Fall brings in cooler air and cravings for hot soup. Spicy Corn and Sausage Chowder is a hearty soup recipe that can be customized with your favorite ingredients. This is the best corn chowder recipe because not only is it chock full of potatoes, smoked sausage, leek, and corn., but it’s also topped with crispy kale chips. You will want to grab this recipe and make it today!
I don’t know about you, but once the weather starts to cool down, I crave warm foods like chowders, soups and stews. There is nothing more satisfying than a pot of soup simmering on the stove. If you are a fellow soup lover, then you are going to love this Spicy Corn and Sausage Chowder with Crispy Kale.
Recipe Ingredients: Spicy Corn and Sausage Chowder with Crispy Kale
Here are the things you need to make this chowder:
- Leeks, actually just one leek will do it
- Russet Potatoes, or you could use red or Yukon Gold potatoes as well
- Smoked sausage. I used the Cajun flavor of Conecah sausage, but feel free to use your favorite sausage
- Corn, fresh or frozen works equally well
- Hatch Diced Green Chiles. They come in hot or mild. I used mild because the sausage I used was pretty spicy.
- Broth. Buy it by the box or use homemade broth if that is your jam.
- Bay leaf
- Salt and Pepper
- Milk or Cream or Half and Half. I used unsweetened almond milk and it turned out pretty creamy.
- Kale chips. These make a nice little crispy topping.
Why did you top the soup with Kale Chips?
Well, why not? They are super easy to make and they give this creamy corn chowder recipe a little boost that you wouldn’t expect. Sure you could top it with other crispy things like bacon or pumpkin seeds. But, the kale chips just push this soup into the realm of being good for you and great tasting amazing at the same time. Trust me, it’s delicious. And Kale chips only take a little prep. You can make them while the soup is simmering. If you aren’t into kale, then you can top your soup with green onions, fresh parsley or even bacon.
Tips for making a great corn chowder:
- Chop all of the ingredients to at least spoon size. No one wants to have to bite off a piece of something that is in a soup.
- Use fresh corn kernels if possible. Frozen is great, too.
- Take the time to wash your leek well. Grit in the soup is gross! Here is a great video of how I clean chopped leeks.
- Clean your potatoes really well, too. See the tip above.
- Sweat the leeks. Let the leeks soften in the olive oil before moving on to the next step. This will lead to a more flavorful soup.
- Add the milk or cream in last and bring it to JUST a simmer. Don’t let the mixture boil once you add in the milk. The result could mean a curdled texture to your chowder or a weird skin developing on the top. Nobody wants skin on the top of their soup.
- Salt to taste. If you are using a store bought broth, you may not need much salt. Plus the sausage adds salt to the recipe as well.
What to serve with this Spicy Corn Chowder recipe…
I think this chowder is hearty enough to stand in its own. But, say your boss is coming for dinner and you want to round out the meal a little more…then serve it with a light salad and some crusty bread. You could also serve the soup in a small bowl and make a sandwich to go with it. Who doesn’t love soup and sammies?
Another tasty option would be to bake up a batch of cornbread or cornbread muffins and serve them on the side.
Spicy Corn and Sausage Chowder with Crispy Kale
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 8 oz Conecah Sausage, Cajun flavor
- 2 Leeks, chopped roughly (white and light green parts only)
- 3 cups Russet potatoes, chopped
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 lb Corn kernels, about 3 cups
- 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk, whole milk or half and half
- 8 Kale chips, store bought or homemade. If you need a recipe for these, I have one linked in the post.
- Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the sausage in half length-wise and then slice into 1/2" pieces. They will end up looking like little half moon shapes.
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then, add olive oil to the pot. Add sausage and sauté until lightly browned. Remove sausage to a bowl, leaving the oil in the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the leeks. Stir frequently, cooking them for about 10 minutes or until they are very soft. Adjust the heat as necessary so that the leeks do not brown.
- Add the potatoes, broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat. Cover the pot and simmer about 10 minutes.
- Add corn kernels to the pot and cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Stir in unsweetened almond milk or your choice of milk. Simmer until heated through. Do not boil.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with Kale chips.
Love this recipe for Spicy Corn and Sausage Chowder?
Then, you might like this hearty vegetarian white bean soup or this Tortilla soup. If you love smoked sausage, this Gumbo from the archives will be right up your alley!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
