Jalapeño Popper Soup with Grilled Cheese Dippers is creamy, cheesy, and loaded with just the right kick of spice from fresh jalapeños. It’s the ultimate comfort food mashup that pairs rich, hearty soup with gooey grilled cheese for dunking. Perfect for game day, chilly nights, or anytime you want a fun twist on classic comfort food.
Love More Soup Recipes? Try My Hearty Cabbage Soup or this Wild Mushroom, Caramelized Onion and Kale Soup next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Smoky bacon, melty cheddar, and tender jalapeños come together in a creamy base that tastes just like your favorite jalapeño poppers in soup form. It’s comforting without being overly spicy, so even mild palates can enjoy it. Pair it with grilled cheese dippers for the ultimate cozy meal that feels fun, filling, and totally indulgent.
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Jalapeño Popper Soup with Grilled Cheese Dippers
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups
Description
This rich and creamy jalapeño popper soup captures all the beloved flavors of the popular appetizer in a warming bowl. Roasted jalapeños, crispy bacon, and melted cheese create the perfect balance of heat and comfort, while golden grilled cheese dippers make every spoonful even better.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 4–5 jalapeños, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 3–4 slices of bacon, chopped (I always cook like 6 because people eat it)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth (not the cheap stuff in the can)
- 2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened (seriously take it out early)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
For the Grilled Cheese Dippers
- Bread slices (whatever’s not moldy)
- Butter
- Sharp cheddar, sliced
Instructions
Stick the jalapeños over a flame or under the broiler until they’re all black and gross looking. Let them cool down then peel off the burnt skin and scrape out the seeds. More seeds means spicier soup. Chop them up.
Chop up bacon and cook it till it’s crispy in your big pot. Take the bacon out but leave all that grease. Trust me on this.
Dump the onion in the bacon grease and cook until it’s soft. Add garlic and jalapeños, cook another minute until it smells good.
Add butter, let it melt. Add flour and stir for like a minute. Looks like paste but that’s normal. This stops your soup from being thin and gross.
Pour chicken broth in slowly while whisking or you’ll get lumps. Add milk. Don’t let it boil hard or it gets weird.
Turn heat down low. Stir in cream cheese until it melts. Add cheddar bit by bit, stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper but taste first because bacon’s already salty.
Butter bread, put cheese between slices, cook in pan until golden. Cut into strips. Don’t burn them like I did the first time.
Pour soup in bowls, put bacon on top, serve with grilled cheese strips. Watch kids make a complete mess dunking everything.
Notes
Don’t rush the flour part or it tastes raw and nasty. Add broth slow or you get lumps. Keep heat low once cheese goes in. Always taste at the end and fix the seasoning.
Cold cream cheese, boiling after adding cheese, not taking out enough seeds if you want mild, forgetting to season.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredient List
For the Soup
- 4–5 jalapeños, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 3-4 slices of bacon, chopped (I always cook like 6 because people eat it)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth (not the cheap stuff in the can)
- 2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened (seriously take it out early)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
For the Grilled Cheese Dippers
- Bread slices (whatever’s not moldy)
- Butter
- Sharp cheddar, sliced
Why These Ingredients Work
Roasted jalapeños taste completely different than raw ones. Raw ones are just angry and bitter. Roasted ones get sweet and smoky and actually taste good instead of just burning your face off.
Bacon grease is where all the flavor lives. Don’t you dare drain it because that’s liquid gold right there. Makes everything taste a million times better than regular oil.
The butter and flour keeps it from being watery garbage. Cream cheese melts smooth, cheddar gives it the sharp bite that makes you think jalapeño poppers. Pretty basic stuff but it works.
Essential Tools and Equipment
Big pot, whisk, knife, cutting board, pan for grilled cheese. That’s it. Don’t overthink this.
How To Make Jalapeño Popper Soup with Grilled Cheese Dippers
Step 1: Roast Those Jalapeños
Stick the jalapeños over a flame or under the broiler until they’re all black and gross looking. Let them cool down then peel off the burnt skin and scrape out the seeds. More seeds means spicier soup. Chop them up.
Step 2: Cook the Bacon
Chop up bacon and cook it till it’s crispy in your big pot. Take the bacon out but leave all that grease. Trust me on this.
Step 3: Cook the Onions
Dump the onion in the bacon grease and cook until it’s soft. Add garlic and jalapeños, cook another minute until it smells good.
Step 4: Make a Roux
Add butter, let it melt. Add flour and stir for like a minute. Looks like paste but that’s normal. This stops your soup from being thin and gross.
Step 5: Add Liquids
Pour chicken broth in slowly while whisking or you’ll get lumps. Add milk. Don’t let it boil hard or it gets weird.
Step 6: Add the Cheese
Turn heat down low. Stir in cream cheese until it melts. Add cheddar bit by bit, stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper but taste first because bacon’s already salty.
Step 7: Make Grilled Cheese
Butter bread, put cheese between slices, cook in pan until golden. Cut into strips. Don’t burn them like I did the first time.
Step 8: Serve
Pour soup in bowls, put bacon on top, serve with grilled cheese strips. Watch kids make a complete mess dunking everything.
You Must Know
Take cream cheese out early so it’s soft. Cold cream cheese makes nasty lumps that won’t go away. Also don’t boil the soup after you add cheese or it gets stringy and gross.
I always cook way more bacon than I need because my family steals it while I’m cooking. Hide some for the soup or you’ll run out.
Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks
Don’t rush the flour part or it tastes raw and nasty. Add broth slow or you get lumps. Keep heat low once cheese goes in. Always taste at the end and fix the seasoning.
Cold cream cheese, boiling after adding cheese, not taking out enough seeds if you want mild, forgetting to season.
Flavor Variations & Suggestions
Want spicier? Add chipotle peppers or hot sauce. Different meat? Use sausage. No meat? Cook mushrooms in butter. Different cheese? Whatever you got works fine.
Make-Ahead Options
Better the next day honestly. Keeps in fridge 3 days. Reheat slow and add more liquid if it’s too thick. Don’t freeze it because dairy soups get weird.
Grilled cheese is best fresh but you can prep the stuff ahead of time.
Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips
Heat depends on your peppers and how many seeds you leave. Start with less if you’re not sure. Too thick? Add broth. Too thin? Cook longer or add more cheese.
Always melt cheese on low heat or it gets stringy.
Serving Suggestions
Good for parties if you serve in bread bowls. Kids love the dippers. Goes with salad or just eat it as is. Beer works great with this.
How to Store Your Jalapeño Popper Soup
Fridge for 3 days covered. Gets thick when cold so thin it when reheating. Reheat slow, don’t boil. Fresh grilled cheese only.
Allergy Information
Has dairy and gluten. For dairy free use coconut milk and fake cheese but won’t taste the same. For gluten free use GF flour and bread.
Questions I Get Asked A Lot
Can I use fresh jalapeños instead of roasted ones?
You can, but roasting really transforms the flavor! Fresh jalapeños will be sharper and more aggressive. If you’re in a pinch, sauté them with the onions until softened.
What if my soup is too thin?
Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with ¼ cup of cold milk to make a slurry, then whisk it into the simmering soup. Let it cook for a few minutes to thicken.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
The sautéing and roux steps really build flavor, so I’d recommend doing those on the stove first, then transferring to your slow cooker with the remaining ingredients for 2-3 hours on low.
💬 Made this? Tell me what happened! Did you change stuff? Make it hotter? Use different cheese? I wanna know if it worked or if you messed it up like I did the first few times.
