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This recipe for Tuna Cheddar Chowder comes from Amy Dacyczyn, author of The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle (affiliate link), and one of the queens of simple easy cheap recipes.
As she explains in her book dedicated to frugal living, “tuna cheddar chowder may not sound particularly tempting, but this is actually one of the best soups I know. It is delicious and has an appealing orange-gold color.”
Well, that description was enough for me to want to add it to my list of must try cheap soup recipes. It sounds perfect for those times when you need a simple easy dinner/supper and the cupboard is bare.
It’s made from basic pantry staples that most people always have on hand. And fits perfectly into that category of “emergency recipes,” made with ingredients that you always have on hand for times when you need a quick easy meal unexpectedly.
Even when it seems like there’s nothing in the house to eat, I usually have the ingredients this recipe calls for – carrots, onion, butter, flour, chicken broth, milk, tuna and cheddar cheese.
It’s that time of year when we are getting ready to leave Phoenix and head to Wisconsin for the summer, so I’m trying to limit the groceries I buy and use up what’s around. This tuna cheddar chowder recipe works perfectly in that plan so it will be showing up for supper here one night this week.
We had this easy chowder for supper Sunday night and it was a hit. I thought it was a little thick, if you feel the same you can always thin it out a bit with additional broth and/or milk until it’s the consistency that you prefer.
How Many Calories and WW Points in Tuna Cheddar Chowder?
According to my calculations, each serving has about 306 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
9 SmartPoints (Green plan)
9 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
9 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
8 PointsPlus (Old plan)
If you like this pantry tuna chowder recipe, be sure to check out more WW Friendly soups, including Crock Pot Potato Leek Soup with Smoked Salmon, Slow Cooked Spicy Seafood Chowder, Irish Cheddar Soup, Bouillabaisse Fish Stew and Cheeseburger Soup Made Lighter
If you’ve made this protein-packed Tuna Cheddar Chowder, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Tuna Cheddar Chowder Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 1 can (6.5 ounces) water-packed tuna, drained and flaked
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the butter in a large saucepan and melt it over medium heat.
- Add the carrots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and transparent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the broth and milk. Heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly.
- Add the tuna, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- Add the cheese and stir until it melts.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 9 SmartPoints (Green plan) 9 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 9 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 8 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle (affiliate link)
More Quick and Easy Soup Recipes
- Quick Soup Recipes – a quick and easy recipe combining pantry recipe staples like crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and Italian seasoning with dried tortellini and fresh spinach for a comforting, hearty meal.
- Easy Asparagus Minestrone – Just toss all the ingredients together in a large saucepan and let simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Crock Pot Thai-Style Chicken Soup – one of the best new slow cooker recipes I’ve made in a while. Rich and flavorful, it’s hard to believe a generous serving of this healthy satisfying soup has only 3 Weight Watchers Points.
- Jamaican Red Beans and Rice Soup – this easy recipe takes the cajun favorite red beans with rice and turns into a deliciously hearty soup in about 15 minutes with 5 ingredients.
Probably just me, but I didn’t see the WW points. Sounds delicious.
A family favorite, we lost our recipe, The internet is wonderful.
actually, you can find this recipe in the Better Homes & Garden Soups & Stews Cookbook, copyright 1978.
This soup is amazingly delicious! Thanks for posting it! With many recipes I end up changing and adding things but this is great just the way it is!
Thanks, Theresa. Glad you liked it 🙂