Chowder « The Bama Steel Magnolia’s Bistro

Chicken Chowder

By Beverly Hicks Burch

Cooler weather always starts getting me in the mood for soup. I love most soups. This chowder is adapted from a recipe I found in Southern Living in Feb. 1983.

When I make a chicken broth I usually do more than just stew chicken in water. I enrich the broth by adding about four cubes of chicken bouillon, a carrot or two, a couple of stalks of celery, a quartered onion, and 2 or 3 whole peppercorns. Sometimes, depending on the dish I’ll use the stock/broth in, I might throw in a whole clove or some garlic.

This soup/chowder is yummy, filling, fairly easy to prepare and fairly low-fat. I usually served the chowder with hot corn muffins.

Chicken Chowder

Adapted from a recipe found in Southern Living Feb. 1983

2 – 4 chicken breasts

4 cups water

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped or thinly sliced

1 – 17 oz. can creamed style corn

1 – 15 oz. can tomato sauce (you can add variety by using different kinds of sauce)

¼ teaspoon pepper

Combine chicken, water, salt (and whole vegetables like carrots, celery, quartered onion, whole peppercorn, etc to enrich stock) in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduced heat to simmer for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

When chicken is done, remove it from the stock. Clarify the stock a few times by straining the stock to remove the whole vegetables and any impurities. Reserve 3 cups of the broth and return to the Dutch oven.

Debone the cooked chicken, and chop or shred the chicken into bite size. Set aside.

Add potatoes and carrots to the broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 – 12 minutes. Add chicken, creamed corn, tomato sauce and pepper. Cover and simmer an additional 15 minutes or until tender.

Makes 2 qts.

Enjoy!