SOUP’r Debut: A Jalapeño Popper Soup with a Side of Panic

Today was my first official SOUP’r Club appearance as not just a bowl-toting bystander, but a full-blown SOUP’r. The stakes? High. The pressure? Also high. The heat? Let’s just say... Kevin and Jeff are still sweating, and not from the weather.

I wanted to make something bold. Something cheesy. Something that whispered, “I come from Midwestern potlucks, but I also know my way around a jalapeño.” Enter: Jalapeño Popper Soup with Leeks and Blistered Corn. A soup so rich, so spicy, so lovingly blended—it could give you both a warm hug and a nose tingle.

Ingredients I Regret Googling at 9PM:

• Fresh jalapeños (ended up using 6, which in hindsight, is jalapeño Russian roulette)

• Cream cheese (because of course)

• white cheddar (because why be subtle?)

• Leeks (because I wanted to feel fancy)

• Sweet corn (pan-blistered, because someone on TikTok said it adds “depth”)

• Garlic, onions, broth, and a few other things that I prayed would play nice together

The Cooking Saga: I started the soup full of hope and hubris. I diced the jalapeños barehanded (rookie move—my eyes still haven’t forgiven me), blistered corn like I was born in a cast iron skillet, and got leeks to submit to a sauté. There was bubbling. There was stirring. At one point, my immersion blender nearly flung soup across the ceiling. We were close.

And then I tasted it. It was good. Too good? Spicy. Creamy. Slightly sweet from the corn. Cheesy in a way that made you question why all soups aren’t cheese-based. I had created something magical. Or a gastrointestinal trap. Only time would tell.

SOUP’r Club Meeting: Kevin took one bite, paused, and gave me a look that can only be described as “oh lala.” Jeff high-fived me with his eyes. The heat level was, in their words, “excellent”. Tam and Conlan cautiously slurped, then downed their bowls. I, ever the enigma, powered through with a red face and a thumbs up.

Ironically, it was my soup that walked away with the highest-rated soup of the club’s history. His “Un-popped Jalapeño” (working title) had all the charm of a farmers’ market and none of the danger of mine. A true dark horse victory.

Still, I survived. The soup was not only edible—it was memorable. A little spicy, a little messy, a lot delicious.

Lessons Learned:

• Wear gloves when handling jalapeños. Always.

• Leeks are delightful but vaguely annoying to clean.

• SOUP’r Club is not just a club. It’s a crucible of flavor, fire, and friendship.

I brought the heat—and no one called poison control. I’ll take it. Until next SOUP’r Day lunch, Your slightly scorched, highly encouraged, soup-slinging rookie