This Hearty Slow Cooker Chicken & Corn Chowder Is More Nutritious Than Canned Soup

This luscious chicken and corn chowder takes about nine hours from start to finish, but much of it is attributed to the heavenly thickening of the soup – meaning only a small fraction of it is active time. Prep your ingredients and watch the dish take shape in the slow cooker, where complex flavours and the creamy mouthfeel of this chowder develop.

Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 490 mins
Difficulty Level: 3/5

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium brown onion (150g), chopped finely
• 2 rindless bacon slices (130 g), cut into 2cm (¾-inch) pieces
• 1 stalk celery (150 g), trimmed, chopped finely
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1.2 kg whole chicken
• 2 trimmed corn cobs (500 g)
• 500 g potatoes, cut into 2cm (¾-inch)pieces
• 1.25 litres (5 cups) chicken stock
• 1 cup (250 ml) milk
• 1 tbsps cornflour (cornstarch)
• ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh chives

Steps

01. Heat oil in a 4.5 litre (18 cups) slow cooker on sear (high) setting; cook onion, bacon, celery, thyme and bay leaves, stirring, for 5 mins or until vegetables soften. Add chicken, corn cobs, potato and stock. Cook, covered, on low, for 8 hrs.

02. Carefully remove chicken and corn from cooker. Shred chicken coarsely using two forks; discard skin and bones. Using a small sharp knife, cut kernels from corn cobs. Discard cobs.

03. Stir milk and cornflour in a small bowl until combined. Return chicken and corn to cooker with cornflour mixture. Increase heat to reduce setting on low; simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins or until chowder thickens. Season to taste.

04. Serve chowder sprinkled with fresh chives. Accompany with crackers or grilled crusty bread.

Photo: bauersyndication.com.au