Green Curry Chicken & Corn Chowder

{UPDATED JULY 25, 2021} If you’re looking for a solid, crowd-pleasing summery soup to serve all season long – look no further than this Green Curry Chicken & Corn Chowder. It only takes a handful of core ingredients to make and you can honestly whip it up in less than a few minutes. It’s a very “chop and drop” kind of situation.

What also makes this a great summer soup, is the fact that the whole thing comes together right inside your slow cooker. Slow cookers are CLUTCH in the hot summer months because you can get a nice meal on the table without having to heat up your entire kitchen/house with the stove or oven.

I tend to reach for my slow cooker almost more in the summer than I do in the dead of winter, when it seems like you’d crank out more hot meals. But it’s that heat-saving factor that is so helpful. You really can’t beat it.

What is the difference between a soup and a chowder?

You enjoy them both in bowls via the help of a spoon, right? Right. But the primary difference between soups and chowders lies in the consistency. Chowders tend to me much thicker and richer, and are often bolstered by the help of a creamy component – like heavy cream or half and half. In this recipe, we’re using coconut cream to accomplish that.

Soups tend to have tons of subcategories. You’ll see many makes and models of soups out there. But when it comes to chowder, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that is totally smooth. A second characteristic of chowder are the big pieces or chunks of ingredients that you’ll find. Fish, meat, potatoes, sausage, etc.

What is coconut cream?

Coconut cream is very similar in taste to coconut milk (almost exactly the same, actually), but it’s cooked down much more – it’s very thick. It’s typically my go-to product for recipes just like this Curried Chicken and Corn Chowder, as it lends greater body and richness to recipes than coconut milk can (less watery).

It’s also great for combatting the brownish-green color that green curries tend to take on after cooking. The coconut cream will mellow that out and create a really pretty, light green color.

I mean, we do eat first with our eyes, right?

Kitchen Little Essentials

For this Summery Green Curry Chicken & Corn Chowder recipe, you will need:

A slow cooker

A chef’s knife

A cutting board

A blender

How to shred chicken

You’ll notice in my method for this recipe we’ll be shredding the slow-cooked chicken. This is a great way to stretch a small amount of meat, and it will make it so that you can really get away with using just two breasts.

The chicken will go into the slow cooker whole, as full breasts. After hours of low and slow cooking, they will become tender and easily shreddable. To accomplish the shredding, remove the cooked breasts to a cutting board. Take two forks and work them across the breasts, pulling and shredding until the whole of each breast is broken up into thin strands.

In this recipe, we’ll drop the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker to moisten and really pick up all of the delicious flavors of the curry-laced broth. Pro tip: Be sure to pour in every last bit of juice or chicken drippings that accumulate on the cutting board, if there are any. This is liquid gold, and your recipes will be better for this simple step.

How to make this recipe on the stovetop

If you’d prefer to have this done faster (it can be a 40-minute meal) and would like to whip it up on the stovetop, here is the step-by-step, using the exact same ingredients list.

1. Place a large Dutch oven on the stovetop, over medium-high heat.
2. Add the oil. When the oil is shimmering hot, add the chicken and brown on both sides; about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate for now.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and don’t wipe out the pan. Drop in the onion, garlic, fish sauce, and sugar and cook for a few minutes. Add the corn and curry paste and cook for a few minutes more.
4. Add the stock and coconut cream, stir and season generously to taste (with salt, pepper, and/or soy sauce). Slide the browned chicken back into the pot. Add a little water if needed, if it seems too thick. Cover and let the contents simmer over low heat for 25 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
6. Puree 2 cups of the pot’s contents in a blender until smooth. Return that puree to the pot.
7. Return the shredded chicken to the pot as well. Heat through and serve with the toppings you like.

What is in green curry paste?

I’ve been in a full-blown love affair with Thai-style curries for as long as I can remember. I like em red, green, yellow – and everything in between. Because I’m usually looking for really fast and simple recipes, I typically reach for pre-made store-bought jars of curry paste. These are readily available nationwide (here in the states) and they’re pretty great – a top store-bought, quick-fix item in my pantry for sure.

I do, however, have a really amazing pan-roasted green curry salmon recipe here on MKL that involves building your own fresh green curry. It’s one of the most popular recipes here, if you’re interested. That said, you may also be interested to know what’s inside these deeply flavorful store-bought pastes (I was) so here’s the skinny:

A typical Thai-style green curry paste consists of:

• Basil (Thai basil)
• Cilantro
• Jalapeños
• Garlic
• Lemongrass
• Fish sauce
• Ginger and/or Galangal
• Lime juice
• Sugar/Brown sugar
• Cumin and Coriander
• Coconut Milk

If you, like me, have a passion for these Southeast Asian style curries, then you’ve GOT to give these other recipes of mine a try:

Red Curry Mac and Cheese

Thai Style Peanut Curry Chicken and Noodles

Coconut Red Curry Drip Beef

How to Make this Summery Green Curry Chicken & Corn Chowder

Easy is the name of the game with this here chicken and corn chowder, as it really takes only a handful of simple, inexpensive ingredients and a few minutes to get in the pot. And by pot I mean slow cooker.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Fresh or frozen corn kernels
• Aromatics: onion + garlic (you could add a little fresh grated ginger and some chopped chilies, if you like)
• Chicken stock
• Sugar
• Coconut cream (this is becoming more readily available, but coconut milk is a fine substitute)
• Chicken thighs or breasts
• Green curry paste (we’re using the Thai-style paste that is pre-made and available in the Asian section of your supermarket).

Summery Green Curry Chicken & Corn Chowder: Here’s the Step-by-Step

This soup is a “throw it all in the slow cooker and call it good” sort of thing. But it’s gorgeous and filled with some of my favorite Thai-inspired flavors. I’m talking green curry paste, fish sauce, garlic, a pinch of sugar – it’s fantastic. You can use soy sauce as the salty component, instead of salt. This adds yet another layer of complexity to the flavor of the finished soup. Up to you, though!

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the oil to your slow cooker, followed by the diced onion, garlic, corn, and curry paste. Stir to mix it all together. Add the stock, coconut cream, and then the chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. 
2. When ready, remove the chicken to a cutting board. Transfer 2 cups of the remaining soup to a blender and blend on high until pureed. Return this puree to the slow cooker. I like to taste it at this point, to make sure there’s enough salt. This soup needs salt – so taste and season accordingly. 
3. Using two forks (this is what I do) shred the chicken. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Allow the soup to heat through and serve with your favorite toppings and lots of crusty bread/flatbread for dipping. 

If you like the looks of this Green Curry Chicken & Corn Chowder, you might want to check out:

Chicken, Sausage & Wild Rice Soup

Easy Asian-Style Chicken Noodle Soup with Shrimp

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