Salads

Spicy Corn Chowder Salad

Summer might be awash in all of her heat and sunshine, but it doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a favorite winter time dish. Spicy Corn Chowder Salad combines all of the flavors of corn chowder into a cool and refreshing bite.

I love adding sausage to dishes, such as my Country Style Sausage Toad in a Hole. This potato salad is no different. Corn chowder traditionally combines the sweet pop of corn and hearty potatoes in a creamy broth. This salad takes those elements and updates them in a summertime friendly dish alive with both flavor and texture.

Ingredients

With just a handful of fresh ingredients and produce, this salad comes together effortlessly.

Spicy Jalapeno Chicken Sausage – al fresco Spicy Jalapeno Chicken sausage is already cooked, making this not only a flavor packed addition to this potato salad, but also lending to its ease to make.
Red potatoes – These add both a pop of color and keep their creamy interior while giving a little snappy texture from their skin.
Corn – Corn cut straight from the cob works well for this and celebrates its seasonal freshness.
Shallot – This adds a mild and sweet onion flavor
Green onions – These offer a bolder onion flavor as well as herbaceous pop.
Cilantro – The bright freshness of the cilantro balances the kick.
Jalapeno – Fresh jalapeno echos the flavor of jalapeno in the sausage.
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Garlic clove
Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

How to Make Spicy Corn Chowder Salad

This salad can be served warm or at room temperature. Whether you decide to make it ahead and allow the dressing to marinate or serve it right away, it couldn’t be any easier.

Time needed: 30 minutes

With just a little chopping and boiling of potatoes, this bright and flavorful salad comes together in no time.

Boil Away
Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add your potatoes and allow them to boil until they are just fork tender. Remove them from the pot and allow them to fully drain.
Summer Corn
Bring the water back up to a boil and add your corn. Boil for 5 minutes and then allow to cool. Slice the corn off of the cobs.
Sausage
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add your sausage and allow it to cook for 5 minutes, you’re just heating it through.
Dress it Up
Add all of your ingredients for the dressing to a jar and shake to combine and emulsify.
Mix it Up
Add your potatoes, sausage, jalapeños, and shallots to a bowl and toss to combine. Pour the dressing over the top and stir until everything is fully coated,
Finish Touch
Garnish with green onions and cilantro.

Easy Substitutions

While most of the ingredients for Spicy Corn Chowder are readily available, here are a couple swaps to make this dish both accessible year-round and also family friendly.

Corn – Fresh is always best but you can substitute the fresh corn with either frozen corn or canned corn that has been well drained.

Cilantro – Not everyone loves cilantro. You can either omit it entirely or substitute it with fresh flat leaf parsley.

Variations

What goes better with the summer than grilling? For an extra layer of smoky flavor, you can grill your corn, developing a little char. In addition to grilling your corn you can also air fry it or sauté it.

Equipment for Spicy Corn Chowder Salad

Aside from the flavor and ease of making this salad, you don’t need any special equipment. You simply need a pot large enough to boil your potatoes, and a serving bowl to mix it all up in.

Storage

This salad is a great make ahead dish and travels well. If you plan on serving it later cover your bowl tightly or store in in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Top Tip for Spicy Corn Chowder Salad

We’ve all been there where we go to cut corn off of the cob and the kernels go flying everywhere. If you take a large bowl and place a smaller bowl upside down into the bottom of the large bowl, this creates a stable base for the corn while allowing it to fall into the bowl and not scatter everywhere.