Jalapeno Popper Soup — If you like jalapeno poppers, you’re going to LOVE this EASY soup that’s ready in 30 minutes! Hearty, comforting, loaded with bacon, potatoes, and jalapeno in a creamy, cheesy, rich broth! The PERFECT cold weather recipe the whole family will adore!
Creamy Jalapeno Popper Soup Recipe
If you’re one of those people who love jalapeno poppers in all their bacon-wrapped and cheesy glory, or Bacon Jalapeno Popper Dip, you’re going to love this easy jalapeno popper soup with bacon!
The soup is creamy, cheesy, loaded with chunks of potatoes, bits of bacon, and of course jalapenos.
For those of us who don’t have all day to stand in the kitchen making homemade soup, not to worry because this soup comes together in 30 minutes.
Big win for family-friendly dinner recipes for those busy weeknights that are quick to prepare and get on the table.
When the weather is chilly, this rich and creamy soup is perfect comfort food. Hearty, satisfying, and it’ll be a guaranteed family favorite.
Ingredients in Jalapeno Popper Soup
To make homemade jalapeno cheddar soup, you’ll need the following easy to find fridge and pantry ingredients:
- Uncooked bacon
- Fresh jalapenos (4-ounce can diced green chiles may be substituted)
- All-purpose flour
- Garlic powder
- Chicken broth
- Milk or half-and-half
- Yukon gold potatoes (Russet may be substituted)
- Cream cheese
- Shredded cheddar cheese (mild to extra-sharp)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- Additional jalapenos, cooked bacon, and shredded cheddar cheese; optional but recommended for topping
How to Make Jalapeno Popper Soup
Step 1: To a large Dutch oven or similar large pot, add diced bacon and cook over medium heat until the bacon is browned.
Step 2: Then add diced, fresh, seeded jalapenos and cook them for a few minutes until they’re tender.
Step 3: Add the flour, garlic powder, and stir very well to coat. This is instrumental in having a thick soup later so make sure you don’t shortcut this.
Step 4: Slowly, and while whisking constantly, add the chicken broth, and then the milk or cream.
Step 5: Follow up by adding the diced potatoes, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step 6: Turn off the heat, add the cream cheese, shredded cheese, and stir gently until they’re melted and combined.
Step 7: Taste the soup and as desired, add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper for a little kick if you’re up for it.
To serve: I am a big fan of serving jalapeno popper soup with some additional diced jalapenos, cooked bacon, and a few pinches of shredded cheese.
Is Jalapeno Popper Soup Spicy?
As written, in our opinion, no the soup is not spicy although we adore spicy food. However, since you are using deseeded jalapenos, any real chance of heat goes out the window as you discard the seeds.
Additionally, jalapenos are not a very spicy pepper.
How to Make the Soup Spicier
If you’d like to make the soup spicier, I recommend a 4 oz. can of diced jalapenos. Canned jalapenos tend to be spicier than fresh in my experience.
Plus, you can alway throw in a few more generous shakes of cayenne pepper at the end if you want to kick the flavor up as well as imparting some heat.
You can also just use one serrano in place of one jalapeno if you like spicier foods, too. Read all about it below!
Difference Between Jalepeno vs. Serrano Peppers
Make sure when you’re selecting what you think are jalapenos, that they actually are. Often in grocery stores, they are kept next to each other, and sometimes the serranos sneak into the jalapeno bins or area.
Serranos are about 5 times spicier than jalapenos! Buyer beware if you or anyone in your family are sensitive to heat. You don’t want to interchange the two.
Jalapenos tend to be a bit more “short and squat.” They’re a little fatter and the green tends to be a bit darker.
Serranos on the other hand are a bit more “long and lean” in comparison and their green is more vibrant like bright green grass in the summer.
How to Store Jalapeno Popper Soup
Jalapeno popper soup keeps very well in the fridge for nearly a week. I find it’s the case with most soups, that the flavors marry over time and the soup can actually taste even better after a couple days.
Make sure to reheat it gently on the stove in a small kettle or carefully in the microwave.
Anytime there is dairy in soup, you always want to take caution when reheating it so that the soup doesn’t “break”.
Although the flavor doesn’t change, it has an unsightly appearance if the proteins in the dairy breakdown due to being overheated or heated too much, too rapidly.
Can Jalapeno Soup Be Frozen?
I have never tried freezing this soup because we tend to gobble it up before there is any to actually freeze.
Can I Make This Soup in a Slow Cooker?
People love to make soups in slow cookers I have found. I actually think this would be one that would translate reasonably well for slow cooking.
I admit, I don’t like to slow cook anything when I can be done with it in 30 minutes on the stove top.
However, if you do feel like giving it a whirl, here’s what I recommend doing to make the recipe in a slow cooker:
- Start off the process the same as outlined.
- At the point after you add the flour, transfer everything to a preheated slow cooker, then add in the broth, milk, and potatoes.
- Simmer your soup for a few hours until the potatoes are done, before adding in the cream cheese and cheese.
I have’t personally tried this for my reason stated above (it drags out what can be a quick recipe and I strongly prefer quick recipes). So I am purely making an educated guess on this. Let me know if you try it and what works for you.
Tips for the Best Jalapeno Popper Soup
Add onion, if desired: If you want to jazz up the soup a little more, you can add a small diced onion to the Dutch oven when you’re browning the bacon. It’ll give another layer of flavor.
Do not drain off any of the bacon fat: When you add the flour, it needs something to bind to, which in this case is the bacon fat. This will then essentially create a roux which is necessary for a nice thick soup.
Stir the soup: Make sure to stir the soup very well as it simmers after you’ve added the potatoes, taking care to also scrape the bottom so nothing sticks.
Milk options: As far as the milk or half-and-half, I recommend 2% or whole milk, or half-and-half. I would not use cream or heavy cream because I think it would make the soup overly thick.
If you’re looking for a plant-based milk, I recommend soy, cashew, or something on the thicker side.
Finely dice the potatoes: Make sure the potatoes are diced into 1/2-inch small bite-sized pieces so that they cook in the 10 minutes indicated in the recipe. If they’re bigger, they’ll take longer to cook and in the boiling process, more of the broth will evaporate, making the soup thicker.
Bring the cheeses to room temperature: I suggest setting out the cream cheese and shredded cheese as you begin to chop everything in preparation to making the soup. This helps to bring them up to room temp, making them easier to melt in the final stages of the soup making process.
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Jalapeno Popper Soup
If you like jalapeno poppers, you're going to LOVE this EASY soup that's ready in 30 minutes! Hearty, comforting, loaded with bacon, potatoes, and jalapeno in a creamy, cheesy, rich broth! The PERFECT cold weather recipe the whole family will adore!
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked bacon, diced into small pieces
- 4 to 6 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced and deseeded* (See Notes)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 32 ounces carton chicken broth (or two 14 to 15-ounce cans; I use lower sodium versions)
- 6 cups 2% or whole milk or half-and-half**
- 2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into small 1/2-inch pieces (Russet potatoes may be substituted)***
- 8 ounces brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temp
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (mild to extra-sharp), set out to room temp
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- Additional finely-diced or sliced jalapenos, cooked bacon pieces, and shredded cheddar cheese for topping
Instructions
- To a large Dutch oven, or similar sized pot, add the bacon, and cook over medium heat for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned; don't drain off any of the bacon fat.
- Add the jalalpenos, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender.
- Evenly sprinkle the flour, garlic powder, and stir to coat evenly. Tip - Do not skip this step, it's sort of like creating a rout, which is important later on so that your soup thickens properly.
- Slowly add the broth, while whisking constantly.
- Then add the milk or half-and-hailf, while whisking constantly.
- Add the diced potatoes, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Turn off the heat, add the cream cheese, shredded cheese, and stir gently until melted and combined.
- Taste the soup, and as desired add salt, pepper, and optionally cayenne pepper.**** (See Notes)
- Optionally (but recommended), garnish the soup with additional jalapenos, bacon, and/or cheese before serving. Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat gently on the stove or microwave, taking care not to overheat it, or heat it too quickly so the soup doesn't "break".
Notes
*I have also used one 4-ounce can diced green chilis for mild soup (similar to using fresh jalapenos) Or you can use a 4-ounce can diced jalapenos if you want it spicier. Canned jalapenos are spicier than fresh in my experience.
**As far as the milk or half-and-half, I recommend 2% or whole milk, or half-and-half. I would not use cream or heavy cream because I think it would make the soup overly thick. If you're looking for a plant-based milk, I recommend soy, cashew, or something on the thicker side.
***Make sure the potatoes are diced into 1/2-inch small bite-sized pieces so that they cook in the 10 minutes indicated in the recipe. If they're bigger, they'll take longer to cook and in the boiling process, more of the broth will evaporate, making the soup thicker. I prefer Yukon Gold to Russet but you can use your favorite.
****The cayenne pepper doesn't make the soup spicy per se if you only add a small shake from the bottle; rather it lends depth of flavor. For an actual spicier soup, feel free to add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon, or as desired. Also, you can use one serrano chile pepper in place of one of the jalapenos for a spicier soup.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 617Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 1072mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 23g
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Can you easily make this without the potatoes to keep it slightly lower carb? Maybe with cauliflower, cooking until it’s tender?
Yes you probably could do that. As long as you know going it it won’t have quite the same “oomph” with cauliflower. And make sure not to overcook the cauli because it can turn to “dust” pretty easily as it simmers in broth.