Fresh corn to me is the taste of summer, enjoyed at barbeques and picnics while eating outside. But now we are at the intersection of seasons when it is still warm during the day, with a golden tone to the sunlight. Grilled Chicken Corn Chowder is the perfect gateway soup for this time of year. We still have the sweetness of late summer corn but the heartiness of a chowder.
This soup is full of tender grilled chicken, roasted corn, and hearty, tender potatoes in a creamy corn broth flavored with leeks and celery. To make an easy dinner, I use grilled chicken from the deli counter at my local grocery store. Have some leftover chicken? This is a great way to use that chicken.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- The flavor profile of this chowder - rich, creamy, and savory - is perfect comfort food for a cool evening as temperatures change.
- Roasted sweet corn adds a smoky flavor and partners well with the grilled chicken
- The savory broth is made with corn cobs for a more pronounced corn flavor.
Ingredients
- chicken - Grilled at home or rotisserie chicken purchased at your local grocery store. This is a great recipe for leftover chicken.
- vegetables - Corn on the cob, waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes, celery, leeks
- corn broth - broth - butter, flour, thyme, bay leaf, chicken stock, whole milk
Step-by-Step Instructions
Grill the corn
- I roast the corn by using the flame on the burner. Lay 2-3 ears of corn across the burner and rotate them as they roast. If you do not have a gas stove, you can place the ears of corn under a broiler, as close as possible to the heating element. Of course, you can roast the corn on a grill.
- When the grilled corn has cooled, cut the kernels off the cob. I lay the cob flat on a cutting board and cut off a side. Rotate the cob as you remove the kernels. Reserve the cobs.
Prepare the Vegetables
- Cut the celery into ¼-inch pieces.
- Thoroughly rinse the leeks. Often, there is dirt and sand in between the layers of the leeks. Remove the dark ends of the leeks, reserving the light green and white stem ends. Cut the leek in half lengthwise. Cut each piece into ¼ -inch pieces.
- Peel the potatoes. Cut each potato into ½-inch dice.
Pull Chicken
- I typically use chicken breasts for the chowder, but you can also use thighs. Pull the chicken off the bone in bite-sized pieces and discard any skin.
Start Preparing the soup
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, melt unsalted butter over medium heat.
- When the butter is melted, add the celery and leeks. Season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼-teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Sweat the vegetables for 5 minutes until the leeks have softened but the celery remains green.
Make the Roux
- To make a roux, sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir until they are evenly coated. Continue to stir for about 4 minutes to cook the flour. It should be white or very faint tan.
- Add the stock to the stockpot, ½ cup at a time while stirring. This will keep the flour from clumping.
- Add milk to the roux-thickened chicken stock and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the potatoes, the reserved corn cobs, thyme sprigs, and a bay leaf.
- After 15 minutes, check the doneness of the potatoes by inserting the tip of a knife into one of the cubes. If the knife glides in easily, the potatoes are done. If not, continue cooking the potatoes for an additional 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally so the chowder does not stick to the bottom of the stock pot.
Finish Soup
- Once the potatoes are tender, remove the cobs from the broth. Add the corn kernels and the pulled chicken to the chowder. Heat for 5 more minutes.
- Season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Remove the thyme sprigs and the bay leaf.
- Garnish the soup with some chopped fresh parsley, minced fresh cilantro, or diced chives.
- The soup is ready to serve.
- Store leftover chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Serving Suggestions
Have some fun and create a toppings bar for this delicious chicken corn chowder recipe. Here are a few items that will complement the soup.
- Crispy bacon
- Green onions
- Lime wedges
- Cheddar cheese
- Tortilla chips
- Sour cream
Flavor Substitutions
- Do you want a different flavor profile? Add a blend of southwestern spices such as cumin and cilantro for a Tex-Mex twist. Garnish with some crumbled cotija cheese.
- Do you enjoy spicy food? Add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce when sauteing the celery and the leeks.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice to give the chowder a hint of bright flavor.
Not Ready to Give Up on Summer
When I am not ready to give up on summer but the nights have a little chill to them, Grilled Chicken Corn Chowder is a welcome dinner.
Craving some hearty soup? A bowl of this chowder is the perfect comfort food. With a creamy texture, the soup is satisfying, warming, and fulfilling. This is a great recipe that will become a favorite in your home. Let me know how you like it!
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Recipe
Grilled Chicken Corn Chowder
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 311kcal
Cozy up with this Grilled Chicken Corn Chowder. Creamy and hearty comfort food, this soup is loaded with tender chicken, sweet corn, potatoes, and colorful veggies.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stockpot or dutch oven
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
- tongs
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 4 grilled chicken breasts, (1 ¼ #, approximately 4 cups pulled chicken/567 grams)
Vegetables
- 1 ½ cups chopped celery, 5-6 stalks (6 ounces/170 grams)
- 1 ½ cups sliced leeks, 2 leeks (6 ounces/170 grams)
- 3 cups large diced potatoes (1#/454 grams)
Corn Broth
- 5 ears corn (3 ½ cups/1# 3 ounces/538 grams)
Roux
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups chicken stock (473 ml)
- 3 cups whole milk (710 ml)
Garnishes
- 2 tablespoons diced chives, parsley, or cilantro
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Prepare Corn
- Grill the fresh corn. Place shucked corn cobs on a high flame on the stove. Rotate the ears as they are roasted. If you don't have a gas stove, roast the corn under a broiler. Of course, you can roast it on a grill.
- After grilling the corn, cut the kernels off the cob. I lay an ear of corn flat on a cutting board and cut the kernels off one side. Rotate the corn to remove more kernels. Reserve the cobs for later.
Prepare Vegetables
- Cut the celery into ¼-inch pieces.
- Thoroughly rinse the leeks. Often, there is dirt and sand in between the layers of the leeks. Remove the dark ends of the leeks, reserving the light green and white stem ends. Cut the leek in half lengthwise. Cut each piece into ¼ -inch pieces.
- Peel the potatoes. Cut each potato into ½-inch dice.
Prepare Soup Ingredients
- In the stockpot over medium heat, add the butter. When melted, add the celery and leeks. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Saute the vegetables for about 5 minutes until the leeks have softened and the celery is still green.
Make the Roux
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. You are now making a roux. Continue to stir for about 4 minutes. If the flour starts to turn brown, take the pot off the heat.
- Add the stock to the pan, ½ cup at a time, stirring. This will keep the flour from clumping.
- Add the milk to the stock and increase the heat to medium-high. Now add the potatoes, the corn cobs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf to the pot. The cobs will add more corn flavor to the chowder.
- After about 15 minutes, check the potatoes for doneness. If a knife slides into the potato easily, they are done. If not, continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the chowder does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Finish the Soup
- Once the potatoes are done, remove the cobs from the pot.
- Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper to the chowder. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
- Add the corn and chicken to the chowder. Heat for another 5 minutes.
- Garnish the soup with some chopped fresh parsley, minced fresh cilantro, or diced chives.
- The chowder is now ready to serve! Add warm bread or a green salad for a full meal.
Notes
Store leftover chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 756mg | Potassium: 755mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 677IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
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