel off and revealing a smoky, flavorful flesh underneath. If the peppers are under-roasted, they retain their skin and can add a bitter taste to the soup. To avoid this, ensure that you roast your peppers until they are thoroughly blackened and blistered, then allow them to cool in a closed container, which helps loosen the skin even further. Happy cooking, and enjoy the process!
How to make it healthier
Time-saving tips
What can I prepare ahead of time?
Storage and reheating instructions
Leftover storage tips
Easy reheating techniques
To reheat the soup, you can do so on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Recipe wrap-up and conclusion
So there you have it! A bowl of our Vegan Keto Chile Relleno Soup is like a big, cozy, flavor-packed hug. This soup embodies a healthy and fun culinary adventure with its rich, creamy texture, smoky roasted poblano peppers, and zesty kick of fresh veggies. And the best part? You can whip it up in just 30 minutes. Talk about a win-win!
Now it's your turn to stir up some magic in the kitchen! Let this recipe be a reminder that eating healthily doesn't mean bidding goodbye to flavors.
Embrace this journey, have fun with your ingredients, savor the process, and above all, enjoy every spoonful of your homemade soup. So go on, preheat that oven, chop those veggies, and create a masterpiece that your taste buds will thank you for!
Frequently asked questions
📖 Recipe

Chile Relleno Soup
Ingredients
- 5 large poblano peppers or 7 small
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno minced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 4 cups Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 1 cup almond milk or other non-dairy alternative or heavy cream if not vegan
- 4 ounces vegan cream cheese can sub regular cream cheese if not vegan
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Toppings:
- ½ cup pico de gallo
- 1 cup shredded cabbage we used a cabbage, cilantro and jalapeno blend
- 1 avocado diced or sliced
Instructions
- Place the poblano peppers on top of a gas burner, alternatively place them on a baking sheet under your oven broiler. Roast for 5 minutes until charred on each side. Place the roasted peppers in a glass container with a lid or a paper bag. Set aside to cool.
- Once cooled, scrape off most of the charred skin and slice off the stem and remove the seeds. Chop the poblanos into bite sized pieces.
- Heat the avocado oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot add in the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro. Cook 4-5 minutes until soft but not browned. Add in the white pepper and salt, cook another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth and almond milk. Bring to a simmer then add in the chopped poblanos. Simmer for 10 minutes then stir in the vegan cream cheese. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. If desired, use an immersion blender to slightly puree the soup to a creamier texture.
- To serve, divide the soup between bowls and top with pico de gallo and the avocado.
Shauna says
Very tasty soup!! Out of curiosity, what is the serving size??
Cast Iron Keto says
Hi Shauna, so glad you liked it! As for the serving size...Unfortunately, that’s not how recipes work. Unlike a packaged food product that is made by a single company, recipes can’t provide reliable serving weights due to the fluctuations in how different people measure and cook. To get a reliable serving size you’ll need to weigh your final dish then divide by the number of servings. You can also simply eyeball 1/4th of the recipe. I hope this helps!
Kristie says
So yummmmo!! I made it non vegan with xanthum gum for thickness. The store didnt have pablanos so i used pasilla peppers instead and wow...just the needed kick! I will definitely makes this again!!
Laura says
DELISH!
Anthony says
Is the cabbage, cilantro and jalapeno blend homemade?
Cast Iron Keto says
Hi Anthony, our local grocer sells the slaw blend but it's easily made at home as well! Simply mix shredded cabbage with thinly sliced jalapeño, sliced white onion, and minced cilantro.