Sausage Broccoli Chowder

This loaded chowder is a full meal in a bowl. Browned kielbasa sausage, red potatoes, corn, broccoli florets, and red bell pepper simmer in a chicken broth base thickened with cream of broccoli soup and finished with cream for a rich, velvety body that still has plenty of chunky texture.

Browning the sausage first and then sauteing the vegetables in those drippings is where the flavor foundation gets built. That rendered fat carries smoky, meaty depth into the celery, onion, and red pepper, and it carries through the entire pot.

Don’t skip the corn liquid trick. Draining the canned corn and adding that starchy liquid to the broth gives the chowder extra body and a subtle sweetness that rounds out the smoky sausage and earthy broccoli.

The cream goes in at the very end, and the recipe warns not to boil after adding it. Boiling cream in a soup this thick causes it to break and turn grainy. Keep the heat on low and stir gently until everything is warmed through.

Kitchen Tips

• Cut the potatoes small so they cook through in the short 5-minute simmer with the broth.
• Add the broccoli after the potatoes have had a head start. Overcooked broccoli turns mushy and loses its color.
• A dash of white Worcestershire sauce and a tablespoon of red pepper oil (as the recipe author suggests) add a nice zing without overwhelming the creamy base.
• Serve with crusty bread for dunking. This chowder is thick enough to cling to every piece.

Variations

• Use smoked turkey sausage instead of kielbasa for a lighter version.
• Stir in shredded sharp cheddar after removing from heat for a broccoli-cheddar chowder twist.
• Add a handful of fresh spinach at the end for extra greens that wilt right into the hot soup.