Light Turkey (or Chicken) Corn Chowder Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 70 Comments

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This light turkey or chicken corn chowder recipe is my family's favorite leftovers recipe. It's hearty, satisfying and healthy. 223 calories and 3 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Light Turkey (or Chicken) Corn Chowder Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (1)

Whether you have leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving feast or an extra rotisserie chicken lying around, this light corn chowder is a hearty meal without all of the extra calories. It's creamy and thick without adding cream, and the flavors of the turkey and corn shine through, alongside a kick from green chiles and cayenne pepper. If you have leftover chicken, that will work, too.

When I'm cooking with chicken breasts or thighs during the week, I try to cook extras so that I can have extras to whip up an easy meal like this. It also works well in some of my other meals that star leftovers.

And what did my family think of this soup? Well, each and every one of them went back for seconds. This is going to be a regular meal in our house!

Here are some of my favorite leftovers recipes that we'll be making this weekend.

Now, let's get to this light corn chowder recipe.

The turkey (or chicken) corn recipe:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat.

Light Turkey (or Chicken) Corn Chowder Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2)

Add the onion, celery, red pepper and garlic and cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the green chiles and cook for 1 minute.

Pour in the chicken broth, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn and simmer for 3 minutes.

Light Turkey (or Chicken) Corn Chowder Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (3)

Place the flour in a medium bowl and slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth.

Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the soup, along with the salt and pepper. Cook, whisking frequently, until the soup is thickened, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the turkey (or chicken), Cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Light Turkey (or Chicken) Corn Chowder Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (4)

Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with green onions and serve.

Other Thanksgiving leftovers recipes:

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Printable Recipe

Light Turkey (or Chicken) Corn Chowder Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (5)

Light Turkey (or Chicken) & Corn Chowder Recipe

This light corn chowder recipe uses leftover turkey or chicken. It’s hearty, satisfying and a fraction of the calories of most chowders. 223 calories and 3 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

4.82 from 50 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Poultry Recipes

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 223.3kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, red pepper and garlic and cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

  • Add the green chiles and cook for 1 minute.

  • Pour in the chicken broth, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

  • Add the corn and simmer for 3 minutes.

  • Place the flour in a medium bowl and slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth.

  • Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the soup, along with the salt and pepper. Cook, whisking frequently, until the soup is thickened, about 15 minutes.

  • Stir in the turkey (or chicken), Cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted.

  • Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with green onions and serve.

Video

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 3(Freestyle SmartPoints), 6 (Points+)

Nutrition

Serving: 1.25Cups | Calories: 223.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.3g | Protein: 15.6g | Fat: 6.6g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 843.9mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 8.8g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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  1. Stephanie Marsh

    Light Turkey (or Chicken) Corn Chowder Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (11)
    We LOVE this recipe. It isn’t as thick and creamy as most chowders, which is precisely why we like it so well. I have made the dish as written and I have also added a couple of diced baked potatoes that I had in the fridge, a couple of large handfuls of baby spinach and a couple of dashes of smoked paprika… also quite delicious. Thank you for a recipe that I will use for years.

    Reply

  2. Kay

    Light Turkey (or Chicken) Corn Chowder Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (12)
    This is a favorite but I was the only one eating the leftovers. I decided to thicken it, add carrots, peas and come bacon. Then made chicken pot pie. It was a hit again!

    Reply

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Light Turkey (or Chicken) Corn Chowder Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2024)

FAQs

What can I use to thicken corn chowder? ›

Cornstarch is a great option as it is a natural thickening agent, but you'll want to be careful about how much you use. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked together with cold water to create a slurry. Then, gradually add the slurry to the soup, letting it boil for one to two minutes before adding more.

What is corn chowder made of? ›

Onion, celery, garlic, and red bell pepper – They create the savory base of the soup. Yukon Gold potatoes – They add delicious chunks to this corn chowder recipe, and they contribute to its creamy texture. Old Bay Seasoning – It adds more savory flavor and a hint of spice. Smoked paprika – For smokiness.

Is it better to thicken chowder with flour or cornstarch? ›

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

Will heavy cream thicken corn chowder? ›

However, chowder can also get a bad reputation due to the large amounts of butter, bacon, and heavy cream that are often used to thicken it and add flavor. As a result, it can be a super-rich dish.

What ingredient does chowder always have? ›

Types. Chowder is a soup with cream or milk mixed with ingredients such as potatoes, sweet corn, smoked haddock, clams and prawns, etc. Some cream-style chowders do not use cream, and are instead prepared using milk and a roux to thicken them.

What makes chowder taste like chowder? ›

Chowder is a hearty meal made with milk or cream and usually with a Salt pork,bacon,or other base for flavor along with potatoes. Corn is a popular ingredient to add too. You can add almost any protein you can think of but most tend to be made with Seafood.

Why is my corn chowder watery? ›

Sometimes soup just needs to simmer longer to reach the perfect consistency. Check to see if the vegetables are tender, and then taste the broth. If the soup tastes a bit watery, give it more time.

How can I thicken my chowder? ›

You can start with 2 tablespoons of flour for every 1 cup of liquid as a general rule of thumb. To make a smooth paste, combine the flour with a small amount of cold liquid. Stir the paste gradually into the soup. To allow the flour to thicken the mixture, cook and stir it for a few minutes.

How do you make chowder less watery? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

What is usually a main thickening agent of chowder? ›

Roux (pronounced roo) is a mixture of equal weights (parts) of flour and fat (usually clarified butter; chicken fat, bacon fat, and margarine are also used) cooked over medium heat and stirred constantly. Roux is the most common thickener for sauces and soups.

What thickener is used in chowder? ›

For the creamiest chowder, you'll want to use heavy cream. If you don't have or don't want to use heavy cream, you could use a light cream, but you'll want to mix in about 1 Tbsp of cornstarch with the lighter cream before adding to the soup, to help thicken the soup.

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