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Instant Pot Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder

southwest chicken corn chowder in a white bowl garnished with cilantro and tortilla chips
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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Chicken Corn Chowder with a Southwest twist.  Enjoy it with a crush of tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (sweet or yellow), diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (leave seeds if you want it spicy)
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 medium Yukon potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 5 cups corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
  • 1 ½  teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ – ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional to make it spicy)
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • ⅓ cup sour cream
  • 1 cup milk (I use 1% cows milk.  I suspect almond and coconut milk will also work)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 (15 ounce) can white beans (navy or cannellini), rinsed and drained

 

Garnish:  

  • Shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, diced green onions, minced cilantro, diced avocado, crushed tortilla or corn chips, sour cream or yogurt

Instructions

  1. Select sauté on the pressure cooker and add oil.  When hot, add onions, garlic, jalapeno, red bell pepper, potatoes, and corn.  Sauté for 3-4 minutes, just until the vegetables start to soften.
  2. Add salt and spices; stir to distribute. 
  3. Add chicken tenderloins and nestle them down into the veggies and spices (this will help flavor the chicken as it cooks).  Add chicken broth.
  4. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes.
  5. When cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 5-10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
  6. Remove chicken to a plate.
  7. Scoop 3-4 ladles of soup into a blender (more or less depending on how chunky/smooth you want the soup).  Add sour cream to the blender and blend until smooth.  Note: the soup will be very hot, so start on low, then gradually increase the blender to high to prevent splatters.  I like to put a hand towel over the lid, just in case.  Stir pureed soup back into the pot.
  8. Add milk, lime juice, and beans; stir.
  9. Shred or chop chicken into bite-size pieces; stir into soup.
  10. Taste and season with extra salt if needed (I typically add another teaspoon).
  11. Serve hot with a garnish of cheese, green onions, cilantro, avocado, crushed chips, and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

Notes

  • If you’re in a hurry, you can skip sautéing the veggies in the first step.  This adds a bit of a deeper flavor to the soup, but I find it delicious both ways.
  • Use chicken tenderloins if possible.  They cook up so well in this soup.  If you can’t find them, use chicken breast and cut them into tenderloin-sized strips.
  • As written, the soup is not spicy.  If you want it spicy, leave in the jalapeno seeds and add cayenne pepper.  A few splashes of hot sauce to individual bowls is also really good.

Keywords: Instant Pot Corn Chowder, Healthy Corn Chowder, Healthy Soup

Find it online: https://tidbits-marci.com/instant-pot-southwest-chicken-corn-chowder/