Our easy Corn Chowder recipe is a warm and cozy soup recipe that is perfect for those cooler months of soup season! This basic corn chowder is made with simple ingredients, like potatoes, fresh veggies, crispy bacon, chicken broth, and, of course, ears of corn. The whole family is going to love this classic soup recipe!
The Best Corn Chowder Recipe Ever
It’s that time of year when the seasons change from late-summer to cooler temps in the early fall. Which makes this creamy corn chowder recipe the perfect dinner option! With corn on the cob bursting from the farm fields and chilly nights that make potato corn chowder so good. It is quickly becoming a new family favorite recipe, because who doesn’t love a good grilled ear of corn!? And adding that garnish of crisp bacon on top really takes this easy recipe to the next level!
Looking for more easy soup recipes? Checkout our full list of 31+ Soup Recipes!
What You Will Need
- fresh sweet corn – we highly recommend grilling the corn for adding so much great flavor, but it is not necessary to still make a delicious chowder soup.
- bacon – everything is always better with bacon on top!
- fresh garlic & sweet yellow onion – classic soup flavor starters that are sautéed in the leftover fat rendered from the bacon.
- celery & carrots – traditional soup vegetables that are always a must!
- butter & flour – these combine to make a roux that works as a thickening agent in this soup.
- chicken broth – either pick-up your favorite store-bought version at the local grocery store or make your own homemade chicken broth!
- almond milk – option to sub with another plant-based milk or regular dairy milk.
- fresh potatoes – any variety of potato would work, like russet potatoes, or red potatoes, but we absolutely love the flavor of Yukon gold potatoes!
- heavy cream or Nutpods unsweetened creamer – either work great, but if you are looking to lighten up your soup the creamer works great.
- kosher salt & ground black pepper – simple seasonings that are always needed when making homemade soup.
- lemon zest – just a little bit of acidity will help to lighten and brighten all those great flavors!
- garnish: fresh chives, green onions, or red pepper flakes for a little kick of heat.
How To Make Corn Chowder
The first steps to making this chowder soup are to rub olive oil over your ears of corn (after removing the husk and silks) and then grill until fully cooked and charred. Once it has cooled a bit, cut the corn kernels off the cob with a sharp knife.
Now, bring a large pot to a medium high heat and add the pieces of bacon. Cook for a few minutes until the fat renders and the bacon becomes nice and crispy. Then use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon pieces and place them on a paper towel lined plate.
Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the hot pot, keep it at a medium heat, and then add the garlic and move around until fragrant. Then add the onions, carrots, and celery to sauté for about 2-4 minutes. Next, add three tablespoons of butter to melt.
And then the flour, mix everything together to create a roux around the cooked veggies.
Slowly pour the chicken broth and milk into the soup pot, consistently whisking to keep a creamy texture. Then toss in the potatoes, corn kernels, corn cobs, and let it all simmer for 15-20 minutes.
After the pot has simmered, carefully remove the corn cobs with a pair of tongs and discard.
Now remove about a cup of the cooked potatoes and soup mixture to place in a blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender to blend to a smooth consistency.
Add this blended corn mixture back to the pot to create a nice creamy corn chowder soup!
Best Way To Serve Corn Chowder
We love to garnish a big bowl of corn chowder with bacon and freshly chopped chives and green onions. And on the side, you have to have some crusty bread, grilled bread, or just a piece of sourdough bread with plenty of butter on top!
Recipe FAQ
- Adding protein: if you are looking to add some more protein, you could easily toss in some shredded chicken to make a chicken corn chowder or some add some white beans to the mix. Adding beans would keep it a vegetarian corn chowder.
- Storage: any leftover corn chowder can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: this corn chowder with bacon can easily be stored in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Just place in the fridge to thaw overnight and then reheat on the stovetop.
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Other Corn Recipes You Might Like
Corn Chowder Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Corn Chowder – an absolutely delicious homemade corn chowder recipe that is packed with flavor and so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 5–6 cobs of grilled corn, reserve cob
- 3–4 pieces bacon, cut into chunks
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, divided
- 1/2 cup carrots, sliced and quartered
- 1/2 cup celery, sliced
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided (regular or plant-based)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (sub 1-to-1 gluten-free)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (sub any milk)
- 3–4 yukon gold potatoes, cubed
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup heavy cream OR Nutpods unflavored creamer
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (more to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- scant lemon zest
- fresh chopped chives or green onion for garnish
Instructions
- *Grill Corn (optional): Bring grill to medium-high heat. Drizzle some olive oil over corn and ensure they are fully coated. Place over direct heat and close lid. Let grill 5-7 minutes, rotating every so often as sides begin to char. Remove from grill. Let cool slightly. Cut off kernels and place in a bowl; set aside. Reserve cobs for use later.
- Cook Bacon: Bring a large Dutch Oven to medium-high heat. Add bacon chunks and let cook until fat renders and bacon is just starting to get nice and crispy. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Ensure there is at least 2 tablespoons of grease remaining in the pan and discard the rest.
- Sauté Veggies: Ensure the Dutch Oven is still at medium-high heat. Add garlic and move around pan until fragrant, approx. 1 minute. Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté for 2-4 minutes or until onion has softened. Add 3 tablespoons butter and let melt. Add flour and whisk to combine as the butter and flour create a roux and coat the veggies.
- Add Liquid: Slowly add the chicken broth 1/4 cup as a time and continuing to whisk. Repeat with milk. Add the potatoes, kernels of corn and corn cobs and simmer 15-20 minutes, uncovered.
- Blend: Remove the corn cobs and discard. Ladle out approx. 1 heaping cup of the soup (ensuring you get lots of potato and corn). Place in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Return to the pot along with the heavy cream or Nutpods unflavored creamer. Stir to combine. (Note you can blend up to about 2 cups if you want it even thicker)
- Seasoning + Taste: Add salt, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and a tiny bit of lemon zest for acidity. Taste and add additional salt, as desired.
- Serve with the cooked bacon bits, fresh chopped chives or green onions.
Notes
- *Grilling Corn: you can totally skip this step if you want. I liked the extra layer of flavor it brings to the dish, but it will still turn out if you skip it. Instead, just cut the kernels away from the uncooked cob – reserving both for later use.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup of soup
- Calories: 214
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 666.9 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.3 g
- Protein: 5.9 g
- Cholesterol: 22.8 mg
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