When I was oblivious to the fact that I was allergic to eggs and that I needed sleep in my life, a favorite go-to-late-night-post-partying stop was the Melrose Diner in Chicago. I would order the football-sized egg-white omelette with feta and a side of their famous poblano sauce—the eggs were really just a vehicle for the sauce. It was magical stuff—creamy and zesty with a distinctive earthy poblano taste.
My time in Chicago is full of food memories and favorites that I will never forget: the poblano sauce from Melrose diner, the Wagashi dessert from Sushi Wabi (now closed, so pass the Kleenex please), the sliders from Mana, the bread pudding from Karyn’s Cooked, the wings and dairy-free cookie dough shake from The Chicago Diner… be still my heart. Many of these goodies I can no longer eat, but I do my best to re-create what I remember when I can.
This Creamy Roasted Poblano Sauce is like an old friend. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Try it on Red Quinoa Tacos or Mexican Black Bean Burgers. Fold it into rice or roasted potatoes, or use it as dip for Chickpea Fries. And if you eat eggs, by all means make an egg-white omelette with feta for it!
[Tweet “Taking everything from salads to burgers to the next level w/Creamy Roasted Poblano Sauce via @YumUniverse.”]
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 3 large poblano peppers
- 1 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)
- 1/4 cup cashews, soaked 1 hour, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp cilantro
- 1/2 tsp fine-ground sea salt, plus more to taste
Ingredients
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- You want to roast the peppers whole one of two ways—either directly on a low gas flame (5–10 minutes), or under the broiler (7–15 minutes)—rotating as they roast so all sides blacken.
- Toss them in a bowl and cover with a dish towel so they steam for about 10 minutes.
- Then, peel off the waxy skins and the char (use a paring knife to help scrape if needed), slice in half, remove ribs, seeds, and stems—then chop and transfer to the blender.
- Into a skillet heated to medium, add oil and onion—cook together for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and stir together for 2 minutes, then transfer to the blender with remaining ingredients.
- Blend until creamy and store in an airtight, glass container in the fridge until ready to use.
Anytime you are puréeing peppers, it’s important to roast them in the oven first, so you can peel off the waxy skin. If you add raw poblano peppers to a soup or sauce, the waxy skin can create a weird texture once puréed.
Try Creamy Roasted Poblano Sauce:
As a dip for homemade Chickpea Fries (just skip the Old Bay in the recipe).
Tossed with roasted potatoes and arugula… or in lieu of the pesto in this recipe…
As a condi for Mexican Black Bean Burgers…
To top Red Quinoa Tacos…
As a dip for Mixed Root Veggie Fries…
or with Veggie Enchiladas.
Now, I want to hear from YU. Are you a fan of poblanos? What recipe will you try this sauce with? Tell us with a comment below.