Poblano Corn Chowder
This creamy poblano corn chowder recipe is surprisingly bright, with hints of tangy lime, a slight spiciness from the poblanos, and a rich creaminess from the feta cheese. We keep it super healthy by using almost all whole foods.
Ingredients
- 3 tsp plus 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 poblano chilies, stemmed, halved lengthwise, and seeded (you can use more if you like!)
- 5 cups fresh corn kernels
- 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or pressed through a garlic presser
- 7 cups chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian!)
- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 2 tbsp cilantro, minced, plus more for garnish
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp table salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- Optional: chopped scallions
- Optional: toasted sourdough bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven broiler to 500 degrees F. Place the oven rack directly under the broiler.
- Carefully cut the corn off of the cob. I do this by placing a small bowl upside down in a larger bowl and holding the corn on top of the upside-down bowl while running a knife down the kernels. The kernels will fall into the larger bowl. (see blog post images)
- Toss the poblano peppers in 1 tsp of olive oil and place them skin-side up on a baking sheet. Toss the corn kernels in two tsp of olive oil and ½ tsp salt, then spread them on the other side of the baking sheet. Broil for 10-15 minutes until the peppers are blackened and the corn is beginning to brown.
- While the poblanos and corn are cooking, heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pot, then the chopped onions. Saute until they begin to become translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
- When the poblanos and corn are done, take them out of the oven and take about half of the corn and set it aside.
- Add the garlic to the onion pot and stir for 60 seconds before pouring in the broth, ½ tsp salt, cubed potatoes, and half of the baked corn. Bring to a vigorous simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in half and half. Using a hand blender, blend the chowder until smooth. If you want a few potatoes in the chowder just blend it a little less.
- Chop the poblanos into small pieces and add them to the pot along with the leftover corn, cilantro, and lime juice.
- At this point you will want to taste it for salt. The salinity of the broth that you use will determine how much salt is needed. In my case, I usually add at least ¾ tsp of table salt to the chowder, but start with 1/4 tsp and go up from there.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and evenly distribute the feta over the top. Sprinkle with extra cilantro, chopped green onion and any left over corn kernels. Serve with a crusty piece of sourdough bread and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 413kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 15gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 2377mgPotassium: 1259mgFiber: 8gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 772IUVitamin C: 87mgCalcium: 176mgIron: 3mg
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