Chicken and Corn Chowder

I like having seasons. Even when we’ve lived places where it’s hard to tell winter from fall or spring from summer, there’s something about the change in temp in October or November that triggers the soup instinct in me.

The Queen featured this great family favorite in the church cookbook she edited in the 80s. Here it is, updated to boost flavor and make it a bit easier to prepare.

Print Pin

No ratings yet

Chicken and Corn Chowder

A delicious fall supper soup.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, chowder, corn, fall, soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 Servings

Calories 875kcal

Author Dad

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 4 oz bacon Dice to 1/4" bits. Thick-sliced works best.
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts Create 1/2" pieces, or larger if you prefer.
• 1 medium yellow onion 1/4" dice.
• 1 stalk celery 1/4" dice.
• 1 large carrot 1/4" dice.
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ cup dry white wine any drinkable brand
• 4 cups chicken stock Homemade is best. Otherwise, use your favorite out-of-the-box. I like Unsalted so I can get the seasoning just right.
• 1 medium russet potato 1/2" dice. Any potato will do, about 8-10 oz. diced.
• 16 oz frozen corn
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream Or, substitute whole milk.
• 1 tbsp dried parsley Or, twice as much fresh.
• 2 oz salted butter

Instructions

• Dice bacon slices into 1/2" bits. Add bacon to a cold Dutch oven. Heat on medium to medium-high, stirring every so often, until bacon is crispy. This will take 10 minutes or more. Don't rush it. When it's good and crispy, but not burnt, remove from pot and set aside to add back later.
• Raise the heat to medium-high and cook onion, carrot, and celery in the bacon fat to drive off water and soften vegetables thoroughly. Don't add salt; there's plenty in the bacon stuff. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
• Stir in bay leaf, thyme, and garlic powder.
• Add white wine and reduce until your wooden spatula or spoon can be scraped along the bottom of the bottom of the pot and leave behind a dry path where the liquid doesn't immediately fill back in. This is easier to see that it sounds. Reducing the wine to this degree leaves behind the winey taste but removes the water.
• Add stock, potatoes, and corn.
• Bring to a low boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, covering pot.
• Now for the thickening. Here are two thickening methods that avoid using flour, corn starch, or another thickening agent. Pick the one that best suits your current diet plan or current motivation. Purée about a cup of the soup in a blender. Use slow to medium speed and be careful that the soup doesn't billow up and spill. Add the creamy blend back to the soup pot. Repeat the process if you want a creamier and thicker result. As an alternative or in addition to blending, use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes until you're liking the thickness. These avoid adding flour or other thickener.
• Add the cream or milk and stir. Add back the bacon bits and a tablespoon of butter. Let the whole thing simmer away for another three minutes.
• Serve, garnished with fresh parsley, chives, or green onion. Grated cheddar cheese works, too.

Notes

This chowder is fast and hearty on a cold night. It keeps well in the fridge for several days. Notice that we didn’t use flour, corn starch, or other means of thickening. The starch in the potatoes and corn make for plenty of substance.

Once you’ve made this the first time, it’s fun to try various enhancements. The last time I made it, I used a large shallot instead of onion. Leek would do, too. I used a bell pepper (orange for fall) instead of carrot. And I added some Cayenne pepper for a little heat. 

Chowders are really the thing if you prefer a creamy soup rather than a brothy soup, like I do. So many ways to get creative with it!

Nutrition

Calories: 875kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 231mg | Sodium: 1360mg | Potassium: 1568mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4356IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 4mg