This Spanish Corn Chowder recipe is ready in under 15 minutes. It has sweet corn, chorizo, roasted red peppers, and parsley for some fresh flavor.
Did you know that the word chowder is Canadian? Chowder is thought to have gotten its name in Newfoundland, named for the pots, called chaudière,into which Breton fisherman would toss their day’s catch.
If you’ve ever traveled in Atlantic Canada, you’re probably not surprised that the word chowder originated there, since chowder is a staple on virtually every menu. One of my most vivid early restaurant memories is of eating lobster chowder with my mom in Nova Scotia. The soup was rich and thick and had more lumps of lobster than of potato. We went back to that restaurant three times during our short stay. And we ate nothing but chowder.
Spanish Corn Chowder
Oh how I love chowder! Later on in my Soup in 15 series I’ll be bringing you a Manhattan and a New England Clam Chowder (ready in under 15 minutes, of course!). But since clams aren’t in season right now, I decided to go with a corn chowder. But this isn’t just any corn chowder. This is a Spanish Corn Chowder.
This soup isn’t traditionally Spanish. It just has some lovely Spanish flavors. It’s has corn (of course!), Spanish chorizo, smoked paprika, roasted peppers (I’ve used the ones in a jar labelled diced pimentos because they’re already chopped up), and parsley. It’s light and bright but also thick and rich and comforting.
Quick Soup Tip
The Souper Tip for this soup, the thing that makes it so delicious so quickly, is to use a grated potato as the thickener.
Most chowders have chunks of potato in them. But those chunks wouldn’t cook in under 15 minutes. Therefore, to make this soup, I use grated potato. The shreds go into a pot of bubbling stock where they simmer, soften and begin to disintegrate leaving behind that hearty thick flavor and texture of cooked potato.
Head over here to see all my Souper Tips, the techniques and ingredients that get the Soup in 15 recipes delicious so quickly. Oh, and if you’re looking for another quick soup recipe with corn, be sure to also check out my summer minestrone soup recipe.
Podcast Episode: Making Spanish Corn Chowder
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this delicious Spanish Corn Chowder recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintSpanish Corn Chowder Recipe
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Spanish
DESCRIPTION
This Spanish Corn Chowder recipe is ready in under 15 minutes. It has sweet corn, chorizo, roasted red peppers, and parsley for some fresh flavor.
Yield 8 cups.
Ingredients
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 medium baking potato
- 3 cups frozen corn
- 3.5 oz. Spanish chorizo
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- 4 oz. jar of diced pimentos (with juice)*
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Put a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Pour in the chicken stock and cover it.
- Grate the potato (peel and all). Put the corn in a microwave-safe bowl. Put it in the microwave on full power until defrosted and warmed, 2-3 minutes.
- When the stock comes to a boil, add the potato. Stir. Re-cover the pot. When it reaches a boil again, reduce heat to a moderate simmer. Cover.
- Finely chop the chorizo. Add to pot. Stir. Cover.
- Scoop out 1 cup of the hot liquid from the pot and put it in a blender with 2 cups of the defrosted corn, the salt and the paprika. Puree. Pour it into the soup pot along with the rest of the corn and the diced pimentos with their juice.
- Continue to cook the soup covered at a moderate simmer until the potato shreds are cooked through. While it finishes cooking, chop the parsley, if using. Ladle soup into bowls and optionally sprinkle with parsley.
Notes
*NOTE: Diced pimentos are essentially jarred roasted red peppers that are cut up. You can buy the peppers whole if you want to cut them up yourself. Whatever peppers you do get, try to find a brand that doesn’t include sugar in the ingredients. The less sweet ones tend to have a stronger roasted flavor and are perfect for this soup.
*The info about clams and months that do not contain the letter ‘r’ is from The New York Times. Note that while it is not safe to harvest your own shellfish during these months, it seems that it is safe to eat commercial shellfish.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.