Poblano Corn Chowder

Man-oh-man this was good (and rich). And with a qt. of heavy cream and a qt of 1/2 & 1/2, it's also a cholesterol-raising heart attack in the making. I subsitituted the canned kernel corn with excellent, just-picked fresh sweet corn scraped from the cob. About 1 1/2 to 2 c of fresh kerne1s (for me, 3 large ears of corn) should replace the 15 oz. can. Why use canned at the height of corn season? I also threw the scraped cobs into the pot during Step 2 (after adding cream and 1/2 & 1/2). Infused it nicely with an intense corn taste. I wimped on the poblano - used a small one. I'll go bigger next time. Poblanos do get spicier the longer they linger, however. Due to the use of roux as a thickener, I think I may cut out some if not all of the cream next time and try whole milk, just to prolong my life span a little longer and see if it tastes close to the same. This was a big hit with everyone. Cream, 1/2 & 1/2, shrimp....what's not to love?

VERY GOOD! I did substitute cayenne pepper for the chile de arbol and used chicken case instead of lobster base b/c it is not available here. Turned out fantastic! Everyone asked for the recipe.

This is the recipe for the Poblano Corn Chowder served at the Sundown Cafe on Cheshire Bridge Road in Atlanta, GA. It was published in the AJC at a reader's request.

I think the servings might be a little off. I got about 15 bowls of soup out of this recipe. However, it was so good that it was probably only at 4 different sittings for 2 people each. Also, in an attempt to reduce the fat, I substituted whole milk for the heavy cream, and it was still pretty thick. All around...aces!

Delicious chowder. Very rich. I followed the recipe exactly except for the poblano chile pepper. I couldn't find any at my grocery store, so I substituted a 4 oz. can of Old El Paso chopped green chilies. Ortega would work too. If you've ever had the Shrimp Chowder at Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy, this is very, very close.

Great recipe. I didn't have lobster base or chile de arbol, but the soup still turned out fantastic. As with most soups it was even better the next day after the flavors had time to meld together.

Very good! I cut the recipe in half & I couldn't find lobster base so I used a cup of stock from a seafood boil & a cup of milk in place of the half & half (I was out)...worked really well but I will continue my quest for lobster base. I was also out of celery so I subbed a bit of celery seed for flavor & I cut back on the sugar some. It's Hatch chile season here in Texas so I used a Hatch chile instead of a poblano...I thought it still needed more heat so I added a tsp of hubby's hot sauce (it's HOT)...YUMMM! This soup is quite rich & very good...thansk Naiveray. I served it w/ a salad w/ vidalia onion vinaigrette, homemade french bread rolls & a glass of white zin...

Excellent flavor. The only thing I changed, was to add more corn.

Good stuff! I wasn't able to obtain all the ingredients, but made subs and it turned out great. Added more shrimp and started with 1/4 cup sugar.

Amazing recipe!!! This is so good. My husband requests it over and over.

Unbelievably rich! OK, so not unbelievable given how much cream and half and half it calls for. LOL. This soup has a back of the throat kick that you don't notice till about halfway through your first bowl. I actually found lobster base at the grocery store with the canned broth and bouillon cubes. It's "Better than Bouillon" brand, which is the same brand I use for chicken flavor. If you can't find the lobster flavor, I would at least substitute chicken base as it will ramp up the flavor without adding a lot of liquid like adding the equivalent amount of chicken broth. The chiles de arbol I found in the Hispanic aisle with the bags of dried shrimp and stuff. They were whole dried chiles, so I had to grind them up, but the whole bag was less than $2 so I didn't mind. After reading other reviews about the sweetness, I omitted the sugar altogether. I can't see that it would be needed with 2 cans of corn. Now that I have made the heart attack version, I will probably try using half and half and milk and see how that turns out. Also, I will add a LOT more shrimp, because I like shrimp.

In a word - incredible! I have made this twice now for my extended family on Christmas Eve and is the only recipe which when asked, I selfishly don't give it out! In a family full of amazing cooks, I have to have some secrets up my sleeve! Only hope they don't find it here:) They talked about it from one Christmas to the next! Only adjustments I make (other than to increase the quantities to make a couple of vats of it at a time) is to increase the chile de arbol. Also, last time I added the shrimp a bit too soon and they ended up a bit rubbery, so next time I will dice them much finer just in case, and will add them at the very last minute. I do use the lobster base. It wouldn't be the same without it!Thank you so much for this recipe, Naiveray!

Good but WAY too sweet, and I didn't even add the 1/3 cup sugar. The creamed corn and cream make it sweet enough to me. Of course I didn't have the lobster base(couldn't find it anywhere) so that probably made a big difference. My mom and dad loved it though so that's just my personal taste. Thanks for posting!

This is a good recipe, but it could use some tweaking. It's WAY too sweet and the cream/half & half component is unnecessary. Whole milk is sufficient. 2% might even work, especially because you're using a roux. Flavor is delicious, though!

This is an excellent recipe! I did make a couple of modifications: added an extra can of creamed corn, skipped the sugar, just used a pint of heavy cream and used half and half for the rest. I also put the shrimp in the food processor for the best texture consistency. Family raved about it - silky, full of corn and seafood flavor and a nice hit of heat from the poblano chile. Like the other reviewers mentioned, not exactly low-calorie, but absolutely delicious!! Take the advice of using the 'Better Than Bouillion' fish base - it definitely adds a flavor dimension that is well worth it. This recipe is a keeper in my house.

Didn't care much for this it was way too sweet, my daughter liked it but then again she likes sweet stuff. I like corn crowder but not this one I'll try a different recipe next time.

excellent! i did just half and half, no whipping cream and i did less sugar as well. i like a little more "umph" to my soup so i added a little bit of carrots and red bell pepper as well. LOVE it!

this recipe tasted like heavy cream. I added an extra pablano pepper and more spices and it still tasted like straight cream.

I discovered this recipe around 2008 or so. When I first made it I followed the recipe to the letter and my family and I were floored. This was the best chowder I had ever eaten. Since then I have made several changes to the recipe. I roast and peel the poblano pepper and then dice and add to the pot. Instead of canned corn I put 6-8 ears of corn on the grill and cook them to get that roasted char on them and then cut the corn off and add to the pot. I absolutely agree with the author of the recipe that you need to used the "Better Than Bullion Lobster Base". It REALLY helps make the flavor of this what it is. I took this a step further and I ad the meat of 2 lobster tails to the chowder at the end when I ad the shrimp. Just pull the meat out of the tail, chop it into mite sized bits and add it to the pot just long enough to cook before serving. This is one of my favorite things to cook and eat. This was my son's go to request for a birthday dinner for many years. This is my close friends favorite thing that I make and I have easily made this dish over 75 times in the last 13 years. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Good!

I have a coffee shop and when I make this, customers rave. One day I had three ladies order 9 bowls to go! People call in to see when I'm making it. When I make it for home, my kids love it and they don't tend to be soup eaters. Thanks for this keeper.

I really enjoyed this chowder! It's thick and creamy and hearty (and perfect for a wintery snowy night like tonight!). I have to start by saying I couldn't find poblano peppers, chile de arbol, and lobster base. So I substitued jalapeno, chicken broth, and cayenne. The original ingredients are probably what gives it the heat. And yes, it is sweet - but not overpoweringly so - just reduce the sugar if you want a different flavour. Long and short - it was really good! Yummy and Thank you!

This was so good, but I made changes. I used 2% milk instead of heavy cream and it was PLENTY thick. I used 3 cobs of fresh corn instead of a can, I used half the sugar, used vegetable base instead of lobster base and used shredded rotisserie chicken rather than shrimp. I was the best soup I have ever made and I will definitely make it again.

Do NOT use as much sugar as indicated in the recipe-it ruined the entire batch. I thought that was an odd addition but decided to follow it against my better judgement. I'll make it again but with many additions and subtractions to ingredients.

This was a great chowder, but I made several changes to make it more "me". First, I used one yellow and one red onion. Added 1 bell pepper and a diced carrot. I sauted this together in olive oil and then added about 2 cups of vegetable broth along with one package soft tofu. Simmered for about 5 minutes then blended with an immersion blender. I used cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and a dash of chili powder, salt, and white pepper to season. I used two poblanos sliced into thin strips and added 1 can cream corn and 1/2 bag frozen sweet corn. Let all simmer for about 30 minutes then added 1/2 pint heavy cream. This cut the fat/calorie content down and still resulted in a delicious, creamy, and hearty chowder that my friends loved! Hope this review is helpful. Definitely a recipe to keep around!

Poblano CHICKEN Corn Chowder: i am giving this 4 stars only because i altered the recipe fit my eater's tastes a bit. my boyfriend does not eat seafood. this turned out fab! here's some of the changes i made: 1) replaced quart of half and half with chicken broth (there is noooooo need for 2 doses of heavy milks. let me tell u, my soup was CREAMMMYYY and my risk of using chicken broth was def a good one. i still used the heavy cream to make it thick as recipe stated). 2) replacing shrimp with chicken and i used a WHOLE POUND of chicken instead of the 1/2 lb of protein suggested in the recipe. def. did not overload the liquid. 3) i used 1 and a half poblano peppers (you could use 2 i'm sure, i just got nervous but next time i prob would just to use up the 2nd half of the pepper). 3) i could not find the chile de arbol so i substituted jalapeno power from the seasonings isle. 4) used 2 tablespoons of sugar, not 1/3 cup. that's it. my boyfriend and i enjoyed this at 3 meals! MMMMMMMM! i served it with croissants. best soup eVER! will DEF make again!

I make this all the time but have to admit that I have changed it considerably. I like it better with 32 oz. "box" of chicken broth plus a cup of cream or half n half. Two cans of creamed corn and a 16 oz. package of frozen corn, thawed first. There should be a sizable pile of chopped celery and onion, it looks like a lot but it's just right. I use jalapenos instead as my store doesn't have poblanos. I remove all the seeds and the whitish ribs and I've used as many as 5 peppers and it isn't that hot, it's the seeds that'll get you and stay with you. Also 1/2 t. cayenne and I put in a pound and a half of shrimp or as many as I can afford that week. I know, this is now a different recipe but what can I say, it evolved over time.

very good

This stuff is AWESOME!!! Couldn't find chili de arbol or lobster base locally so I had to make a couple of substitutions, but it was still some of the best chowder of any kind I've ever had. I used a couple teaspoons of ground chipotle and a couple teaspoons of cayenne and used a bit of liquid from the canned tiny shrimp in place of the lobster base. I also added some minced garlic because... well because almost everything is better with garlic! I will use better shrimp next time, but otherwise this recipe (given the substitutions I had to make) is one of the best I've tried from here. Thanks for sharing!!! Chris

I've made this several times and I love it every time. I generally use a quart of half n half and a quart of 2% milk. It still comes out nice and thick, without making me worry about shaving ten years off my life expectancy. :) I use my food chopper to skip the puree step and experiment with extra veggies... carrots, etc work well. This recipe is pretty hard to mess up. :) I also omit the lobster base & shrimp, making it perfectly vegetarian. :) I've added Bacos (name brand bacon bits which are actually vegan!) before and that was good too. I've used every kind of chili known to man in this, and they all suit it well. :) Finally found a real poblano this time and used some ground habanero (still haven't found chile de arbol) and WHEW. Makes ya sweat, but YUM! :) Definitely makes more than 8 servings. I use my biggest sauce pan (normal largest size in your pan sets) and it fills it to about an inch from the top (but I usually throw in some extra corn too - use fresh if you have it!). It's great leftover though, which isn't always the case with dairy based soups!

Excellent! I quadrupled the recipe for Thanksgiving and got raves reviews. They’re asking for this again this year!

kinda disappointing. this oringinal recipe lacks flavor and i hate how people change the recipe entirely and then give it 5 stars. so, following the original recipe i only give it 2 stars. after adding my own i would give it 3.5 stars.

My family loves this recipe. When I make it I substitute fat free chicken broth for the heavy cream, I omit the sugar and I add more corn. It has a wonderful flavor and freezes well. I like to double the batch and freeze some for later. Yummy!!!

It is too sugary for my taste. Leave out the sugar and add another pepper and I think it would be much better.

I really liked this recipe but added other ingredients on my own. I couldn't find the Lobster base and think that would have made a big difference. I added three large red potatoes chopped with skin, doubled the corn and shrimp amounts, 1/2 tspn of cayenne pepper, 1 can Rotelle, 1/2 bag of chopped frozen green and red peppers. I will decrease the amount of cream next time to make it thicker instead of creamier. Served with wheat baguette and baked cheese chips. Our friends raved over it!

This is awesome...four men just demolished the entire pot. I used roasted chilies and cyan pepper instead.

Too much sugar--other than that, delicious...great consistency...you could easily add things to this chowder such as potatoes or more shrimp/other seafood...I would wait until the very end to add the sugar then you can add it "to taste"...milk and corn are already "sweet" in a sense...also it could definitely stand a lot more peppers. I put one and could've definitely put 2 more (seeded and diced) even just to add a little more color...

WOW! Amazing. I loved it and my daughter loved it even though she usually hates it when I try something new...she asked my to make it again 3 days later. Thank you.

Absolutely delicious. It tastes a lot like a soup I get at a mexican restaurant in Atlanta. I didn't use the lobster base since I couldn't find it but will definitely do so the next time I make this. The only other change I made was to use cayenne pepper in place of the other dried pepper and I used precooked shrimp. My chowder was really thick once it started to cool down some so I added a little canned chicken broth to thin it out some. I'm looking forward to the next time I can make this.

Outstanding recipe!! We enjoyed Shrimp Corn Chowder at a favorite local restaurant which unfortunately changed owners and no longer served this soup. We nailed the great flavor and texture with this recipe...dare i say it is even better than the restaurant?

Ok, I give this five stars AFTER a few changes: Personally I would add extra poblano as the flavor was not as strong as I would have liked. I will leave out the sugar altogether next time, the sweetness of the creamed corn was plenty. I also doubled the amount of kernel corn. I didn't have any idea where to get the lobster base or the chile d'arbol, so I just skipped them and can't say they were missed. I just used milk instead of half and half, it was plenty rich and thick that way. Overall, this is very good and has a nice combo of flavors going on. Ate it wish a lime-cilantro fish and some fresh tortillas and it was a hit!

I made a simpler version of this and it was fantastic!

I followed the recipe except for the optional lobster base. It was a little sweeter than I had expected. I think next time I'll use chicken stock, more peppers, be sure to add the lobster base and see how that works out. A good recipe to start with though.

That's an awful lot of heavy cream! I'm rating the recipe as written, deducting one star for nutrition and one for margarine. My variation, created for a person with a shellfish allergy, omits the lobster base and shrimp (delicious as they are!), substitutes half-and-half for the heavy cream, and uses the dripping rendered from 4 strips of bacon with an equal quantity of flour (about 2 tablespoons) for the roux. Not sure if substituting bacon for artificially hydrogenated vegetable fat is healthier, but if you're going to risk clogged arteries, it may as well taste good.

I made this for a New Year's Eve party and people are STILL talking about it!

This soup was amazing. My sister is a much better cook than me and now I finally have a great recipe up my sleeve. Used just a touch less sugar as other reviewers suggested and used fresh corn. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. Have made twice now and everyone loves it and asks for the recipe.

This was so great! I lightened it up by using one quart of whole milk and one quart of chicken stock. It still thickened nicely from the roux and tasted velvety and rich. A definite keeper!

11.27.16 ~ Delicious soup with a lot of flavor depth. I did make this w/o the shrimp, as I don't care for it, and we LOVED it. It was nice a filling on a cold November night. The next time, I will add a few more diced, fresh veggies as we like lots of vegetables in our soup. I am making this recipe for a carry-in at work. I know it will be a hit.

I only used 1 qt half&half and a pint heavy cream (the rest, chicken broth) and it was STILL too rich, so next time, more broth! I got no heat from the 2 poblanos, so added cayenne (didn't have c/d/arbol, jalapeno may do the trick, too). I reduced the sugar a bit (just add to your taste). The roux (flour + butter mix) kept clumping, so maybe I need to add earlier? I will add more corn next time too, and fresh cilantro was a nice garnish.

So rich and creamy. I loved it!

This is now a favorite for our family. I just follow the recipe but use more onion, celery, and 2 Poblanos, plus I use Green Giant's Fire Roasted corn blend with the peppers and onions instead of regular canned corn, it just adds to it. We eat ours with garlic bread , it is a meal in itself. So delicious.

Pretty good chowder, it's kinda sweet, but yummy. I've made this a few times and after tinkering I found that I like this best without the sugar and omitting either the half and half or the cream (I just used what I have on hand, usually cream) to make it less sweet and heartier.

It does not need the sugar at all. I will make it again.

Oh my goodness!! This exact soup is served at Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe in Burbank, IL. It is an outstanding soup! I am so looking forward to making this and enjoying it at home. I think I'll take the other reviewers' suggestion on the chicken stock and cayenne substitutions. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Favors were good...too rich for me and my family

This was good, however I think some changes would make it perfect. First, I didn't have lobster base so I had to leave it out. I thought it was to sweet, I will cut out 1/2 the sugar next time. The main issue I had was the lack of "stuff" in the soup. Next time I will add more poblano and corn and add some small potatoes.

Just the right combination of flavors -- both refreshing and comforting. The whole family loved this one. Thanks.

Super delicious! I left out the shrimp due to budget restraints and I added Rotels instead :) Definitely going to make this one again!

Delicious! But I made my own creamed corn from organic frozen corn , added heavy whipping cream