Turn the broiler on to HIGH and move oven rack so it’s about 7-8 inches from the top of the oven.

Line a baking sheet with foil, then place poblano peppers on it.

Add baking sheet to oven and broil for 7-10 minutes, until blackened and/or blistered. Use tongs to turn over the peppers and broil another 5 minutes, or until the other side of the peppers is blackened and/or blistered.

Remove from the oven and cover loosely with additional foil, and let sit for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, use your gloved hands, or the back of a spoon to peel off the blackened skin. Remove the stem end and as much of the seeds as you’d like, then dice and set aside.

Heat a large dutch oven or stock pot over MED heat. Once hot, add sliced bacon pieces and cook until crispy and brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pot.

To the drippings, add butter, then add the onion, red bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-8 minutes, until softened and slightly golden.

Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Sprinkle in the flour, and stir well to combine. Cook for a minute or two, stirring often.

Add the diced potatoes, chicken broth, and bay leaf, stirring well to combine. Increase the heat to MED HIGH and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to MED/MED LOW to reduce the soup to a heavy simmer.

Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15-17 minutes.

Remove bay leaf, then stir in the kosher salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, Mexican oregano, chili power, and cayenne pepper. Stir in heavy whipping cream, diced and roasted poblano peppers, drained corn, and shredded cheese.

Simmer for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted, and everything is warmed through, then stir in about half of the reserved cooked bacon (the other half of the bacon is used as a garnish).

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve hot, garnished as desired.