Chowder, anyone? Try a hearty, slightly untraditional, chicken corn chowder. Chock-full of vegetables, this soup is outstanding!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Chicken chowder is very satisfying. Since it has a lot of veggies, it’s nutritious, too.
How long it takes: 50 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large pan or Dutch oven
Servings: 4
About This chicken corn chowder
- Chowder is comfort food. When I’m thinking comfort food, my thoughts often turn to creamy soups. They just satisfy the stomach and the soul. Chicken corn chowder fills that niche beautifully.
- The soup is colorful and nutritious. It is beautiful, isn’t it? Bright green cilantro, deep green poblano, scarlet red bell peppers, brilliant yellow corn, floating dreamily on a creamy background, provide a feast for the eyes, and of course, lots of nutrition, too.
- You can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn. During summer months, take advantage of the abundance of sweet corn that farm markets are offering and make this chowder with freshly cut corn kernels for a really special treat. But don’t worry, frozen or canned corn are great substitutes.
- It’s lighter than traditional recipes: This recipe for chowder strays a little from a traditional chowder. No seafood or potatoes in chicken corn chowder! You may find it appeals to a wider audience because it’s not a heavy soup, and the veggies provide so much fresh flavor. It isn’t loaded with cream and cheese so this chowder is good for you, too.
- The chowder reheats well. You’re going to love this chicken corn chowder. It’s hearty and fresh tasting. With lots of texture, taste, and creaminess, this chowder hits all the sweet spots. In fact, make a double batch. You’re going to want it again tomorrow. (And it reheats beautifully.)
How To Make Chicken Corn Chowder
Start by cooking the bacon. Bacon seems to find its way into my recipes on a frequent basis. It just adds so much flavor. Start this chowder by sautéing bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven until it’s nice and crispy. Set aside the bacon to add later, and reserve the grease.
Sauté the chicken and veggies. Next in the pot with the bacon grease goes cubed chicken breast, onions, celery, red bell pepper, and poblano pepper. Sauté until the veggies are softened. So far, so good, right?
Make a roux. This chowder is thickened with a roux. The fat is already in the pot so add a fourth cup of all-purpose flour. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. The flour will coat the chicken and vegetables. That’s okay.
What is a roux?
Simply put, a roux is flour and fat cooked together to thicken sauces, soups, etc.Add the broth and corn; simmer. Next up is chicken broth. Slowly stir a couple cups of broth into the soup. Add a few cups of corn and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes.
Stir in the milk, bacon, and cilantro. Add a cup and a half of milk, crumbled bacon, and lots of fresh cilantro. Stir until heated and you’re ready to serve your chowder.
Serve chicken corn chowder with crackers or cornbread muffins. Fresh fruit or a green salad are perfect accompaniments.
First, a little history: Chowder was originally a shipboard soup. Early ocean travelers were served a simple soup of potatoes, onions, salt pork or fish, probably thickened with crumbled hardtack, a cracker-like bread that keeps forever. All of the ingredients could be stored a long period of time without refrigeration, except the fish, which was freshly caught. Early New Englanders continued serving this nutritious and easy meal.
Today’s chowders are usually made with seafood, potatoes, onions, and sweet corn. Often chowders are thickened with a roux, and milk is added to give the soup a creamy consistency. Chowder is usually served with crackers, which can be crumbled into the chowder, if desired.
While chowder and bisque are both creamy soups, the main difference is that a bisque is puréed or blended until it’s smooth. A chowder is thick with lots of chunky vegetables and meat.
Make It Your Own
Use this recipe as a base and make substitutions as you like. Here a few suggestions:
- Make seafood chowder instead of chicken. Substitute seafood of your choice for the chicken: clams, shrimp, scallops, haddock, etc. or a combination. Keep in mind that the cooking time will vary depending on which seafood you choose.
- Omit the bacon. While this chowder recipe is made with bacon for added flavor, you can also make it without bacon. Sauté the vegetables and chicken in a couple tablespoons of olive oil instead. Try adding some smoked paprika to get that smoky flavor!
- Vegetarian chowder: Omit both the bacon and chicken. Add one pound of cubed potatoes instead. Stir the potatoes in with the broth and corn and cook until tender.
- Cheesy chowder: Stir in 2 cups shredded cheese just before serving.
Time saving tip: Chop the onions, celery, bell pepper, and poblano the night before and put them in a zip top bag in the fridge.
To Freeze: Prepare the soup as directed, except don’t add the milk and fresh cilantro. Slightly undercook the vegetables. Cool completely and freeze for up to 3 months in freezer containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove. When soup has heated, stir in milk and cilantro.
If you plan on freezing the soup, don’t add potatoes because they tend to get mushy when frozen.
Refrigerate: Leftover chicken corn chowder can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for three or four days.
Reheat: Gently reheat the soup in a pan on the stove until it reaches a simmer. Don’t let it boil hard or it may separate. Individual portions can be microwaved.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this chowder recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #49. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.
More Chicken Soup
Chicken Corn Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 poblano pepper, diced (about ¾ cup)
- ½ cup finely chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups thawed frozen whole kernel corn, canned corn, or fresh corn
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1½ cups 2% milk (or whole milk)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, keeping grease in the pot.
- Add onions, chicken, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, celery, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and cook until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Slowly add broth while stirring. Add corn. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in milk, bacon, and cilantro. Leave on low heat to warm through if needed.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make ahead tip: Chop the veggies the night before and store in the fridge.
- Seafood chowder: Substitute seafood of your choice for the chicken: clams, shrimp, scallops, haddock, etc. or a combination. Reduce cooking time accordingly.
- Omit the bacon if you wish. Sauté the vegetables and chicken in a couple tablespoons of olive oil instead.
- Vegetarian chowder by omitting both the bacon and chicken. Add one pound of cubed potatoes. Stir the potatoes in with the broth and corn and cook until tender.
- Cheesy chowder, stir in 2 cups shredded cheese just before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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