Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder
Get the new year started off right with this quick and tasty Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder!
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Well, here we are, 2016. Just you and me. On a Monday morning. The holidays are a thing of the past, but at least we have NFL playoffs coming soon. But I can’t quite jump into Super Bowl appetizers yet. I’ve gotta be good for a couple of weeks to offset the chocolate and desserts that Santa delivered to our house this year. (That Santa…he’s such a sneaky one. Every time I turned around, he’d delivered cookies, cake or some other tasty treat to our kitchen.)
For us, early January means eating a bit healthier. I used to just ignore this so-called healthy eating thing. I figured it was a fad that would go the way of “Ice Ice Baby” and jeggings for men. But then I met my wife, and she convinced me to go to the gym in the mornings. She also convinced me to make healthier choices when it came to food. One of my biggest complaints misunderstandings was that healthier foods tasted bland. That’s not the case at all! Introducing this Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder.
I particularly enjoy hearty soups. I mean I enjoy broth-based soups, too…but my favorites are always the thick stews. But the problem is that those thick soups and stews often pack quite the calorie punch. So years ago my wife disappeared into the kitchen one afternoon and came back 30 minutes later with this Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder recipe. I was amazed that such a soup could be so hearty and comforting without being loaded with cream and butter. (Hey, I enjoy cream and butter as much as the next guy…but the post-holiday goal is to watch we eat.)
Did you catch that 30-minute part in there? Yup, this chowder only takes 30 minutes to make. The key is using a rotisserie chicken. Now like all soups, stews and dips, this Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder will absolutely taste better on Day 2. It tastes great on Day 1, but by Day 2 the flavors have melded into a much tastier dish. So we actually like to whip this up after dinner and then bring it out the next day.
And the best part about this Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder? Well, besides the fact that it’s lighter in calories and only takes 30 minutes to make…you can absolutely adapt it to whatever you have in the house. I included a red pepper and a green jalapeno in this version since I happened to have those in the fridge. Got some dried chilies around? Toss ’em in! Or perhaps some carrots or frozen peas? Toss ’em in! Enjoy!
Do you have a go-to healthier soup/stew?
Did Santa bring you one too many desserts over the holidays, too?
Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup white onion diced
- ¼ cup celery diced
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1 small red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 cups skim milk
- 2½ cups cooked rotisserie chicken
- 2½ cups corn fresh or frozen
- 1 15-oz can cream style corn
- ½ tsp chipotle chili powder
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Using a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add onions, celery, garlic, jalapeno and bell pepper; saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until onions begin to soften.
- Add flour; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add remaining ingredients (milk, cooked chicken, corn, cream style corn, chipotle powder, thyme and salt). Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
I love corn chowder. This stuff looks creamy and delish!
Happy New Year David!
Thank you so much, Melanie! 🙂 This is our go-to soup every year in early January when we’re tired of eating Christmas cookies. Happy New Year to you, too!
That’s so true…most healthy food tastes so blend and blah. That’s probably the main reason why we skip it most of the time. Glad you share this chowder recipe. I love creamy corn chowder and this one looks so comforting!
Yeah, I’m with ya here, Linda. I hear “healthy,” and I usually think “boring.” But this chowder is anything but boring! You’d swear this bad boy is loaded with cream and other bad stuff, but it’s not! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Hey now – I am one who subscribes to the whole “healthy-food-can-taste-jolly-good-even-better-than-their unhealthy-counterparts-at-times” mantra and so I gotta give Mrs Spiced two thumbs up for this chowder – even though you doctored her recipe up some for this version 🙂 I love using milk and (GF) flour to make a creamy soup – so much better than heavy cream!
Happy Happy New Year – here’s hoping you stay on team Healthy for awhile!
Yes, that is true! And you’ve come up with some amazing creations down there, Shashi. If only you lived in upstate New York! You and Mrs. Spiced would be a deadly combination in the kitchen…haha! So I made cookies yesterday (so much for healthy), but I did take them to the curling club instead of keep them around here. Haha!
I’m all about the broccoli cheese soup, but I’m backing off that for now and trying to lighten things up a bit. This chicken corn chowder certainly fits the bill! It looks delicious! I can’t wait for the playoffs to cheer on my Panthers! Happy New Year, David!
Ooo…broccoli cheese soup! I was just looking at my recipe for that one the other day. But like you, I decided to hold off and go a bit healthier for a bit here. We’ve got football munchies coming in a couple of weeks! 🙂
Nice job on this one, and thanks too, to Mrs Spiced! It’s my goal for the site and us this year. 🙂
Thanks so much, Kevin! And for the record, I’m glad you don’t wear jeggings. I’m not sure if we could be friends anymore. 🙂
BTW… I had to look up “jeggings” because I never heard of those and am so glad I didn’t – wow, a horrible idea.
Hi David! So good and so simple! Perfect for the cold that has swept in here – snowed this morning! UGH! Could I add just a few bacon sprinkles and still keep in healthy? 🙂
Yeah, tell me about it, Dorothy…the cold weather has arrived up here, and with a vengeance! It was 2° this morning. 2°! How about adding some super crispy turkey bacon? I know it’s not the same, but when it’s super crispy it’s actually not that bad of a substitute. Sorta. 🙂
It’s starting to get chilly and soup is ON my mind 🙂 Delish!
Thanks so much, Medha! Stay warm! 🙂
This look perfect for the cold weather right now!
Thanks so much, Manali! This is one of our go-to soups when we need to “detox” after the holidays. Stay warm out there!
Dude. Is this Spicedblog.com or what?
Just kidding, this looks delicious and the perfect remedy for all the cookies (or um…waffles and pancakes) santa left or mentally taught me to make for myself.
Haha! Hey, it’s healthy eating time now, mate. At least for a bit until the football appetizers roll in. Santa brought way too many cookies, waffles and pancakes this year!
I could SO go a big bowl of this right now – it is freezing in iceland. I just love adding sweetcorn to soup to add some creaminess and some crunch too.
Wait…Iceland?? Oh, that must be Dave’s surprise birthday trip? Or am I getting everything all mixed up? Either way, thanks, Dannii! (And I can’t help but note the irony of ‘it is freezing in Iceland.’) Haha!
I keep thinking about that scene from the Devil Wears Prada where they make fun of Anne Hathaway for getting corn chowder for lunch in a sea of skinny models eating plain lettuce. But see? There’s a way to do it and be healthy. Your wife has it down! This looks great.
Hah! Believe it or not, but I’ve actually seen that movie…it was pretty good! I don’t remember that scene, but there is totally a way to make corn chowder healthy. Thanks, Mir…hope your new year is off to an excellent start so far!
Wow, a corn chowder that’s actually healthy – what a find! When I think of corn chowder, I think of something full of heavy cream, and it’s so refreshing to see a healthy alternative! It looks just as rich and delicious as the original!
Tell me about it, Melanie! I’ve always been a fan of creamy soups, but I didn’t know you could make a healthy version until my wife whipped up this masterpiece. It’s been one of our go-to healthy soups for years now! 🙂
Indeed, even though I love adding some butter and cream in soups once in a while, most of the time I keep it simple – just veggies sauteed in a bit of oil/butter + water + some protein/carbs. A piece of cake. Or specifically, a bowl of soup:) I am actually craving for soup so I should consider making one next week. And as about Santa, please don’t pronounce his name. Yes, he brought a lot of sweets (and also made stacks of crepes and pancakes) so I don’t like him for the time being.
Haha! Santa brought way too many desserts to our house, too. Why can’t the big man in the red suit show up with soup instead? But yes, this soup is really darned tasty, Ben! It’s one of our go-to meals when we need to cut back a bit.
My favorite thing about this soup is that you can throw whatever you have in the fridge into it. What I have in my post-holidays fridge is heavy cream, butter, a ton of cheese, and a package of bacon. 😉
Wow, Jeff…your Cheesy Bacon Butter Chowder sounds delicious! Save me a bowl?
For some reason, I have never made chowder before! It is now on my to-do list 🙂 Also, I should probably try this healthy eating fad since it’s not going away 😉
Haha…well the healthy eating fad might fade a bit once the Super Bowl apps start to roll in! But either way, this healthy version of chowder is one of our favorite “detox” recipes for right after the New Year. Thanks, Cathleen!