This is a good chowder, but I cooked it differently than the directions.This is the time of year I am looking for ways to use up corn and I even had ham leftover! I always begin my soups by cooking the onion and celery until the onion is transluscent, then add the meats and cook them, this draws out the good flavors and leaves little juicy bits in the pan,then the broth is added and the bits are scraped into the broth and other ingredients go in to simmer. I cut the recipe in half but used two stalks of celery including the leafy tops, and I toss a little (1 small clove) garlic or garlic powder and about a TB of parsley into all my soups.(I didn't use the thyme). Unless there is a reason to drastically cut ones fat intake I would recommend using whole milk or half skim and half cream to make a more creamy and palatable chowder. I prefer to use cornstarch to thicken soups, it's not so heavy and dissoves better.Also, I never add salt until the end if needed when using salty meat and broth. I debated about adding some cubed Velveeta,for a cheesy corn chowder,but decided not to this time.
Fantastic recipe - although I did modify it as follows: I used diced bacon instead of ham - and cooked the onion celery and bacon first then added uncut (boneless) chicken thighs and stock (no water added). I also used whole milk instead of skim 1 can of corn instead of fresh corn and lots of potatoes. Added thyme parsley and rosemary with pepper and a bit of salt. Used cornstarch to thicken. The result was great - I will definitely make it again.
I didn't pre-cook my chicken just cubed it and threw it in. I also used one bag of frozen corn which I added half way through. This is awesome chowder! I'm going to add diced green chiles next time!
Hey Cheryl,
I live in snowy and cold Buffalo, and I don't think I've ever had a chowder better than this. It was a big hit at my holiday party. Even the boss liked it! My mother-in-law tried it with ham stock but it was too salty. Please advise others not to do that. Thanks for the great idea, and I look forward to making this again.
I think this chowder has a lot going for it but needs some revisions. First of all sautee the chicken until it's browned and then save to add to the soup later. Sautee the onions and celery too to draw out their flavor before adding the other ingredients. Skim milk is fine if you're watching calories but be aware that it makes for a really REALLY thin soup -not really a chowder consistency. After trying to thicken it up at the end (and that being time consuming) I think next time I'll bake a roux while getting the rest of the ingredients ready and thicken it up that way like I do clam chowder. So bottom line is this: Sautee the veggies and chicken first thicken with a roux and add LOTS of salt and pepper. I think it might be worth five stars after that.
I made this for xmas eve dinner last year and everyone loved it so much they're asking for it again.
Great recipe especially when it's cold. My husband and I really like it. We appreciate the fact that it's low fat.
Everyone loves this one! Easy to prepare and very satisfying.
pretty good for low fat! more chicken could easily be added...
