Corn Chowder with Chicken and Chorizo

Great use for left over chicken and a play on the Seafood Corn Chowder Justin and I made a while back.  I just modified the ingredients and the flavours slightly and came up with this extremely tasty chowder.

Corn Chowder with Chicken and Chorizo

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced  (or 1 can - I know, I know but it works in a pinch)
2 cups water or chicken stock
1 can creamed corn (it really is the secret to a creamy, rich but low-fat chowder)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup left over chicken, chopped
1 hot (or mild...boooo) smoked Chorizo sausage, diced
1 teaspoon chives, diced
5 drops liquid smoke
3 dashes of your favourite hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a soup-sized pot. Add onion, carrots and celery.  Add salt and pepper to taste and cook until soft but not brown (about 6-8 minutes). Add smoked paprika and thyme and stir.  Add stock or water and bring to a low boil.  Add potatoes and reduce to a simmer until just cooked, about 7 or 8 minutes. Remove about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of potato/celery/carrot and set aside.  Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. Add reserved potato/celeary/carrot mixture back in.  Add the can of creamed corn and milk and and stir to combine.  Add more salt and pepper if needed. Cook for 5 minutes until heated through.  Add chopped left over chicken and Chorizo sausage and combine.  Heat through and serve sprinkled with chopped chives.