I can’t help but love the way the cold weather meshes perfectly with a big bowl of this Heartwarming Cheddar Corn And Chicken Chowder. It warms you up, soothes your throat, and if you’re working with the right recipe, it’s healthy for you too.
After a long day at the office and a strenuous stint at the gym, your body is craving calories, not chicken broth. While your basic can of Campbell’s won’t get the job done, the good news is most soups can be amplified to provide the substance you need. I recently did just that with my Heartwarming Cheddar Corn And Chicken Chowder.
My goal for this dish was to whip up a midweek soup that was easy to prepare and totally filling. Starting with simple corn chowder, all I needed was some lean ground chicken and a few dollops of Greek yogurt to pump up the protein and turn this soup into a full-blown meal.
Heartwarming Cheddar Corn And Chicken Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken (minced chicken) - lean
- 6 cups corn - frozen, divided – approximately 24 ounces
- 1 ¼ cups cheddar cheese - fat-free shredded
- 1 cup yellow onion - diced
- ¾ cup celery - diced
- ¾ cup red pepper (red capsicum) - diced
- ½ cup Greek yogurt - plain non-fat
- 2 cups low-fat milk - divided
- 2 teaspoons olive oil - extra virgin, divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic - crushed or minced
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (chilli powder in British English)
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns - coarse
Instructions
- Microwave turkey bacon as directed. Crumble by hand, then set aside.
- In a food processor, puree 3 cups frozen corn with Greek yogurt and 1 cup skim milk. Blend until smooth, then set aside.
- Season ground chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, slowly cook meat with 1 teaspoon EVOO over low heat, about 15 minutes.
- While chicken cooks, in a medium skillet, sauté onion in remaining teaspoon EVOO over medium-high heat. As onion becomes translucent, add celery and red peppers, stirring well. When all vegetables are tender, stir in the last 3 cups of frozen corn.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, add vegetables to the pan, tossing ingredients for 2-3 minutes. Next, transfer meat and veggies to a large saucepot, then pour over with pureed corn. Stirring constantly over medium heat, add turkey bacon, remaining cup of milk, chilli powder, garlic, and cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is melted, then cover and reduce the flame to low. Allow soup to simmer for 20 minutes, then ladle and serve.