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This smoky Chicken and Corn Chowder is creamy yet light and loaded with a surprising amount of flavor for a soup that requires just 9 ingredients. Made with both fresh and canned corn, it’s got layers of corn flavor.
Then chicken thighs make the soup satisfying without any risk of getting overcooked—no matter how many times you reheat it. And finally, half-and-half adds creaminess and body without making it overly stodgy or heavy.
A Few Ingredient Notes
A quick rundown of what’s in this soup: two types of corn, chicken thighs, collard greens, Chipotles and half-and-half. No potatoes in this version! Below are a handful of notes that will help make this a success.
- Corn: for the best flavor and texture, you’ll need four ears of fresh sweet corn and one can of canned corn. If you can’t find any fresh sweet corn, use two cans of corn.
- Chipotles in Adobo: these are dried jalapeños that have been smoked and then rehydrated in a tangy, spicy tomato sauce. For this soup, you’ll need both the chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce it’s packed in. Look for chipotle peppers in the Mexican section of the grocery store or at any Mexican market.
- Collard Greens: a hearty green with large flat leaves and a tough stem. Find them sold near the kale in the produce section. Remove and discard the stems before chopping and cooking the leaves.
- Chicken thighs: use boneless and skinless chicken thighs. They’re easy to prep and nearly impossible to overcook—perfect for a soup that get reheated a few times.
- Half-and-Half: adds creaminess but doesn’t make the soup overly rich.
Out of half-and-half? Combine ¾ cup whole milk with ¾ cup heavy cream and you’ve got half-and-half!
How to Make this Chowder
The full recipe, with ingredient amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
Prep the Corn
The first step is to cut the kernels from the corn cobs. Set both the corn and the cobs aside—but don’t throw the cobs!
When I developed my fresh cream of corn soup, I found the cobs themselves hold a ton of flavor.
And by simmering the cobs in the soup, you pull out all that flavor—and starch—which then infuses into the soup.
Cook the aromatics
Cook the onion, garlic, and chipotles in adobo in a few tablespoons of butter until the onion is softened.
Add the collard greens and cook for about 5 minutes before stirring in the broth and the reserved corn cobs.
Collard greens need a long simmer time to become tender and buttery, so bring the soup to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes. This is a great time to prep the other ingredients.
Add the Corn and Chicken
Remove the corn cobs and set those aside to cool (you still aren’t done with them!). Stir in the fresh corn kernels, canned corn (juices and all) and the chicken.
Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Once the corn cobs are cool, “milk” the cobs to extract any remaining starch and kernel solids (so much flavor!).
To do this, just scrape the backside of a knife down the corn. Add those solids back into the pot—you can finally discard those cobs now!
Finish with Half-and-Half
Stir in the half-and-half (make sure the soup doesn’t come to a boil or the half-and-half could break) and season to taste with salt.
Test Kitchen Tip
- Once you open a can of chipotles in adobo you should transfer them to a container with a tight-fitting lid (don’t store them in the can).
They will keep in the fridge for a month or so, but for longer storage I recommend freezing them.
My favorite way to freeze chipotles is in a plastic deli container. When I need then, I’ll set the container on the counter to thaw for about 5 minutes, then I’ll flip the frozen puck of chipotles out onto a cutting board and use a chefs knife to cut off as much as I need. Less mess and no waste! - Collard greens are a delicious dark, leafy green that I don’t think us Northerners use enough. If you’re new to cooking collard greens just know this—they need a long cook time to become tender and buttery. Plan on 30–45 minutes of simmering time when cooking with collard greens.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating the Soup
Good news, this soup keeps really well, and even freezes beautifully. Stored in an airtight container, this soup will last in the fridge for up to 4 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
If frozen, allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating gently on the stovetop over medium-low. Avoid bringing it to a boil so the dairy doesn’t break.
Pair it With a Simple Side
This soup is an all-in-one meal. But I do often like to serve it with some kind of carb.
While the chowder cooks on the stovetop, bake up this delicious healthy skillet cornbread made with whole-wheat flour. It calls for frozen corn, but you can also use canned corn.
If you need something gluten-free, I’ve got a great gluten-free buttermilk cornbread that’s also baked in a cast-iron skillet.
Chicken and Corn Chowder (Light and Creamy!)
Description
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Ingredients
- 4 ears sweet corn, shucked
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ large yellow onion, diced (~ 1 cup)
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 chipotles in adobo, minced + 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
- Kosher salt
- 1 bunch collard greens, stemmed and finely chopped (2 cups)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ¾ inch chunks
- 1 (15-ounce) can corn kernels
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- Cilantro and lime wedges, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Cut kernels from 4 corn cobs; set kernels aside and reserve cobs.
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add ½ chopped onion, 3 minced cloves garlic, 2 minced chipotles, 2 teaspoons adobo and ½ teaspoon kosher salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add 1 bunch finely chopped collard greens and cook 5 minutes. Stir in 4 cups broth and reserved corn cobs; bring soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
- Using tongs, transfer cobs to a plate; let cool.
- Stir in fresh corn kernels, 1 pound chicken thighs cut into chunks, and 1 can corn and its juices; simmer until chicken is cooked through, 8–10 minutes.
- Scrape back of a knife down length of cooled corn cobs to “milk” cobs; add scraped liquid and solids to soup; discard cobs.
- Stir in 1½ cups half-and-half and season with salt to taste.
- Serve with cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.
This one was so great! Even for a newbie!