Cheap, cosy, speedy, easy: RecipeTin’s creamy chicken and bacon chowder checks all the winter soup boxes

Name: Cheap, cosy, speedy, easy: RecipeTin’s creamy chicken and bacon chowder checks all the winter soup boxes
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 tbsp cornflour; 3 cups salt-reduced chicken stock; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 200g streaky bacon, diced 1cm; 1 onion, diced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 500g chicken breast fillets (or thighs), skinless, cut into bite-size pieces; 1 tsp cumin powder, optional (see note); 2 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthways, sliced 7mm thick; 1 large Sebago potato (350g), peeled, cut into 1cm cubes (see note); 2 jalapeno chillies, deseeded, finely chopped, optional (see note); ¾ tsp cooking salt; ½ tsp black pepper; 1 cup thickened cream (see note)

This chowder is chunky, creamy, cosy and cheap – and you can whip it up in 30 minutes flat.

Nagi Maehashi

June 19, 2023

Don’t skip the bacon in RecipeTin Eats’ chicken chowder.Rob Palmer STYLING: Emma Knowles

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

Welcome to soup nirvana. It’s chunky and satisfying. It’s creamy and cosy. It’s economical. It’s freezable. And it takes far less time to make than you’d think –30 minutes from start to finish.

Is this the perfect winter soup? It may well be!

Feel free to substitute the carrot and potato for other soup-worthy vegetables, such as corn, celery or parsnips. But please don’t skip the bacon. You know I’m serious when I put an ingredient in the recipe name.

The SOS checklist

Fewer than 12 ingredients (excluding oil, salt, pepper and water) ✔
Less than $20 for 4 servings ✔
Less than 30 minutes ✔

Ingredients

3 tbsp cornflour
3 cups salt-reduced chicken stock
1 tbsp vegetable oil
200g streaky bacon, diced 1cm
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g chicken breast fillets (or thighs), skinless, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp cumin powder, optional (see note)
2 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthways, sliced 7mm thick
1 large Sebago potato (350g), peeled, cut into 1cm cubes (see note)
2 jalapeno chillies, deseeded, finely chopped, optional (see note)
¾ tsp cooking salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup thickened cream (see note)

Method

Step 1
Whisk the cornflour and ¼ cup of the stock together in a small mixing bowl until it’s smooth and lump-free. Set aside. This slurry will be used at the end to thicken the soup.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until golden and crisp, then scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Leave the bacon fat in the pot – free flavour!
Step 3
Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook for 2 minutes until soft. Add the chicken and cumin, if using, and cook until the outside of the chicken turns white. It will still be raw inside.
Step 4
Add the carrot, potato, jalapeno, salt, pepper and remaining chicken stock and bring to a simmer, cooking for 5 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
Step 5
Stir in the cornflour slurry and cream, simmering for 2 minutes until the soup thickens slightly. Stir in the bacon, then ladle into bowls and dig in! Crusty bread for dunking wouldn’t go astray.

Notes

Sebago potatoes are good all-rounders.Kristoffer Paulsen

Any type of potato will work fine, but some varieties might need to cook a minute or two longer.
Cumin and jalapeno aren’t mandatory, but they add a hint of warmth and keep things interesting. This chowder is by no means spicy.
Cream gives the chowder a touch of luxuriousness. But if you prefer, use milk and 1 extra teaspoon of cornflour (as cream is thicker than milk) instead.