money Joanna Gaines Shares a Recipe for the Soup She and Chip Had on One of Their First Dates
Chip and Joanna Gaines have never stopped thinking about the chicken poblano soup they ordered nearly twenty years ago on one of their first dates.
At the time, the former Fixer Upper stars were unfamiliar with the menu item — but when they went to a Dallas restaurant that was famous for their soup, they couldn’t help themselves. “Honestly, it was the best soup either of us had ever had,” Joanna reveals in her upcoming cookbook Magnolia Table, Volume 2. “That restaurant and soup became a favorite go-to.”
The sentimental Dallas spot has since closed, but Joanna wasn’t one to let the soup go without a fight. She created her own version of the recipe, which she shares in the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.
“I’ve heard it said that food with a story tastes different,” she continues. “Chip and I still talk about those early days and that chicken poblano soup. This recipe is a nod to the memories of our first dates.”
For more on Joanna Gaines, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.
While Joanna may have been up for the challenge of trying new menu items in those early days of dating, she appears to be more cautious when she goes out to eat today. Whenever the couple sits down at a restaurant, she opts for more familiar choices. Chip, on the other hand, is more adventurous.
Courtesy Magnolia
“‘He’ll ask me, ‘Are you going to order what’s safe, or are you going to try something new?’” she tells PEOPLE. “‘I always answer, ‘I’m going to go with what’s safe,’ because if I’m paying for it, I want to know that I like it!”
Courtesy Magnolia
Magnolia Table, Volume 2 is slated to hit stores on April 7 and is officially available for pre-order now. Get a taste of what’s to come with the full soup recipe below.
Joanna Gaines’ Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups small-diced onion (about 1 large)
4 celery stalks, cut into medium dice
3 carrots, cut into medium dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium poblano peppers, seeded and cut into medium dice
1½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1⁄4 tsp. dried thyme
8 cups (2 quarts) chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (home-roasted or rotisserie chicken)
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Tortilla strips and sliced radishes, for garnish
1. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and poblanos, and sauté, stirring often, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, cumin and thyme, and sauté until caramelized and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes longer.
2. Add the broth and cream, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes to meld the flavors.
3. Use an immersion blender to carefully blend the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, let cool slightly, and, working in batches as necessary, process in a stand blender, until smooth, filling the blender no more than half full and removing the lid slowly after blending. Pour the soup back into the pot.)
4. Add the chicken, and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes to meld the flavors to your liking. Stir in the cilantro.
5. Serve soup warm, garnished with tortilla strips and sliced radishes. (Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.)
Makes: 6 to 8
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
