THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY
V&V Supremo®, a Chicago-based, Mexican-American family brand that’s been making high-quality, authentic Mexican ingredients for decades. I’ve been using their products in my kitchen for years – their Chihuahua® Brand Quesadilla Cheese has earned a permanent spot in my fridge! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
When Creamy Corn Chowder Meets Bold Mexican Chorizo and Poblano Peppers, the Best Chowder Ever is Born
Confession time: classic corn chowder has always underwhelmed me. 😬 So often, it’s loaded with dairy, overly sweet, and desperately needs a kick of spice or citrus (something! anything!) to balance it all out. Plus, when corn is at peak flavor in the summer, the last thing I want is a steaming bowl of soup! 🙅🏻♀️
So, I set out to create a boldly flavored corn chowder that I could enjoy any time of year and found the solution in marrying the creamy texture with punchy Mexican ingredients that naturally play so well with corn.
I kept the juicy pops of sweet corn and hearty potatoes you find in a traditional chowder, but made a few simple swaps to layer in extra flavor.
Mexican chorizo replaces bacon, adding spiced depth that balances the sweetness of the corn. Poblano peppers add a touch of heat and chihuahua cheese melts into the broth for a creamy finish without the heaviness of cream or half-and-half. From there, a final squeeze of lime juice brightens it all up.
Every spoonful is hearty and cozy, all while delivering the bold flavor I’ve always craved. Finally, a corn chowder worthy of a spot in my soup season line-up! 🙌🏼🌽
All the Recipes You Need for Soup Season!
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Key Ingredients
- For this recipe, I’m using V&V Supremo® Chicken Chorizo, their brand-new fresh sausage made with premium chicken and spices like paprika and garlic. It cooks up with a fine, crumbly texture, so you get craveable bits of chorizo in every bite.
- I highly recommend using fresh sweet corn for this recipe: you’ll get juicy kernels and simmering the cobs right in the broth infuses the chowder with even more flavor. But if fresh isn’t available, canned or frozen corn works great too!
- I love adding chile peppers to a pot of chowder because their heat cuts through the soup’s richness. Here, I use mild, subtly sweet poblano peppers, but you can easily swap in bell peppers for less spice or jalapeños or serranos if you prefer a bolder kick.
- I always keep a bag of V&V Supremo® Shredded Chihuahua® Brand Quesadilla Cheese in my fridge! It has the best rich, buttery flavor and melts like a dream, thickening the soup without separating.
Creamy Corn Chowder Essentials
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Buy Now → How to Make Corn Chowder with Poblanos and Chorizo
Every pot of soup I make starts with the same goal: maximum flavor, minimal effort. This Mexican corn chowder comes together in 3 key steps – you’ll brown the chorizo, soften the aromatics in its drippings, and build the soup all in one pot so no flavor is lost along the way. The result tastes slow-simmered, but is ready less than 1 hour!
Squeeze the chorizo out of its casing into a hot, oiled pot. If you’re not used to cooking with fresh Mexican chorizo, you might be surprised by how easily it crumbles. It has more moisture than other sausages, so it may not get super golden here – that’s ok! Just sauté until most of the moisture disappears and set aside, leaving all the drippings behind in the pot.
Sauté diced poblanos and onion until fragrant, then add in gold potatoes and cook a few more minutes until they start to soften too. The potatoes won’t fully cook through yet – that’s intentional! They’ll get perfectly tender as they simmer and soak up all the savoriness in the broth.
Stir in chopped garlic, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chipotle powder. When using dried spices, giving them a quick toast (aka, “blooming”) helps wake them up for even bolder flavor. You’ll be able to smell when they’re ready!
Sprinkle the veggies with flour to build a roux that will thicken the corn chowder, then deglaze the pot by pouring in chicken broth while scraping all the crispy brown bits of fond from the bottom – this is where the flavor is! Stir in cooked chorizo, sugar, and corn cobs (saving the kernels for the end so they don’t overcook!) and simmer until the potatoes are tender, and the soup thickens slightly.
🌽 Don’t toss those corn cobs! Anytime I’m making corn soup, I love to nestle the spent cobs into the broth as it simmers, adding even more earthy-sweet flavor. A pinch of sugar helps pull that natural sweetness through the creamy chowder, so every spoonful tastes like corn through and through.
Add the reserved corn kernels, then it’s time to make things creamy! Gradually stir in chihuahua cheese and watch as it melts into silky ribbons, turning the broth velvety and rich without weighing it down.
👩🏻🍳Love an extra-thick and creamy corn chowder? Feel free to stir in some Mexican crema too. Just be sure to keep a gentle heat so the dairy doesn’t separate!
🌽Elote-obsessed? Turn your bowl into a full-on Mexican street corn chowder with cotija cheese, Tajín, and roasted sweet corn kernels. To recreate street corn-style smokiness, I like to char whole ears of corn right over the open flame of my gas stovetop, turning every few minutes until blackened. Super simple, no special equipment needed!
I can’t wait for you to try this Creamy Poblano Corn Chowder with Chorizo! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter and @vvsupremo on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡
🌶️ Craving more bold, authentic Mexican flavor? Head to vvsupremo.com/recipes for easy recipes and delicious ideas featuring V&V Supremo® products!
Print
Chorizo Poblano Corn Chowder
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Main Dishes, & Chili Recipes, soup, Chicken Recipes, Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican & Tex-Mex; American
Description
This easy Creamy Poblano Corn Chowder with Chorizo gives the classic soup a big, bold Southwest twist!
Fresh sweet corn (canned or frozen in a pinch!), buttery gold potatoes, and poblano peppers come together in a light but creamy broth that gets its richness not from heavy cream, but from melty chihuahua cheese. Chorizo steps in for the usual bacon, layering each bite with smoky spice, while a squeeze of lime brightens everything up.
Just sprinkle with cilantro, Tajín, cotija cheese, and charred corn for a Mexican street corn-inspired finish!
Ingredients
- 10 ounces V&V Supremo® Chicken Chorizo, removed from casing
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 poblano or bell peppers, diced small
- 1 large yellow onion, diced small
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- 2 pounds gold potatoes, peeled as desired and diced small (about 4–6 medium potatoes)
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- heaping ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- heaping ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- heaping ½ teaspoon onion powder
- optional: up to ½ teaspoon ground chipotle powder
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth/stock
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 4 ears fresh sweet corn, kernels removed and cobs reserved (about 5–6 cups kernels; can sub canned or frozen)
- 6 ounces V&V Supremo® Shredded Chihuahua® Brand Quesadilla Cheese (about 1 ½ cups)
- optional, for thickening: ½ cup V&V Supremo® Crema Supremo® Mexican Sour Cream
- 1–2 limes, juiced
Instructions
Method Overview:
Cook chorizo, then remove and set aside. Sauté poblanos and onion, then add potatoes. Add garlic and spices, cook until fragrant. Sprinkle in flour, cook 1-2 min. Gradually add broth, then stir in sugar, chorizo, and corn cobs. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Remove cobs. Stir in corn, cheese, and crema; heat through but don’t boil. Finish with lime juice, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Step-by-Step:
- Cook the chorizo: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large pot (at least 5.5-qt capacity) over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the chorizo. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chorizo is fully cooked through. Fresh Mexican chorizo isn’t meant to brown like bacon, and some moisture is normal. You’ll know it’s ready when most of the moisture has evaporated and the sausage is crumbly and lightly sizzling. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
- Cook the vegetables: Reduce heat to medium. If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the poblanos and onion. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few twists of ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue to cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, for 4-5 minutes, just until the potatoes are slightly softened.
- Cook the aromatics: Add the garlic and all of the spices (cumin through chipotle) to the pot. Stir to coat the vegetables and let everything bloom, cooking 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Build the corn chowder and simmer: Sprinkle the flour over top, stirring to coat the veggies evenly. Cook 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Slowly pour in the broth while scraping up any browned bits of fond from the bottom of the pot – that’s where all the flavor is! Stir in the granulated sugar and chorizo, then nestle the corn cobs into the broth. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes until the soup is thickened slightly and the potatoes are tender. Remove and discard the spent corn cobs.
- Finish the soup: Reduce heat to low. Stir in the corn kernels, cheese, and crema (if using), mixing to combine well. Cook about 5 minutes longer, until the corn is tender and the soup is heated through – don’t let it boil, or the dairy may separate. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – I like to make sure there’s enough salt and lime juice to make all the flavors pop.
- Serve immediately: Ladle the soup into individual bowls and load it up with all of your favorite fixings – we love a sprinkling of cotija cheese, chile lime seasoning (such as Tajìn), cilantro, and thinly sliced green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
- 5-Minute Meal Prep: Much of the active prep work for this chorizo chowder comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance and you can jump straight into cooking during the week: finely dice 1 yellow onion and 2 poblano peppers, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing:
- Storage and Reheating: This chorizo corn chowder is incredibly make-ahead friendly – its flavors get even better the longer it sits. To store, transfer cooled soup to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezer Instructions: This chorizo corn chowder also freezes very well. Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer container (or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or, for a quicker thaw, submerge the freezer container in room temperature water. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, thinning it out with a splash of water or chicken stock as needed.
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