January is National Soup Month. Stay warm this weekend with this corn chowder recipe from the MGH Be Fit program. Freeze any leftovers in single-serve portions for an easy weekday dinner idea.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound raw chicken breasts
1 tbsp butter
¾ cup celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 (16 oz each) packages of frozen corn, thawed
2 cups milk (low fat or skim), divided
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¾ cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Heat a large sauté pan and add olive oil to pan; cook chicken about 5-7 minutes per side or until the inside of the breasts reach 165 degrees. Remove chicken from pan and let rest 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or pot, melt butter and add celery, onion, and 1 package of corn; sauté for about 5 minutes. Place remaining package of corn and 1 cup of milk in a blender and process until smooth. Add the pureed corn to the pan with sautéed corn; add remaining milk, salt, black pepper, and cheese and cook over medium heat until the cheese melts. Shred the cooked chicken with your hands (alternatively, you could cut it into chunks) and add to the soup.

Yield: About 6-1 cup servings

Preparation Tip:
-Defrost the corn in the refrigerator or by running it under cold water.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:
CALORIES: 255 calories • PROTEIN: 24 g • SODIUM: 415 mg • CARBOHYDRATE: 15 g • FIBER: 1.5 g •
FAT: 11 g • Sat Fat: 5 g

(Recipe adapted from Cooking Light)