Step 1: Roast Peppers - Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Carefully slice the poblano peppers in half, removing seeds, and drizzle with olive oil. Place them cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes until the skins are charred and blistered. Remove from the oven, allow them to cool slightly, peel off the skins, chop, and set aside.

Step 2: Sauté Vegetables - In a large stock pot, melt 1/4 cup of unsalted butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the diced onion and celery, followed by the diced baby gold potatoes. Sauté for 9-10 minutes until everything is softened and fragrant. Stir in the minced garlic, ground cumin, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper, continuing to sauté for an additional minute to release the aromas.

Step 3: Combine Broth and Peppers - Carefully pour in 5 cups of lower-sodium chicken broth, followed by the chopped roasted poblanos. Stir the mixture gently to combine, then bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Step 4: Cook Chicken - Add the cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts to the boiling broth. Once added, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. Check that the chicken is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C), then remove the chicken pieces, chop or shred them, and set them aside.

Step 5: Blend Soup - Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup until it reaches your desired consistency, whether smooth and velvety or slightly chunky, for approximately 2-3 minutes.

Step 6: Incorporate Chicken and Cream - Return the chopped or shredded chicken back into the pot, stirring to combine with the blended soup. Now, pour in 1 cup of heavy cream, stirring continuously as you bring the mixture to a gentle simmer for another 5 minutes.

Step 7: Serve and Garnish - Ladle the warm creamy soup into bowls. For an extra touch, garnish each serving with freshly minced cilantro.