Smoky Southwestern Potato and Corn Chowder

This Southwestern Potato and Corn Chowder is simple to make with leftover grilled vegetables, or start with fresh from scratch! It’s loaded with potatoes, corn, peppers, and tons of Southwest flavor! 

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You guys, I just love soup.

Cheeseburger Soup.

Turkey Tetrazzini Soup.

Dill Pickle Soup.

You name it, we love it.

I’ll eat it in any season, no matter how hot it may be outside (especially this summer, since we finally had A/C installed in our not-as-new-anymore house!).

I think part of the reason is because even though I can be a bit of a picky eater when it comes to my veggies, when everything cooks down in one big pot together, the flavor is amazing! And the veggies just kind of blend in with everything else and they’re less noticeable.

I know I probably sound like I’m about 8 years old, but, well, it’s true.

My kids on the other hand love their vegetables and will often pick them out of their meals to eat them first! Meat is another story.

So when I’m making soup, I try my best to load it with veggies and all kinds of good things. This Southwestern Potato and Corn Chowder is full of grilled potatoes, fresh grilled corn, and grilled peppers, but you can add almost any leftover grilled vegetables that you have lying around! The more the merrier, I think.

I wanted to come up with a way to use leftover grilled potatoes and corn, because hello deliciousness! They are two of our favorites on the grill and these BBQ Ready Packs from The Little Potato Company make it super simple (I used the Onion Medley but any flavor would be great). The seasoning packs also add a ton of flavor to the soup!

And since potato soup is pretty much my all-time favorite, I knew it was time for a smoky, summery twist!

NOTES:

• I seriously thought about adding a can of black beans to the soup, but in the end I decided I wanted to keep things simple. I still think they would be a great addition and add a powerful boost of protein and fiber! If you want to, go ahead and add them (rinse first!) with the rest of the veggies.
• You can also add other leftover veggies (grilled or not) to the soup — jalapenos for kick, mushrooms, zucchini…. whatever you have around!
• Slow Cooker: Most soups are easily made in the slow cooker, this one included! You will want to cook the onions down, (skip adding the rest of the veggies here) add flour to make your roux, then thicken your liquids in a pot. Throw that in the slow cooker with your grilled veggies and spices and let it go for 6-8 hours on low!
• Raw Vegetables: You can absolutely start with raw vegetables if it’s too cold for grilling or you don’t have any leftovers! Add the oil to the pot, and with the onions add the red pepper, quartered potatoes, and fresh corn (or if using frozen, simply stir in with the cheese at the end). Cook and stir over medium-high heat until tender, then continue with the recipe.

*This post is sponsored by The Little Potato Company as part of my ambassadorship with them! Thank you for supporting brands that help me to bring you alllllll the creamy and comforting recipes!

See how easy it is to make!

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Smoky Southwestern Potato and Corn Chowder

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 4 votes

This Southwestern Potato and Corn Chowder is simple to make with leftover grilled vegetables, or start with fresh from scratch! It’s loaded with potatoes, corn, peppers, and tons of Southwest flavor!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Course Main Course, Soup

Servings 4 servings

Calories 159cal

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil
• ▢ 1 red pepper (diced)
• ▢ ½ medium onion (diced)
• ▢ 2 cloves minced garlic
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 1 lb red potatoes (cut into ½" pieces)
• ▢ 4 cobs corn* (fresh or leftover grilled)
• ▢ 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 cup evaporated milk (or cream)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon flour
• ▢ 1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
• ▢ 1 green onion (sliced)
• ▢ Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

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Instructions

• *NOTE: I love making extra grilled corn for this recipe as it adds great smoky flavor. You can use leftover grilled, uncooked cobs of corn, frozen or canned corn in this recipe (see notes). If using fresh corn cobs, slice off the kernels before beginning.
• Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add oil and cook pepper and onion until soft, 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
• Add garlic, cumin and chili powder and cook and stir one minute.
• Add potatoes, corn, broth, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook until potatoes and vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
• Whisk together milk or cream with flour and add to the simmering soup. Cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in cheese, green onions and taste. Adjust seasonings as desired and serve.

Notes

Ingredients and Substitutions:

• *Corn: I love grilling extra corn in the summer to make this, but when I make it the rest of the year I simply use canned or frozen corn. You can sub in 3 cups of either for the 4 corn cobs. If using uncooked corn cobs, I like to cut them off the cob and add them in with the peppers and onion.
• Vegetables: feel free to add in any leftover grilled vegetables you have! You can also sauté extra vegetables with the onion and peppers. 
• Milk or Cream: any kind of milk or cream will work here. A higher fat will yield a richer flavor, but because we are thickening with flour any will work just fine.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 426grams | Calories: 159cal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 474mg | Potassium: 611mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 801IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 1mg

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