Description
Corn Chowder – an absolutely delicious homemade corn chowder recipe that is packed with flavor and so easy to make!
Ingredients
Scale
- 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