Florida Sunshine Red Pepper Corn Chowder Recipe

This easy Red Pepper Corn Chowder recipe combines sweet corn, savory vegetables, and vibrant red pepper flavors in a creamy, comforting bowl. Made with Frontier Soups Florida Sunshine Red Pepper Corn Chowder Mix, it's a simple homemade meal that's ready in about 40 minutes.

Ingredients

You Will Need

Florida Sunshine Red Pepper Corn Chowder Mix
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (32 oz.)
1 cup heavy cream or half & half (8 oz.)
Recommended option: add 2 cups of peeled shrimp or cooked shredded chicken (8-12 oz.)

Instructions

Here's What You Do

In a 3 or 4-quart pot, bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in soup mix.
Return to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Add heavy cream or half & half and seafood or chicken, if desired (add 1 cup broth or water if too thick). Continue cooking, uncovered, on low for 10 minutes.
Turn off heat and let stand 5 minutes and serve!

Got leftovers? Learn how to cool, store, and reheat soup safely in our guide to soup storage and food safety.

Cooking & Nutrition Tips

Use the tips below to customize nutrition, boost flavor, or stretch the soup to fit your needs.

Reducing Sodium

Broth:

To reduce sodium, use an alternative broth such as: low-sodium, organic, stock, bone broth, unsalted, or try making a homemade broth. See chart below to compare.

All our mixes contain no added salt, only what occurs naturally in the ingredients. In the interest of transparency, we use regular (full-sodium) store-bought broth to create our recipes and calculate the nutrition panels — which is why the sodium levels may appear higher than you desire.

While we don’t like it from a health standpoint, salt is a major flavor booster. If you are using reduced sodium broth and looking to enhance flavor, try adding these depending on your preferences: fresh ground pepper, herbs & spices, lemon juice, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, hot-sauce, flavored vinegar.

Variety (1 cup)	Sodium (mg)	% Daily Value
Standard Broth	860 mg	37%
Low-Sodium Broth	570 mg	25%
Organic Broth	550 mg	24%
Stock	510 mg	22%
Bone Broth	400 mg	17%
Organic Low-Sodium Broth	100 mg	4%
Unsalted Broth	35 mg	2%

Boosting Protein

Instead of 1 cup heavy cream, use 1 cup cottage cheese (ideally full fat 4%). If using cottage cheese, we highly recommend you: 1) liquify/smooth entirely in blender or with immersion blender before adding, and 2) turn off the heat and let the soup cool slightly before adding so it does not curdle and/or lose its silky texture. See chart below for nutritional info.
Add a can of your favorite bean such as black, white/cannellini, lentil, chickpea, navy, etc.
Add shredded (or diced) cooked chicken (8-16 oz).
Swap standard broth for bone broth.
Top soup with hemp hearts and/or nutritional yeast

* Add additional broth or water, if necessary, to thin to desired consistency.

Nutrient	Heavy Cream per 1 cup	Full-Fat Cottage Cheese (4%) per 1 cup
Protein	~5 – 6 g	~23 – 25 g
Calories	~800 – 820 kcal	~220 – 240 kcal
Total Fat	~88 – 90 g	~9 – 10 g
Sodium	~90 – 95 mg	~820 – 850 mg

Nutritious Options/Swaps:

Toss in whatever vegetables you have in the fridge and simmer with soup mix.
Incorporate diced aromatics like onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, or blend in nutrient-dense greens such as spinach or kale.
Boost volume and texture by adding broccoli or leeks during the simmering stage before blending into a smooth, creamy texture.
Add 1 cup diced potato and/or cauliflower with the soup mix.
Stir in 1 cup diced red pepper and/or 1 cup diced celery, during the final 10 minutes of cooking.

Red Pepper Corn Chowder Variations

Looking to switch things up? A few simple tweaks can make this recipe your own.

Turn Red Pepper Corn Chowder Into a Meal:
Serve this creamy chowder over your favorite cooked grain, pasta, or potato for a heartier meal. Try white or brown rice, farro, quinoa, mashed potatoes, or pasta, then ladle the warm chowder over the top for a satisfying finish.

Chicken & Rice Meal Bowl:
Stir in cooked chicken and extra cooked rice for an even heartier dinner.

Red Pepper Corn Chowder with Seafood:
Add 12 oz. of shrimp, cod/whitefish, scallops, or diced salmon during the final 10 minutes of cooking.

Red Pepper Corn & Clam Chowder:
Add 1–2 cans of drained clams during the final 5 minutes of cooking for a quick seafood twist.

Spicy Sausage Chowder:
Add ¾ lb browned hot breakfast sausage, 2 cups frozen diced potatoes, and a 4 oz can of green chiles for a bold, hearty variation.

Chilled Summer Chowder:
Prepare as directed, then cool completely and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Puree until smooth, stir in cream, and garnish with fresh snipped dill for a refreshing chilled soup.

Inspired by our customers. Thanks to Betty S., yukon25, and Meghan L. for sharing their ideas.
Have a favorite twist of your own? Send us an email or leave a review on the product page.

Love corn-based soups? Try our Illinois Prairie Corn Chowder.

Dietary Adaptations

These mixes are flexible by design. Use the adaptations below to meet your dietary needs or cooking preferences.

Vegan/Vegetarian

So simple and with a kick of heat

You Will Also Need:

4 cups vegetable broth (32 oz.)
Optional: 1 medium potato, peeled & diced into cubes.
1 cup oat or coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk. (8 oz.)
Optional: for added sweetness and thickening, add a can of cream style corn.

Here’s What You Do:

In a 3 or 4-quart pot, bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in soup mix and potato.
Return to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
If desire extra thickening, use hand immersion blender or mixer and puree soup 1-2 minutes.
Add non-dairy milk substitute, continue cooking, on low for 10 minutes.
Optional: stir in one 10-15 oz can cream style corn. Heat 5 minutes and serve.

Gluten Free

This soup is naturally gluten free when prepared as directed. No special substitutions are needed.

Dairy Free

For cream-based soups: use lower-fat dairy, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, or preferred dairy replacement.

Cooking Methods

Slow Cooker

We do not recommend using a slow cooker due to the short cooking time on the stovetop.

Pressure Cooker

We do not recommend using a pressure cooker due to the short cooking time on the stovetop.