Description
This comforting Chicken Corn Chowder is a creamy, hearty soup made with tender chicken, sweet corn, and potatoes simmered in a flavorful broth. Utilizing pureed corn and mashed potatoes, the chowder achieves a rich, velvety texture without the heaviness of cream. Perfect as a warming meal, it’s garnished with fresh herbs for added brightness.
Ingredients
Scale
Base and Vegetables
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or dairy-free butter)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
Thickening and Corn
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (or gluten-free flour mix)
- 2 ½ cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen (divided: 1 cup for blending, 1 ½ cups left whole)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Protein and Potatoes
- 1 lb chicken tenders (or boneless skinless chicken breast)
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes (or russet potatoes), peeled (one diced, one cut in quarters for mashing)
Liquids and Seasoning
- 4 cups chicken broth (or chicken bone broth)
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Garnish and Optional
- Chopped scallions or chives
- Optional: half and half or cream for extra creaminess
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Add butter and olive oil to a large heavy pot or Dutch oven and melt over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and fragrant.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed vegetables and continue to cook for about 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste, stirring frequently.
- Prepare Corn Puree: While sautéing, blend 1 cup of corn kernels with 1 cup of chicken broth until mostly smooth to create a thick, flavorful puree.
- Add Main Ingredients: Pour the corn puree into the pot along with paprika, chicken tenders, diced potatoes, and remaining whole corn kernels. Add just enough remaining chicken broth to cover the ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Simmer: Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Let it simmer gently for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
- Mash Potatoes: Remove the quartered potatoes from the pot and mash them until smooth. Stir the mashed potatoes back into the chowder to add thickness and creaminess.
- Shred Chicken and Season: Using two forks, shred the chicken pieces directly in the pot. Taste the chowder and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the chowder into 6 bowls and garnish with chopped scallions or chives. For extra creaminess, optionally stir in a splash of half and half or cream before serving.
Notes
- Pureed corn and mashed potatoes provide a creamy texture without heavy cream.
- Use dairy-free butter and gluten-free flour to make the recipe dairy-free and gluten-free if desired.
- For a richer chowder, add half and half or cream at the end.
- Leftovers store well and taste even better the next day as flavors meld.
- Adjust broth quantity as needed to achieve preferred soup thickness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 378 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 643 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 36 mg
