Best 2 Smoky Chicken Chowder Recipes

SMOKY CHIPOTLE-CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER WITH SALSA SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat a soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, twice around the pan. Add the onions, garlic, chipotle, celery, coriander, cumin, and a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the onions are slightly tender, stirring frequently.
• While the onions are cooking, in a food processor grind the tortilla chips until they are pretty fine. If you don't have a food processor, put the chips in a resealable plastic bag and smash them up using a rolling pin until you don't feel like doing it anymore. They might not be ground as fine as they would be in the machine, but it won't matter in the end. You need about 1 cup of ground chips; since different brands of chips come in different sizes, adjust the amount you grind accordingly. Add the ground chips to the onions, stir to combine, then add the chicken stock, bring it up to a bubble, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken and frozen corn and continue to cook it for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
• While the soup is cooking, prepare the salsa salad. To make the dressing, in a small mixing bowl combine the juice of 1 lime, the mustard, and a little salt and pepper. In a slow steady stream whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of EVOO. Reserve the dressing.
• Cut all around the circumference of the avocados, lengthwise and down to the pit. Twist and separate the halved fruit. Remove the pit with a spoon, then scoop the flesh out in one piece from both halves, chop it into bite-size pieces, and transfer it to a salad bowl. Cut the grape tomatoes in half and add them to the avocados along with the cilantro, chopped romaine lettuce, and chopped red onion. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss it to coat and combine.
• If the soup becomes too thick, adjust it by adding a little more stock, and if it is too thin, let it continue to cook and reduce until it is to your liking. Taste and check for seasoning, adjust with a little salt and pepper, and if you want more heat, you have that hot sauce on hand, so use it. Add the parsley and serve the soup with the salsa salad alongside. Garnish each bowl of soup with a chip or two.

SMOKY CHICKEN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Line a baking pan with foil. Spread thawed corn into the pan in a shallow layer, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast at 400° for about 15-20 minutes, stirring after about 10 minutes. Roast until corn is golden brown, but do not let it burn. (I skipped this step altogether and just used the fire roasted frozen corn from Trader Joe's)
• Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain bacon drippings into large stock pot. Set bacon aside and crumble to use as a topping for serving.
• In the stockpot, sauté the onions in the bacon drippings over medium heat until clear and tender. Add potatoes, garlic, and jalapenos. Sauté and stir for a minute or two. Stir in flour and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Add tomatoes, roasted corn, Monterrey Jack cheese, cilantro, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce and chicken.
• Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream and heat through until steaming, but do not boil.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• You can add the bacon into the soup all at once at this point, or crumble some atop each individual bowl of soup. Garnish each serving with additional Monterrey Jack cheese and chopped green onions.