Easy Crock Pot Potato Corn Chowder with Roasted Poblanos

What Makes This Potato Corn Chowder So Good

• Low and slow cooking. If you ask me, the longer you cook soups, stews, and chili, the better they taste. There’s no better tool for low and slow cooking than the crockpot. It’s hands-free!
• Bold Southwest flavors. Easy ingredients, including fresh cilantro, mild yet smoky peppers, and spices, pack every bite of this chunky potato chowder full of flavor.
• Cozy and satisfying. I love setting this soup to cook in the morning, and coming home to a rich, cozy dinner that’s ready to serve!
• Adaptable. As it is, this recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, made with coconut milk. It’s easy to make this potato corn chowder vegetarian by skipping the bacon, too.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

• Potatoes – I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes, which are my favorite potatoes for soups and stews. Red potatoes and russets also work well here. You could even swap regular potatoes with sweet potatoes.
• Corn – This soup is a great way to use up corn by shaving the kernels fresh from the cob. Alternatively, you can use leftover corn on the cob or substitute frozen or canned corn if needed. Remember to rinse and drain canned corn before you add it to the soup.
• Bacon – Cooked and crumbled. Save a few of the bacon cumbles to garnish your soup after it’s done. Omit the bacon for a vegetarian or vegan version.
• Poblano Peppers – I use fresh poblano peppers and roast them over my stove burner to give them a smoky, charred flavor (I’ll show you how). You could also roast them in the oven or on the grill if you prefer.
• Aromatics – Freshly minced garlic and diced onion. IMHO, you can’t make a flavorful soup without them! I use red onions, but yellow onions work, too.
• Spices – Cumin and sweet or smoked paprika, plus salt and pepper to taste. You could also season the soup with taco seasoning or chili powder if you’d like.
• Vegetable Stock – Or chicken stock. I like to use low-sodium stock or broth so I can season the soup to taste without it turning out overly salted.
• Coconut Milk – We usually try to eat dairy-free, so I substitute coconut milk from a can for heavy cream or milk. Of course, you can use one of those instead if you’re not making this recipe dairy-free.
• Lime Juice: Fresh-squeezed lime juice adds the perfect zesty bite to cut through the richness of the chowder.
• Cilantro – Always finish with fresh herbs! If you dislike cilantro, swap it with parsley.

Can I Substitute the Roasted Poblano Peppers?

Sure. If you don’t have them on hand or don’t want to take the time to roast the peppers before putting them in the crock pot, substitute poblano peppers with jalapeños, serrano peppers, or diced green chilis. Pickled jalapeños would change the taste of the dish, so I’d recommend using fresh chili for the best results. If you’re sensitive to heat, you can also use bell peppers or leave out the peppers altogether.

How to Make Potato Corn Chowder in the Crock Pot

This comforting corn chowder with potatoes comes together easily in the slow cooker with very little hands-on prep. Follow these steps.

1. Roast the poblanos. This method only works if you have a gas-burning stove. If not, you can oven-roast or grill the peppers instead. Switch two burners to medium-high, and place the peppers directly onto the flames. Roast, turning frequently, until the peppers are charred on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Set the charred peppers aside to cool, and then peel and dice them.
2. Combine the chowder ingredients. Add the diced poblano peppers to your slow cooker along with the corn, potatoes, onions, spices, stock, and a little water.
3. Cook. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, until the veggies are tender.
4. Make it creamy. Transfer about 2 cups of soup to a food processor or a blender with an opening in the lid. Pour in the can of coconut milk, and blend on high until smooth. Afterward, stir the blended mixture back into the crockpot with fresh cilantro and lime juice. Leave it to cook for 10 minutes.
5. Garnish and serve. Meanwhile, crisp up the bacon in a skillet, then chop or crumble it into small pieces. Sprinkle the bacon over bowls of potato corn chowder and top with avocado and fresh herbs, then enjoy.

Tips for Thickening Chowder

I prefer my chowder a little more “soup-like”, but if you’d like yours a bit thicker, there are a couple of ways to do it:

• Purée more of the soup. Add more of the soup, particularly the potato chunks, to the blender. More blended potatoes will make the soup thicker and creamier. Another option is to use a potato masher for a chunkier consistency.
• Try adding a slurry. Whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry to the chowder after you’ve added the coconut milk, and stir it in so it thickens.

Serving Suggestions

I serve my potato corn chowder with an easy spinach salad or classic wedge salad for a satisfying weeknight meal. It’s also delicious with a side of tortilla chips and salsa, or fluffy dinner rolls for dunking. Bring those Tex-Mex flavors home and wash down dinner with a refreshing margarita!