Southwest Corn Chowder

Southwest Corn Chowder made with bacon, fresh corn, buttery potatoes, poblano pepper, herbs and spices. All made in a rich broth of white wine, chicken stock, and Greek yogurt for a creamy finish.

What You’ll Love About Southwest Corn Chowder:

My bestie Meghan made a few small boxes one year filled with her favorite recipes to share with her closest friends and family. Some of these recipes dated back to her childhood, and some have been more recent. The collections consist of meals, soups, appetizers, desserts, sides, and even drinks she had gathered over time. This gift has been so special to me and there isn’t one recipe I haven’t loved.

This Southwest Corn Chowder happens to be one of our favorites from the box and I’m so excited to finally share it with you! It’s the perfect thing to make when fresh corn is in-season. The freshness from the corn offers a crisp juiciness that canned corn can’t beat. It’s hearty and the southwest flavors give it a little zip and spice.

This is a great recipe to serve with grilled sour dough slices, or for something heartier try my Zucchini Cheddar Corn Bread.

Simple Ingredients:

• Bacon– This is the foundation of the chowder flavor.
• Veggies– Onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, poblano pepper (which offers a nice smokiness).
• Corn– I use fresh corn off the cob when in-season.
• Seasonings– Cumin and cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste.
• Chicken broth– You’ll want to use a good quality broth like Better Than Bouillon.
• White wine– I use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or chardonnay.
• Greek Yogurt– This adds a touch of creaminess at the end.

Substitutions:

How To Make Southwest Corn Chowder:

See full instructions in recipe card below

Step One (Optional). Char the poblano pepper on all sides until blackened either on a grill, directly over a gas stove, or in the oven. Place in a Ziploc bag and seal for at least 10-minutes. The pepper should pull away from the stem easily. Discard the seeds and chop the pepper into small pieces.

Step Two. Heat a large Dutch oven or pot to medium heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave behind 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pot.

Step Three. Add onions, carrots, celery and poblano pepper. Cook until veggies are tender then stir in seasonings.

Step Four. Add wine and scrape the bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir occasionally and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Step Five. Add potatoes and chicken broth then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until potatoes are fork tender.

Step Six. Stir in corn and cook just a few minutes. When corn is tender crisp remove the pot from the heat. Add Greek yogurt and stir until incorporated and soup is creamy.

Step Seven. Serve chowder topped with crispy bacon and fresh cilantro.

Additional Toppings For Southwest Corn Chowder:

• Sour cream
• Monterey jack cheese
• Avocado
• Jalapeno slices
• Green onion slices

Recipe Tip:

Common Questions:

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Loaded Cauliflower Soup
• Baked Potato Soup
• Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Chowder
• Mom’s Hamburger Soup

Southwest Corn Chowder

Southwest Corn Chowder made with bacon, fresh corn, buttery potatoes, poblano pepper, herbs and spices. All made in a rich broth of white wine, chicken stock, and Greek yogurt for a creamy finish.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 5

Calories: 429kcal

Equipment

• 1 large Dutch oven or stock pot

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 1 large carrot, diced small
• 2 celery stalks, diced small
• 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and diced small see instructions for optional step
• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced small
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels removed from cob, about 3-4 ears
• 1 cup dry white wine or use chicken stock
• 5 cups chicken stock I use better than bouillon roasted chicken base
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, full-fat
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper optional
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped optional

Instructions

• Optional step- Char the poblano pepper on all sides until blackened either on a grill, directly over a gas stove, or in the oven. Place in a Ziploc bag and seal for at least 10-minutes. The pepper should pull away from the stem easily. Discard the seeds and chop the pepper into small pieces.
• Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven or pot to medium heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until crispy, about 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pot.
• Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until veggies are softened then add poblano pepper. NOTE: IF you don't want to char the pepper first, just add it with the veggies to cook and soften. Stir in salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
• Raise the heat to medium high and add wine. Use a spoon to scrap the bits off the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to simmer and reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Add potatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20-minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
• Stir in corn and cook for 5 minutes. When corn is tender crisp turn the heat down to low and remove the pot from the heat. Stir in Greek yogurt or favorite milk product. Place back on heat to warm through, about 3-4 minutes. At this point you don't want the chowder to come to a boil.
• Serve chowder in soup bowls topped with cooked bacon and fresh cilantro.

Additional toppings:

• Sour cream
• Monterey jack cheese
• Avocado
• Jalapeno slices
• Green onion slices

Notes

Tip:

For a thicker chowder– To thicken up the chowder even more, use a potato masher after the potatoes have cooked and roughly mash down the potatoes in the pot. This will release more starch and create a thicker soup/chowder.

 

Substitutions: 

 

• Vegetarian– If you want to make this completely vegetarian leave out the bacon (or use your favorite bacon substitute) and use veggie stock.
• Corn– When corn isn’t in season I recommend using frozen sweet corn for the best texture.
• Wine– If you don’t want to use wine or don’t have it on hand just use chicken or veggie stock.
• Greek Yogurt- You can use sour cream, heavy cream, or half and half in place of the Greek yogurt. To make this dairy-free, leave out the Greek yogurt or add your favorite non-diary cream.

 

Common Questions:

 

Can this Chowder be made in the slow cooker?

Yes! You’ll still want to cook the bacon separately and set it aside until ready to use. Add all the ingredients minus the Greek yogurt, bacon, and cilantro to a 6 Qt or larger slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Stir in Greek yogurt and serve with bacon and cilantro.

Is this corn chowder spicy?

This does have a little kick to it. If you don’t want the spice at all, swap out the poblano pepper for a green bell pepper so you still get the same kind of flavors without the heat.

Can I freeze corn chowder?

Yes! This is an excellent recipe to freeze. Make sure the chowder is completely cooled, then place in a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Heat over the stove or in the microwave.

How long does corn chowder last in the refrigerator?

Corn chowder will last 4-5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The chowder is even better leftover.

 

Nutritional facts do not include additional toppings. 

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 790mg | Potassium: 1115mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2560IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg

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