This Quinoa Corn Chowder is an easy meal in one! It’s thick, creamy, hearty and packed with protein and fiber!
This is exactly what I want in a meal from about September until April. It’s thick, creamy, hearty, and goes perfectly with freshly baked bread.
It’s even healthy.
Not like kind-of-healthy, but really healthy.
There’s just nothing bad in it. So I can eat my bowl of thick, creamy chowder and not even feel bad about it. What’s not to love?
I don’t have a lot of experience cooking with quinoa. I know it’s a really big deal right now (and for the last 5 years), but the first time I made it I wasn’t a big fan of the texture. Therefore, I haven’t spent much time experimenting with it.
I came across this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine of my mom’s. I immediately thought, “now that’s how I like my quinoa!” You get some of the texture of the quinoa, but with everything else that’s going on in this soup, you hardly notice.
This chowder is everything I love about fall and winter meals, just made extra healthy with a good dose of protein and fiber from the quinoa and beans. It will definitely be added to our regular rotation!
Quinoa Corn Chowder
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 4 cups frozen corn or fresh
- 1 can white kidney beans drained and rinsed
- Optional: shredded cheese to garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, toast quinoa over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add oil, onion and pepper to the pot and saute over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add garlic, parsley, thyme and salt and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in flour until combined (you don’t want to see any white left — add gradually and if there’s a little left over that’s okay). Whisk in broth and then milk one cup at a time, whisking and waiting until the soup has thickened slightly before adding the next cup. (You can dump it all in at once, too — it will just take a little longer to thicken!)
- Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium (or medium-low) and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes until quinoa is cooked, stirring often. Add corn and beans and heat through, serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Jess says
I’m just finishing making this recipe and it looks nothing like the photos above. It doesn’t look like soup, it’s very thick. I even added 4 cups of broth.
Ashley Fehr says
It is a very thick soup, but I and many others have made it and enjoyed it as is and haven’t had any issues!
Alayna says
My favorite quinoa dish so far!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Alayna! I’m so happy to hear that!
Portia says
Followed the recipe and turned out great, I added chopped chicken thighs and used coconut milk, garnished with green onions. Yum! Thanks for this recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
So happy to hear that! Thanks!
Kathryn says
I made this recipe twice and the first time it didn’t turn out at all! I just made it the second time after reading all the comments and it came out very well. In the instructions it never tells you to remove the quinoa from the pot after it’s toasted. If you don’t remove it and add it back later the soup turns gluey. Also, I added a 1tsp of chili powder and 1/2 tsp of cumin for some kick. Now it’s great!
Ashley Fehr says
I took out the part where the quinoa is removed because I have made it both ways, and honestly both ways have been great! I know lots who have made it without removing the quinoa and haven’t had issues. I appreciate your note!
Irene says
This chowder is SO GOOD! I made it vegan by using vegetable broth and flax milk. I thought it wasn’t going to be enough before the beans and corn, but boy was I wrong. Delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Audra cozart says
What type of cheese did you too the chowder with?
Have you ever added reduced fat cream cheese?
Audra cozart says
Use to top the chowder 🙂 *
Ashley Fehr says
I usually use cheddar or mozza — I haven’t tried cream cheese but it would be interesting!
Jess says
How long does this soup usually keep in the refrigerator?
Ashley Fehr says
I would keep it for 5-6 days, since there is no meat.
Eryn says
HI Ashley:
I saw someone else’s post about using almondmilk instead of cow’s milk, but I was wondering about using coconut milk instead of cow’s milk. Have you tried this? If so, how did it work? If not, thoughts on how it would work?
Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Eryn! I think it should work fine, although I haven’t tried so I can’t say for sure.
Jack says
I just made the chowder and it was really good but do i see potatoes in the picture above? I just didn’t see the recipe calling for red potatoes? Is there anything else in the recipe that we should know about?
Ashley Fehr says
You’re right! I have made it with and without — you can definitely add some in with the other vegetables if you want it a little heartier.
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
I was just thinking about making corn chowder with our summer sweet corn! Love the addition of quinoa! Can’t wait to try it!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Oh I love corn chowder! It’s such a perfect late Summer/early Fall meal. And the quinoa in here is the perfect extra boost of protein!
Aimee says
Thank you for the recipe, this was delicious! Very flavorful & filling. I will definitely make it again. I made just a few small mods: celery instead of onion, no red pepper, 3/4 tsp salt & veggie broth and it was wonderful. My first time toasting quinoa, yum!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Layla says
I made this for dinner tonight. My husband and my 3 year old both loved it! Thank you for a great recipe. Fast, healthy, affordable, one pot, what else could you want!
Caity says
I just made this and it was absolutely wonderful and extremely filling. I substituted 1.5 Tbsp arrowroot powder for the flour, and it seemed to work fine. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Looking forward to making it again!
Lucia says
Thank you! It was very tasty!
Yesha says
I wanted to know whether to cook the white beans whole out of the can? I just don’t want to smash them thinking the soup to be finely soupy instead of whole beans with it.
P.S. sorry, I am a law student with the least cooking experience as possible so making sure.
Yesha
Ashley says
No you don’t need to cook them! Just add them at the end and they’ll heat through but remain whole. Hope that helps!
Danielle says
I made this yesterday and it was a big hit! Thank you for posting it. The one thing I swapped out was the chicken broth for vegetable stock to make it vegetarian friendly. Also my husband couldn’t find organic white beans at the market so we used organic pinto which made our soup not as pretty as yours haha.
Ashley says
So glad to hear that! Thanks Danielle!
Theresa Rayner says
I made this last night for dinner, and it was so fun to make! The quinoa smelled so good toasting, and bell peppers are my favorite vegetable to chop. It was a very hearty soup! Perfect for the chilly weather right now. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Ashley says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Jan says
I made this once and it is delicious! My favorite new recipe of this past fall. I was wondering if anyone had tried freezing it and how it went? I usually double recipes and freeze the leftovers but not sure how that would go with this dish.
Ashley says
I’m glad you liked it! I’ve never tried freezing a soup with dairy in it — if you do try it, let me know how it goes!
Jan says
I just defrosted it and heated it up and it still tastes great!
Ashley says
I’m glad to hear it!
Mrs. Larkin says
Just made this tonight. It certainly does not TASTE as healthy as it is! Fantastic! And my husband, who is a very picky eater and rarely goes back for second helpings of my cooking, requested to take the leftovers to work tomorrow for lunch. Success!
Ashley says
I’m so glad! Thanks!
Jewel says
Do you have the nutrition info for this recipe? Thanks!
Ashley says
I don’t have the nutrition information for this recipe unfortunately. I adapted the recipe from a Taste of Home recipe. There are lots of great nutrition/calorie calculators out there if you’re needing to find the details!
Kayla Cowart says
Hi Ashley! Could you sub whole wheat flour and almond milk or would it change the flavor of the recipe? Thanks!
Ashley says
It would definitely work, but it would likely change the flavour. The whole wheat flour might give it a bit more texture — normally I use whole wheat flour for everything, but I use all purpose when I’m making a roux just because it’s smoother. Maybe white whole wheat flour? The almond milk would have a bit of a different flavour, but if that’s what you’re used to drinking and you like the flavour, you probably wouldn’t notice it as much as we would here!
Lane says
Ok, maybe this is obvious, but is it 1 cup of cooked quinoa? Or straight from the bag?
MK says
It is straight from the bag because you toast it first, then add it in later to simmer and cook with everything else. At least that was my impression and what I did! 😀
Ashley says
Sorry I missed your comment Lane — it is straight from the bag. Toast it in the pot,then remove it and add it back in later when it says.
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
As I woke up to a nip in the air, this chowder sounds absolutely perfect. And I love adding a small amount of quinoa to soup. It blends perfectly!
Thanks for sharing!
Ashley says
Thanks Kristen! It was actually the first time I had, but we really liked it!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
Love corn chowder and adding quinoa sounds like a delicious idea! Looks so warm and inviting – I just want to dive right in to that amazing bowl of goodness!
Ashley says
Thanks Kelly! I’m still warming up to quinoa, but I’m obsessed with chowder, so it’s a good match 🙂
MK says
I love quinoa! In fact I think I really got hooked after making damn delicious’s Broccoli Quinoa Casserole. I found your recipe because I was looking for other ways to incorporate quinoa. I’m making this soup tonight as we speak.
Ashley says
Thanks! I’d love to hear how you like it!
MK says
It was awesome and very filling! I plan on making it again in the future.
Ashley says
So glad you liked it!
Jen says
Looks Delish! just curious about how much flour to use…..it isn’t listed in the ingredients!
Ashley says
Thanks Jen! I’ve updated the recipe — thanks for pointing that out!
Julie says
Sounds and looks wonderful but it doesn’t say the amount of flour to add…..
Ashley says
Sorry about that! I’ve updated the recipe! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Vicki Bensinger says
Wow I love this recipe. Quinoa is a favorite of mine, it’s so healthy and can sustain you all day long. Adding the quinoa to the corn chowder sounds fantastic and hearty. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Ashley says
Thanks Vicki! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Annie @Maebells says
Yeah I kind of cringe when I eat quinoa by itself! ha! The texture is a bit off putting. I really like that you used it in a nice hearty soup though! I bet it goes great with the other flavors!
Ashley says
Thanks Annie! I’m a big chowder lover, so I had to try it!
Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later! says
I’m still learning to like quinoa, but I bet I would love it in this soup!
Ashley says
I am, too, Amber! But it’s not as noticeable in the chowder, and I love all the added protein!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I love eating soup anytime of the year, but especially during the fall and winter. This soup looks incredible, Ashley! I love your creativity of adding in quinoa. I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate it into meals, so this looks like the perfect one! Pinned!
Ashley says
I had some help with a good ol’ Taste of Home cookbook, but it is definitely a winner! Thanks Gayle!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
What a great idea, Ashley! I never thought about adding quinoa to chowder, but I know that I would love the texture and flavor it adds. This is the perfect fall dish!
Ashley says
It is a great idea! I wish I could take all the credit 😉 I just love how good it is for you. I need to balance out some of the other naughty things I’m eating… lol
Melanie @ Garnish & Glaze says
Looks delicious Ashley! Creamy soups are the best! I’m still trying to get used to quinoa too and have yet to try it in soup so I’ll have to give it a shot with this recipe.
Ashley says
Thanks Melanie! We loved it 🙂