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
Scale
- 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.