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
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.
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.
Other Thanksgiving leftovers recipes:
Leftover Turkey (or Chicken) Lasagna Rolls with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Spinach (Low Fat) {Cookin' Canuck}
Turkey, Brie, Pear & Cherry Chipotle Panini {Cookin' Canuck}
Baked Tortellini with Turkey, Butternut Squash & Chard {Cookin' Canuck}
Light Turkey (or Chicken) & Corn Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ¼ cups frozen corn kernels
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups skim milk
- 2 ½ cups shredded cooked turkey or chicken
- ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- green onion thinly sliced (for garnish)
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
Nutrition
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Susie
looks delicious! However, I would rather use heavy cream instead of flour to thicken. Flour turns directly into sugars in the body where as cream has proteins and fats that are healthier for the body and causes fat burning instead of quick insulin release.
Mellissa Spencer
Thanks for a great recipe Dara! I used my left over roasted chicken from costco. This recipe was so easy, quick to make, FULL OF FLAVOR and everyone in my family loves it! The absence of cream for this rich chowder is not missed at all. Next going to try the spaghetti squash recipe followed by the cauliflower recipe. My goal, get my growing 11 year old son to eat more veggies. Hawaii loves your recipe, MAHALO!
Dara
I'm so glad to hear that, Melissa! I hope you enjoy the spaghetti squash and cauliflower recipes just as much.
Annie F
We had a huge plate of turkey after Thanksgiving and used some of it for this chowder. This was one of the best leftover turkey soups I've ever made! We loved the hint of spice from the green chiles. I will try it with chicken another time.
V Plew
Can fresh corn kernels be used?
Maureen
Dara,
My first review EVER. Outstanding recipe - didn't have skim so used 1% but imagine it would be as delicious with skim.
Maureen
Lisa
Hi, made this today and wanted to know if we can store leftovers in the fridge & reheat in the microwave (because of the cheese).
It's delicious but we always save for lunches during the cold days.
Thanks!!
Dara
Hi Lisa, this is exactly what we usually do with our leftovers. It's great to have the leftovers on hand for lunches!
Anne
This was SERIOUSLY delicious. Made some homemade turkey stock w/ the leftover carcas and followed recipe as written - except doubled it. So glad I did! Thanks! This one is a keeper.
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Tomeka
Y'all this is so Good!! Just made it for my family!! It is surely to warm them up after soccer practice . Thank you for the recipe!!
Meg
I used almond milk in place of the milk and it was so amazing!!! I also substituted the garlic and onion for my Tastefully Simple "Onion Onion" seasoning to eliminate some slicing, dicing, n wiping lol and it was still delish!!! I am about to make this for the second time in the past two weeks for a good friend who just had her baby boy last Thursday along with some corn bread! Nothing like a hassle free meal when you are settling in with a new bundle of joy! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, it is a keeper for sure. =-)
Janet
Delicious recipe. I added chopped carrot and mushrooms because I had them and wanted more vegetables in the soup. I also used chopped jalepeno instead of cayenne. Will make this again.
giddy
Just finished about 4 bowls. Wish I had room for more!
Dara
Giddy, I'm so glad you liked it! I had two bowls last night and another one for lunch today. It really is a keeper!
Amanda
It's on the stove right now!! Smells delish, I can tell you that 🙂
Dara
I'm so glad! I hope you enjoyed it, Amanda.
Ellee
I made this last night with leftover turkey/stock and my whole family went back for seconds (and some for thirds)! I didn't have any bell peppers or chiles but otherwise followed the recipe and it still came out great. Thank you!
Dara
That's great to hear! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Ellee!
Rick
Will it work in a crock pot?
Dara
Hi Rick, I've never tried it in a crockpot, so I can't speak from personal experience. However, because of the step of mixing in the flour/milk mixture partway through cooking, I think this soup would work significantly better made in a saucepan. I hope you have the chance to try it!
minerva2493
This soup is the bomb!! It was snowing yesterday... and wanted some good comfort type food.. I had everything I needed but the celery. I put this together and my husband LOVED it, and so did I! He left me a note this morning saying how good it was..lol... I am making a half batch this morning because I don't have enough for tonight... This has such a good flavor. I like green chiles so I added a 7 oz. can. Todays batch is going to have some frozen green chiles with a bite to them. Good soup, I made corn bread to go with it.. Try this one! 🙂
Vanessa
Yuuumm~ This looks so hearty and satisfying 🙂
Olga
I just made this today,it was so delicious,simple and easy.I will be sharing this recipe with my family,and making it again soon.