Roasted Poblano, Corn & Apricot Sopa with Pepita Chile Oil
Silky smoky soup with sweet apricot and corn.
Daily recipe · May 26, 2026
A little about this dish
This soup leans into late-spring brightness with apricots folded into a velvety roasted poblano-corn base for a Mexican-inspired bowl that feels fresh, unexpected, and deeply flavorful. The apricots bring gentle tart-sweetness rather than dessert vibes, balancing smoky chiles, lime, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds. It’s colorful, elegant, and especially beautiful with a swirl of crema and a glossy chile oil finish.
Ingredients (for 2)
- Ripe apricot — 2 — pitted and divided; 1 diced and 1 thinly sliced for garnish
- Poblano pepper — 2
- Fresh or frozen corn kernels — 1 1/2 cups — divided
- Small white onion — 1/2 — sliced
- Garlic clove — 2 — peeled
- Small tomatillo — 1 — husked and rinsed
- Vegetable stock — 2 cups
- Mexican crema or sour cream — 1/4 cup — plus more for garnish
- Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) — 2 tablespoons
- Cilantro leaves — 1 tablespoon — plus extra for garnish
- Lime zest — 1 teaspoon
- Lime juice — 1 tablespoon — plus more to taste
- Ground cumin — 1/4 teaspoon
- Smoked paprika — 1/4 teaspoon
- Small dried chile de árbol — 1 — crumbled
- Honey or agave — 1/2 teaspoon — optional
- Neutral oil — 1 tablespoon — plus 1 teaspoon for the chile oil
- Salt — to taste
- Black pepper — to taste
Preparation
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Step 1 — 🔥🌶️🥣Char the poblano peppers over a gas flame or under a hot broiler, turning until blackened all over, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel off most of the skin, remove the seeds, and roughly chop.
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Step 2 — 🌽🧄🍽️Roast 1 cup of the corn, the sliced white onion, garlic cloves, and tomatillo on a sheet pan or in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until lightly charred and softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Reserve the remaining 1/2 cup corn for garnish.
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Step 3 — 🎃🌰🔥Toast the pumpkin seeds in a small pan until puffed and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
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Step 4 — 🌶️🫒✨In the same small pan, warm 1 teaspoon neutral oil with the crumbled chile de árbol and smoked paprika for 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside.
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Step 5 — 🍑🥘🌿Add the chopped poblanos, roasted corn mixture, diced apricot, vegetable stock, ground cumin, lime zest, and a pinch of salt to a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.
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Step 6 — 🥣🌿⚡Blend the soup with the cilantro leaves and 1/4 cup Mexican crema until very smooth. Return it to the pan and add a splash of stock or water if needed to adjust the consistency.
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Step 7 — 🍋🧂👅Stir in the lime juice. Add honey or agave if the apricots taste tart. Season with more salt and black pepper as needed.
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Step 8 — 🌽🍳🔥Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a hot skillet and cook the remaining 1/2 cup corn until lightly blistered, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with a little salt.
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Step 9 — 🥣🍑🌶️Divide the hot soup between two bowls. Swirl with extra crema, then top with the charred corn, thin apricot slices, toasted pepitas, extra cilantro, and droplets of chile oil.
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Step 10 — 🍽️💚🍋Serve right away, with extra lime juice on the side if you like.
A final fox tip
This soup works because apricot behaves a bit like mango or pineapple in savory cooking, adding acidity and perfume against smoky chile flavors. For a vegan version, use a thick unsweetened cashew cream instead of crema. If you want more protein, top with crispy white beans or grilled queso panela. For extra drama in photos, use shallow wide bowls and place the garnishes in an off-center arc rather than scattering them randomly.