This recipe for a hearty, comforting soup comes from Plant Powered Mexican by Kate Ramos. It’s cooked in an Instant Pot but if you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook it on the stovetop, just simmer the soup until the potatoes are completely soft.
Writes Ramos: This potato soup defies all expectations. It is not a heavy chowder or overly cheesy. Your spoon will not stick up in your bowl. No, this potato soup has a gentle broth made from onion, garlic, waxy Yukon gold potatoes, and grassy poblano peppers. The richness only comes in the end when handfuls of milky Oaxaca cheese are added to each bowl. The hot, fragrant broth is ladled over the top and melts the cheese as it makes its way to the table, then scooped up with each nourishing spoonful. Don’t skip the toasted pepitas. Their crunch is a necessary contrast to an otherwise delicate soup.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil 5 Tbs, divided
- White Onion 1 medium, diced
- Poblano Peppers 4 medium, stemmed, seeded and diced
- Garlic 2 cloves, chopped
- Kosher Salt 2 tsp, plus more to taste
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper a few pinches
- Yukon Gold Potatoes 5 large, peeled and diced (about 1½ lbs)
- Dried Mexican Oregano 1 tsp
- Water 6 cups
- Raw Pepitas ½ cup
- Shredded Oaxaca Cheese 2 cups
- Sliced Scallions 1 cup
Cook It
- Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE on HI. Add 4 Tbs of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, poblanos, and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper. Sauté until the onions start to caramelize and become brown around the edges. Add the potatoes, oregano, water, and 2 tsp of the salt. Seal the Instant Pot. Select Pressure Cook HIGH (manual) for10 minutes. It will take about 15minutes for the machine to come up to pressure before the cooking cycle begins.
- When the 10 minutes of pressure cooking has finished, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes. Quick release the remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid.
- Meanwhile, toast the pepitas by heating the remaining 1 Tbs of oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the pepitas and toast, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown and start to pop. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with salt, and set aside to cool. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Divide the shredded cheese between the bowls, ladle the soup on top, then garnish with the toasted pepitas, scallions and black pepper.
Reproduced with permission from Plant Powered Mexican: Fast, Fresh Recipes from a Mexican-American Kitchen by Kate Ramos © 2021 Quarto publishing Group USA Inc.
