Infused with ancho chili powder for savory, smoky flavor.
Blustery winter weather and dark evenings provide the perfect setting to curl up with a warm bowl of this slow cooker corn, crab, and poblano chowder. It’s so comforting to know that at the end of a busy weekday, you can shake off your boots and hang your hat, and open up the slow cooker to delicious smells and a ladle full of creamy goodness. And we like a stress-free, mess-free healthful dinner.
Slow Cooker Corn, Crab, and Poblano Chowder
Crab Meat
Crab meat is one of those things that’s actually a good idea to buy packaged or canned, simply because the process of getting all the meat out of the crab legs means cracking the crabs, and getting only a small amount of meat at a time. This can be an arduous and lengthy process, and this recipe aims to make your life a bit easier!
Poblano Chiles
This slow cooker chowder also calls for Poblano chiles, named as such because they originate from the central Mexican state of Puebla, but we can find them in many grocery stores all over the U.S. It’s a very mild larger chile pepper, with a subtle amount of heat and spice, but a pronounced amount of smoky, peppery flavor. The pepper plays off the sweetness of the corn, red bell pepper, and crab. The potatoes add creaminess and heartiness.
This recipe calls for a touch of chili powder. Ancho chili powder will infuse a smoky flavor into the milky broth, but regular chili powder will also do the job. Dried poblano peppers, otherwise known as ancho chiles, are ground along with a spicier red chile called arbol, some dried oregano, and cumin seeds, to make ancho chile powder.
Like other chile peppers, Poblano chiles are high in vitamin C to support immune system health and contain potassium, a great electrolyte to keep the body systems working, and an ideal nutrient for those who workout. It helps with sustained energy and hydration. Chiles also contain an anti-cancer compound.
Creamy, with Less Fat
People don’t usually think of rich and creamy chowder when they think of healthful food, but we’ve changed that. We’ve lightened up the chowder here by making it with milk instead of heavy cream, yet it still has a lusciously thick broth. Great for spoonful after spoonful, all of those amazing ingredients!
Slow Cooker Corn, Crab, and Poblano Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 cup chicken broth fat-free and low-sodium or vegetable broth
- 2 potatoes large, peeled and diced
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 poblano pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 8 ounces pasteurized crab meat
- salt and pepper to taste
- whole wheat tortilla chips for garnish
Instructions
- Combine everything except the milk, cornstarch and crab meat in your slow cooker pot. Cover and cook over low heat for 6-8 hours.
- Add the cornstarch to the milk and stir. Add this to the soup, along with the crabmeat. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.
- Serve the soup hot, topped with tortilla chips.
Nutrition Information
Have you made this recipe?
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Check out our other Slow Cooker Recipes for warming soups, chilis, and stews that use peppers and/or seafood:
Can you make this on the stove? I really want to try this, but I don't have a crockpot. What do you think would be the cooking time?
Ginger, Sure! Follow the directions except cook on the stove. Bring the ingredients to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for approximately 2 hours. Stir every little bit…about every 15 minutes. Keep us posted! 🙂
What about making this with chicken instead of crab? Or maybe shrimp? Would it work?
Julie, I don't see why not. Chicken sounds yummy! If you use shrimp, just be sure to not over cook.
Could I make this on a high heat to speed process up with slow cooker?
Erin, Yes, that should be fine.
the weight watchers points for this recipe are way too low.
Mark, this was one of our older recipes with previous Weight Watchers points. We have updated the recipe to include the current SmartPoints.