Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Halve the poblano peppers and drizzle them with olive oil. Place the peppers cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes until the skin is charred and blistered. Once done, remove them from the oven, cool slightly, peel off the skin, chop, and set aside.

In a large stockpot, melt ¼ cup of unsalted butter over medium heat. Add one diced white onion, one cup of diced celery, and 1½ cups of baby gold potatoes to the pot. Sauté these vegetables for 9–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and fragrant. Next, stir in three minced garlic cloves, one teaspoon of ground cumin, two teaspoons of red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper, and cook for an additional minute.

Pour in 5 cups of lower-sodium chicken broth into the pot filled with sautéed vegetables. Add your chopped roasted poblano peppers to the mixture and stir well to combine. Bring the entire mixture to a boil.

Once boiling, add 1½ to 2 pounds of chunked boneless skinless chicken breasts into the pot. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it cook for about 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked, and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the pot, allow it to rest for a few minutes, and then chop it into bite-sized pieces.

Using an immersion blender, blend the contents of the stockpot to your desired consistency, creating the creamy base for the soup.

Return the chopped chicken to the blended soup mixture. Slowly pour in 1 cup of heavy cream, stirring gently to combine everything together. Warm the soup on low heat for about 5 minutes.

Ladle the piping hot soup into bowls, garnish each bowl with freshly minced cilantro, cranked black pepper, and optional toppings like tortilla strips or diced avocado.