According to Wikipedia, Chowder is a seafood or vegetable stew, often served with milk or cream and mostly eaten with saltine crackers, so really I’m not sure if I should call this recipe a chowder as it does contain meat.
The original recipe was called a Creamy Vegetable Chowder but I have adapted and altered the dish to my own tastes, including adding the lovely Spanish cured sausage, chorizo. I guess that you could add any meat to this dish if that is your desire!
Now, I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of stews however I do like chunky soups, especially when it’s chilly outside, and this dish is similar to a thick soup. It is bold, warming and very tasty. It’s probably pretty good for you too as it contains lots of vegetables.
I make this chowder recipe whenever I have an excess of ‘stock’, usually the remaining liquid from cooking chicken in our slow cooker. Sometimes this liquid is used to make gravy, but I often keep some aside to make this lovely stew recipe.
Enough with the talk, on with the recipe!
Potato and Chorizo Chowder Recipe
As with all my recipes, you do not need to be too exact with the ingredients quantities or the directions. Cooking is about enjoyment and experimenting and I never take it too seriously!
Ingredients
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
- 30ml olive oil (approx.) or 3 tablespoons butter/margarine
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
- chorizo, diced (approx 250ml)
- 250ml chopped celery
- 250ml chopped red or green pepper
- 500ml sliced carrots
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- ground black pepper
- 750ml chicken broth
- 500ml milk
- half teaspoon parsley (fresh or dried)
- 60ml cold water
- 60ml cornstarch
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- Grated cheese (optional)
Directions
- Heat up the olive oil (or melt the butter/margarine) in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender.
- Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the chorizo and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and celery and cook for 10 minutes or until they become a little tender. Add the chopped peppers, potatoes and chicken stock and add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.
- Add the milk and parsley and heat until just boiling.
- In a separate bowl, stir the cornstarch into the cold water. Once it has completely dissolved, add it to the chowder. Stir for a minute and then serve in bowls with grated cheese sprinkled on top and a chunk of crusty roll on the side.
We often serve our potato and chorizo chowder with boiled rice because we’re greedy like that!
Useful products for making this recipe
