Southwestern Corn Chowder
Make this Southwestern corn chowder for a cozy dinner at home! This vegetarian corn chowder recipe is fresh, wholesome and delicious. Recipe yields 8 cups or 4 generous bowls.
Nutrition Facts
Ingredients
Instructions
In a medium/large Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the corn, potatoes, onion, poblano, bell pepper, celery, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and ½ teaspoon chili powder. Stir to combine. Cook until the onions are tender and translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, while stirring constantly. Add the broth and water and stir to combine. Drop in the bay leaf.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’s not done until the potatoes are fully cooked through and very easily pierced through with a fork.
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Continue Reading at Cookieandkate →Chef's Notes
*Spice level note: Some poblanos are more spicy than others. If you’re sensitive to spice, you can omit the poblano to be on the safe side, and also go easy on the chili powder. If you love spice, you can stir in additional chili powder to taste, or you could even add a chopped jalapeño to the pot with the other peppers.
**Crème fraîche or sour cream: I like crème fraîche because it does not curdle when stirred into hot soup. I use the Vermont Creamery brand and typically find it near the goat cheese. If you prefer to use sour cream or Greek yogurt, you can “temper” it to prevent it from curdling. Simply place the sour cream or yogurt in a heat-safe bowl. Add a few splashes of the warm soup liquid, stirring after each, until the mixture is warmed through. Then stir the mixture into the soup.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the butter. I’ve heard from some commenters who love it without any additional creaminess. Or for results closest to the soup as shown, use my vegan sour cream in place of the crème fraîche—it works great! You might enjoy garnishing individual servings with an additional dollop of vegan sour cream on top.
*Spice level note: Some poblanos are more spicy than others. If you’re sensitive to spice, you can omit the poblano to be on the safe side, and also go easy on the chili powder. If you love spice, you can stir in additional chili powder to taste, or you could even add a chopped jalapeño to the pot with the other peppers.
**Crème fraîche or sour cream: I like crème fraîche because it does not curdle when stirred into hot soup. I use the Vermont Creamery brand and typically find it near the goat cheese. If you prefer to use sour cream or Greek yogurt, you can “temper” it to prevent it from curdling. Simply place the sour cream or yogurt in a heat-safe bowl. Add a few splashes of the warm soup liquid, stirring after each, until the mixture is warmed through. Then stir the mixture into the soup.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the butter. I’ve heard from some commenters who love it without any additional creaminess. Or for results closest to the soup as shown, use my vegan sour cream in place of the crème fraîche—it works great! You might enjoy garnishing individual servings with an additional dollop of vegan sour cream on top.
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Reviews from the Original Source
Ok, this soup is amazing--
We did not have a poblano pepper... and it was still great. Love that it does not use cream. The proportion of ingredients was excellent. Aside from some chopping, it comes together really quickly. What really makes it a stand out is the after-addition of the pepper, cilantro and LIME! The combination of flavors is Excellent! Glad we made the effort to have fresh lime!
Lip-smacking delicious, corn chowder. This soup is a hearty welcome for a blustery fall day
This soup is so delicious and love the lime in it. Next time I'll try adding some jalapeños. Nice on a cold fall or winter day!
Best corn chowder! Thank you for this recipe. Easy to follow and took exactly the time the recipe stated. I skipped the butter, as our IBS doesn't handle creaminess. Then after I blended some of the soup, I added a little rotisserie chicken to give it some protein, and added extra lime. Thank you!
Loved this recipe! We used the Greek yogurt option and omitted the cilantro and the 2 cups of water (our 5 qt. pot was absolutely full). We liked it as a thicker soup. Will definitely make it again.
Absolutely delicious. Added some pepper flakes and omitted all dairy. Outstanding flavors!!
Not a vegetarian here, so I elected to make this recipe using chicken stock. All I can say is YUM! I had to slow simmer it for about an hour as I had to leave for a while. I added some corn cobs while simmering for flavor and took them out with the bay leaf. I skipped the cilantro as I am one of the “lucky” few for whom cilantro tastes like soap. I also crumbled bacon on top to serve. I have been looking for a good corn chowder recipe and this is it. This recipe will go on permanent rotation in my meal planning!
Loved this recipe, I can see it becoming a winter staple. I added some cumin and smoked paprika and this was a big hit when I cooked it for my friends. So easy to make too!
I batch cook/freeze meals for my aging parents, and this one landed in the “ keeper” file. They loved it! Prepared as directed. Thanks, Kate, for providing numerous healthy recipes that we all enjoy.
Hi. I love every recipe that I have tried, being a vegetarian I appreciate your vegetarian recipes. I am really pleased that I have now fathomed out how to save the recipes. It’s going to be good to have quick, easy access to them
I will be making your Spinach lasagne tomorrow and the corn chowder soon.
Many thanks for your wonderful Cookie and Kate website
This is what summer should taste like! I love how flavorful this corn chowder is without feeling heavy. Blending a few cups of the soup to thicken and adding creme fraiche makes it the perfect consistency. We like spice, so I added a diced jalepeno in addition to the chili powder and poblano pepper. This is the only corn chowder recipe I'll be making in the future. Chef's kiss!
Made this on a whim because we ended up with a ton of delicious corn on the cob. HUGE hit on the recipe with my picky husband. Definitely adding it to the rotation.
Wow, what a great recipe. I like others threw in a mod and added a couple cups of frozen scallops at the end. Super tasty
Made this for meal prep this week.
Exactly what I had hoped for.
I opted out of the pablona because of some health issues but the soup still had loads of flavor and was cozy and satisfying.
Thanks Kate, another one of your soups on my rotation.:)
Made this for dinner tonight and didn't think it would have much flavour due to limited seasoning, but somehow it works. My husband and I enjoyed a couple bowls of this cozy soup. I think cheese on top would've made it even better!
Absolutely amazing, a new soup to add to our regular cooking rotation !
Just like all the other recipes I have made on Cookie & Kate, this was fabulous. First time I made it exactly as the recipe indicated with crème fraîche. Next time I made it I used the vegan option. 3rd/4th/5th... times I made it a little spicier and added jalapeno peppers with the poblano and some chipotle smoked red jalapeño powder. The lime juice and cilantro make it so light and fresh.
I’ve never been compelled to leave a review on a recipe, but this one was truly delicious. Thanks!
Hi! Thanks for responding. I used the immersion blender and it was fantastic. I love this recipe!
This soup is so delicious Kate, when I saw the photo I knew I would make it and not surprising, it is so so good! Iwill be making often. All the recipes I have made from you are amazing. Thank you so much!
I love creamy soups. If I omit the creme fraiche/sour cream, could I just use a little whole milk at the end?
This was delicious! I removed about 3 cups then used immersion blender in the pot. Scattered Fritos on the top. Will be making again soon! <3
Used greek yogurt and skipped the blending (to save on cleaning time). The whole family loved it! My 9 year old said it was better than Panera's (a huge endorsement coming from him). This will soon be an old family favorite (your veggie lasagna already is)! Thank you!
Super good! It was mild for my taste so I add a little salt and a little Cholula hot sauce and it is delicious!
I've made this a few times now, it is absolutely delicious! I've made it with fresh corn and frozen and fresh is a knockout....you have to try this recipe, it is one of Kate's best.......and that's saying something since ALL of her recipes are fantastic. I'm a huge fan. TRY IT!!
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