This Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder is great all year round!
The temperature is hovering around 36 degrees as I write this post from a condo in Copper Mountain Colorado. I’m here to watch my daughter compete in snowboard nationals, and the snow has just started to fall against the beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains. While my calendar says it’s officially spring, the weather begs to differ. On these last few loooooong chilly days (I’m over it), all I think about are the warmer times ahead. This time of year, I love foods that can warm you while giving you hints of the summer days to come. This hearty Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder does just that, it’s super easy to make and comes together in about 30 minutes. A perfect, healthy weeknight meal, all made in one pot.
I can’t tell you how easy this chowder is to make and it’s perfect year round. With corn being one of the star ingredients, don’t feel like you have to wait until summer to enjoy this delicious chowder. Frozen corn is available year round and is a great substitute for the corn you will find in the local farmer’s markets. Don’t get me wrong, fresh is always best,but when you live in Minnesota, well, you have to improvise sometimes.
One thing I love about cooking, especially something I love to share when I teach cooking classes, is how to flex your ingredients. I have never been a recipe follower. I usually get inspired by a flavor profile and then put my own “Carla spin” on it. So, for this chowder, feel free to put your own signature spin on it. For instance, if your a vegetarian, you can omit the bacon and the chicken. You can easily substitute some canned white beans for the chicken, and with the addition of the smoky paprika, you won’t miss the bacon (well my husband begs to differ). If you want a vegan option, you can omit the cream. It’s not a game changer for the recipe with only a 1/4 cup.
Now, even though this is a Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder, it doesn’t read spicy. With the addition of the green chilies and the chipotle sauce, you may be thinking that this recipe has a kick. I find it to be very mild, but if you want to kick up the heat, choose hot green chilies and bump up the chipotle sauce a bit. You could even add a splash of tabasco if you really want to heat things up.
When I serve this chowder, I like to add what I like to call a topping bar. This is especially fun if you have kids or company over. Who doesn’t love a topping bar? For mine, I like to put out bowls of chopped cilantro, scallions, shredded cheese, and crispy bacon bits and let people dress their own bowl.
So, before you put the stock pot away, because you are over winter just like me, I have to tell you that the making and eating of this chowder may actually raise your mood. Think of it as therapy. Then the calories don’t count, right?
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This easy and delicious southwest chicken corn chowder comes together in 30 minutes and has lots of colorful & healthy ingredients.
Ingredients
- ½ Red onion (diced)
- 2 Cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 Red Pepper (diced)
- 2 C. Corn (fresh or frozen)
- 1 t. Salt
- 3 Strips of Bacon (diced)
- 32oz. Of Chicken Stock
- 1 Potato (diced)
- ½ T. Smoked Paprika
- 2 C. of Cooked & Shredded Chicken (Dark Meat)
- 2 t. Chipotle Sauce (I like Cholula)
- 1 Can green chilies (diced)
- ½ t. Cumin
- ¼ C. Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Add bacon to a stock pot. Cook until there is a good amount of oil released.
- Add onion, garlic and red pepper and cook until soft. Add corn and potatoes to pot and stir.
- Add remaining ingredients except cream. Bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). Stir in cream.
- Top with scallions, shredded cheese and cilantro.
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