Description
This hearty Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder is a flavorful, comforting soup packed with tender chicken, crispy bacon, fresh vegetables, beans, and melted cheese. Infused with southwestern spices, roasted red peppers, jalapenos, and cilantro, it delivers a perfect balance of spicy, creamy, and savory notes, ideal for a satisfying meal. The chowder is thickened with corn starch mixed into half and half, then finished off with sour cream and cheese for a rich, indulgent taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Proteins
- 8 oz bacon (fried crispy and chopped)
- 3 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into bite-size pieces)
- 2 cups black beans
Vegetables and Spices
- 1 cup celery (diced)
- ½ cup onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
- 1 cup carrots (diced)
- 8 oz diced green chilies
- 1 large jalapeno (diced)
- 1 cup roasted red peppers (diced)
- 4 cups corn (canned or frozen)
- 3 cups red potatoes (diced)
- ¾ cup fresh cilantro (diced about 2-3 large sprigs)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
Liquids and Dairy
- 1 (28 oz) can chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups Mexican cheese mixture (shredded)
Instructions
- Fry Bacon: Fry the bacon in a pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove and drain the bacon on paper towels, then crumble. Retain the bacon grease in the pan for the next steps.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the chopped onion, diced celery, and finely chopped garlic to the bacon grease. Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables are tender and fragrant.
- Cook Chicken with Spices: Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to the pan along with chili powder and cumin. Sauté until the chicken is fully cooked through and lightly browned.
- Add Broth and Vegetables: Pour in half of the chicken broth and add the carrots, diced green chilies, jalapeno, roasted red peppers, black beans, corn, potatoes, and cilantro. Stir well and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the soup has reduced slightly.
- Add Remaining Broth: Pour in the remaining chicken broth, then bring the soup to a low boil to evenly heat through all ingredients.
- Thicken Soup: Mix corn starch into the half and half until smooth, then gradually stir this mixture into the boiling soup. Continue boiling gently until the chowder thickens to your desired consistency. For a thicker chowder, optionally add an additional ½ to 1 cup milk mixed with more corn starch.
- Finish with Dairy: Remove the soup from heat and stir in the sour cream until fully incorporated. Then fold in the shredded Mexican cheese mixture so it melts evenly throughout the chowder.
- Serve: Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with the crumbled crispy bacon. Serve with extra sour cream, chopped cilantro, additional cheese, and a dash of hot sauce if desired for added zest and garnish.
Notes
- Retaining the bacon grease to cook the vegetables adds robust flavor to the chowder.
- The spice level can be adjusted by modifying the amount of jalapeno and chili powder.
- Feel free to substitute half and half with heavy cream or whole milk for a richer or lighter chowder respectively.
- Using fresh corn will add sweetness but canned or frozen corn works well and is convenient.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat beautifully on stovetop or microwave.
