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

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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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Reader Interactions

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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 is the best way to thicken corn chowder? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool. Add a few tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the bowl and whisk until it's blended smooth. Next, bring the soup to a simmer and add the mixture back to the pot. Pro tip: Don't dump in the entire mixture at once.

Why is corn chowder called chowder? ›

The word chowder is a corruption of the French chaudière (“cauldron”), and chowder may have originated among Breton fishermen who brought the custom to Newfoundland, whence it spread to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and New England.

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

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

What is usually a main thickening agent of chowder? ›

A roux is the most common thickener for sauces and soups and comes in three colors and strengths: white, blond, and brown.

How do you thicken watery chowder? ›

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.

How do you thicken cream of corn soup? ›

The answer to thick and smooth creamed corn

If you're short on time, add a tablespoon of rice flour straight into the runny mix and stir to combine. If rice flour isn't available, cornstarch, potato starch, or flour are also great thickeners.

What is chowder soup typically thickened with? ›

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.

Will heavy cream thicken chowder? ›

Heavy cream

Use heavy cream as a keto-friendly thickening option for your soups and broths. Heavy cream has more fat than regular whole milk, so you can add it to your soup recipes without worrying about it curdling.

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