Is there any food that represents the end of summer more than a hot bowl of creamy, sweet corn chowder? It’s perfect for when the weather just starts cooling off, but fresh corn is still abundant. This mild green chile and corn chowder has an awesome peppery (but not spicy) kick that complements the sweet corn wonderfully and gives it more of a southwestern vibe. It’s a one-pot, gluten-free, and vegetarian meal that you’ll love.
And it’s even more wonderful with crumbled queso fresco and chopped fresh cilantro on top. Yummmmm.
OK, confession time. I just went on about fresh corn being at its peak right now but if I’m being honest… I used frozen. You caught me. And I also used jarred fire roasted chiles.
What does this mean?
Well, it means that I didn’t feel like shucking corn and getting kernels all over the place. And I didn’t FEEL like fire roasting my own chile peppers, even though hatch peppers are literally everywhere right now. AND, best of all, it means I can make this recipe ALL YEAR ROUND!
So, you’re welcome :-)
I took a trick out of Ree Drummond’s book to thicken the soup- she uses a masa (corn flour), or corn meal, slurry stirred into her corn chowder at the end to make it thick and impart a corn flavor into the whole thing. It’s a trick I use in tortilla soup as well. It’s a great way to thicken soups without wheat flour, making it gluten-free and boosting the flavor.
I used heavy cream in this recipe, but feel free to use milk if you want a bit of a lighter soup. I also used chicken broth as the base, but for a vegetarian version, make sure to use vegetable stock.
For extra credit, if you’re using fresh corn, simmer the corn cobs (after cutting the kernels off) in the broth/stock before adding it to the soup. The starches will seep into the liquid and thicken and flavor the whole thing.
Recipe for mild green chile and corn chowder below!
Green Chile and Corn Chowder
Equipment
- Pyrex Measuring Cup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion diced
- 4 potatoes cut into a medium dice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more if needed
- 16 oz. frozen corn (about 5 cups, or from about 5-6 ears fresh corn)
- 5 cups chicken stock/broth or vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup masa (corn flour)
- 10 oz. green chiles jarred or canned, preferably fire roasted, mild or spicy depending on taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- crumbled queso fresco and chopped fresh cilantro for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a heavy large pot, melt butter (2 tablespoons) over medium heat.
- Add onions, sauté until softened (about 3 minutes).
- Add potatoes, kosher salt (1 teaspoon), frozen corn, and chicken broth (5 cups). Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for a bout 20 minutes (or until potatoes are tender).
- Ladle out about 1.5 cups of hot broth from the pot into a small bowl or pyrex measuring cup and whisk the masa (1/3 cup) into it, forming a thick paste. It's OK if there are little pieces of corn or onion in it.
- Add masa paste back to the soup and stir to incorporate.
- Add the green chiles and heavy cream (1 cup) to the soup and stir.
- Serve with crumbled queso fresco and chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.
Notes
- Lighten it up: Substitute milk for the cream and use 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Freeze it: Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to six months.
- Make it vegan: Use olive oil instead of butter and full-fat canned coconut milk instead of the heavy cream, and vegetable broth instead of chicken.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Shanan Vandiver
I have made this before, and it was great. I made it on a Friday during Lent, so I used veggie broth. I’m making it tonight with chicken broth and leftover cooked chicken
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Love the idea of using chicken in it!
Jaime
What a wonderful recipe – it’s a perfect light supper. Thanks for sharing!
On a related note, the suggestion of masa as a gluten free thickener is an interesting one – i’d not tried it before – though I have used cornstarch. As there are several celiac intolerant people in my family, it’s been an issue – and the most successful thickener I’d found to date has been instant mashed potato flakes. They’re cheap, almost always on hand, and have been ideal for soups, stews and chilis. (and they have the added advantage of not ever forming lumps)
Thanks again!
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! I’ve never tried using mashed potato flakes as a thickener- what an awesome idea!
Mrs Major Hoff
I love using masa as a thickener. I use it a lot in my chili recipes! Can’t wait to try this one, I’m on such a green chile kick right now!
Elizabeth
Don’t you love it? It’s got such a great flavor!