Skip to main content

Smoky Turkey Corn Chowder With Bacon

4.8

(40)

Image may contain Bowl Dish Food Meal Soup Bowl Soup and Pizza
Smoky Turkey Corn Chowder with BaconCharles Masters, food styling by Suzanne Lenzer

This warming chowder is a fantastic way to use leftover turkey (and works great with rotisserie chicken, too.) Smoky bacon, earthy cumin, and mild green chiles add tons of flavor to this hearty soup.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    45 minutes

  • Yield

    Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

6 slices bacon (4 ounces)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds (halved lengthwise if large)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium jalapeño, finely chopped, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups (48 ounces) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
1 medium sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Two 4-ounce cans mild diced green chiles, drained
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 dried bay leaves
4 cups shredded turkey or rotisserie chicken
10 ounces frozen corn, thawed
3/4 cup half-and-half, plus more to taste
Sliced scallions, for serving
Chopped parsley, for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and crumble into small pieces and set aside, reserving the fat in the pot.

    Step 2

    Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat, return the pot to medium heat, and add onion, carrot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes more. Add jalapeño and cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute more.

    Step 3

    Add broth, sweet potato, chiles, oregano, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cook until sweet potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the turkey or chicken and corn and cook until warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and half-and-half. Continue to cook until just warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning, thinning the chowder with another 1/4 cup half-and-half, if desired.

    Step 4

    Serve chowder topped with crumbled bacon, scallions, and parsley.

Read More
Rather than breaded and fried as you might expect croquettes to be, these are something more akin to a seared chicken salad patty.
Traditionally, this Mexican staple is simmered for hours in an olla, or clay pot. You can achieve a similar result by using canned beans and instant ramen.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
Berbere is a spicy chile blend that has floral and sweet notes from coriander and cardamom, and when it’s paired with a honey glaze, it sets these wings apart from anything else you’ve ever had.
This summery sheet-pan dinner celebrates the bounty of the season and couldn't be simpler to make. Chorizo plays nicely with the salad, thanks to its spice.
This traditional dish of beef, sour cream, and mustard may have originated in Russia, but it’s about time for a version with ramen noodles, don’t you think?
An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.
This Puerto Rican sancocho recipe is hearty, flavorful, and loaded with falling-off-the-bone beef, tender carrots, potatoes, squash, corn, plantain, and yuca.