Corn Chowder

This soup is absolutely perfect for lunch or dinner if you add a slice of good bread or corn muffins. Take a look at our recipe for Salmon Chowder if thick soups are what you are after! I’ve always struggled to get my kids to fall in love with soups but I think I might’ve figured it out! While they are not the biggest fans of brothy soups, they absolutely adore creamy soups like this corn chowder.  And I am no exception if I am honest. There is something incredibly comforting and satisfying about thick creamy soups in the middle of winter. Let’s take a look at this chowder for example. Hearty, chunky and all around delicious. The contrast of sweet corn and salty smoky bacon makes each spoonful a perfect medley of flavours. 

What is a chowder?

While all chowders are soups, not all soups are chowders. So what are the required features? Traditionally the chowders are very thick, chunky soups, loaded with ingredients and almost always cream or milk based with one exception of Manhattan Clam Chowder.  This suits me very well. I quite like the soups that are more stew- like in nature. They are far more satisfying. This creamy corn chowder is no exception.

Soup Ingredients 

One of the great things about soup in general and this one in particular is how accessible and affordable the ingredients are. This soup is loaded with all great things like sweet corn, potatoes and bacon. It is also flavoured with fresh thyme and bay leaves. I started the soup by cooking the bacon and then sautéing some onions, celery and carrots in the bacon fat. That created a wonderfully flavourful base for the rest of the players.  Potatoes are very common ingredients in chowders. In my recipe I used a combination of regular and sweet potatoes for some variety. If you avoid potatoes, you can use butternut squash. 

Creamy Soup Recipes to Try

Creamy Chicken Bacon Gnocchi Soup Salmon Chowder Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup Hearty Turkey Stew Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

title: “Corn Chowder” ShowToc: true date: “2024-11-12” author: “Cindy Stapleton”

Using fresh corn and the corn cobs gives you an intense sweet corn flavor, balanced with savory thyme and smoky bacon. But this potato corn chowder is just as delicious with frozen corn, so you can make it year-round! Want more easy recipes for soup? Try my potato soup recipe, homemade chicken noodle soup, or chicken tortilla soup recipe.

What You Need to Make This Recipe

Bacon — bacon and its drippings (bacon grease) add so much smoky flavor to this creamy soup recipe. Butter — opt for unsalted butter so you have control over how much salt is in the soup. Mirepoix — onion, carrot, and celery are the dream trio for building flavor in any soup recipe. Garlic — you need 3 cloves of minced garlic to add a bit of nuttiness and plenty of mouthwatering aroma. Corn — fresh corn is the ideal choice since you can include the corn cobs to make a corn stock. But if you’re making this soup out of corn season, frozen corn kernels work very well. Potatoes — buttery, tender Yukon gold potatoes are my favorite in this recipe for corn chowder. They hold their shape well during cooking and have a buttery flavor. Broth — low-sodium chicken broth is the best option, but you can swap it for vegetable stock if you need to (see the Pro Tips below). Milk — whole milk gives the chowder its signature creaminess. Use half and half for an extra creamy soup, but don’t use a lighter dairy like skim milk, as it doesn’t have enough fat to create the luscious creamy texture that makes this soup so delicious! Thyme — fresh thyme adds a slightly minty, earthy element to the creamy chowder recipe. Garnish — chopped chives are a colorful, subtly oniony garnish for the chowder.

How to Make Corn Chowder

1. Add 4 slices of chopped bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 minutes or until crisp. Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the remaining bacon fat in the pot.
2. Add unsalted butter to the pot and melt it.
3. Drop the chopped yellow onion, celery, and carrot into the Dutch oven and cook until tender, which takes about 7 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the corn kernels and corn cobs (if using fresh corn) to the pot.
5. Next, add the diced potatoes, chicken broth, whole milk, salt, thyme, and black pepper.
6. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, and discard the corn cobs. Place 2 cups of the soup mixture in a bowl and blend until smooth with an immersion blender. Or, use a regular blender for this. Stir the pureed mixture back into the soup pot along with the cooked bacon. Serve, garnished with chopped chives, black pepper, and more bacon if desired.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

Watch the heat: Make sure not to bring the soup to a full boil. If boiled, the milk can scorch on the bottom of the pot or curdle. No-mess method to cut corn off the cob: Use a bundt pan to cut the corn off the cob by standing the cob upright in the hole of the pan. Cut downward with a sharp knife. The corn kernels will fall into the pan and not all over the counter. If you need to use frozen corn: 3 cups of frozen corn can be substituted if fresh corn is out of season. No need to thaw before adding. Since there will be no corn cobs if you use frozen corn, add a 15-ounce can of creamed corn to the pot when you add the frozen corn. This will give your chowder a more intense corn flavor. To make vegetarian corn chowder: Water, vegetable stock, or both can be substituted for chicken broth. Leave out the bacon and replace the drippings with 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil for a vegetarian chowder! For an extra creamy chowder: Replace ½ cup of the milk with half-and-half or heavy cream. If using a regular blender: Remove the center piece of the lid and place a kitchen towel on top to ensure that there is a way for steam to escape. Otherwise, the top can blow off the top and create a big, steamy mess.

If you’ve tried this corn chowder recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!