Whether you’re making this corn chowder when fresh corn is in abundance or in the winter with frozen corn, this chowder recipe is bound to make you reach for a second bowl. It’s warm, comforting, and hearty, making for the perfect recipe to enjoy year-round. It’s also super easy to make, as you only need one pot!
The sweet flavor of the corn pairs wonderfully with the savory, smoky flavor of the bacon. Then, combined with the thick, rich broth and hearty potatoes, this chowder will surely hit the spot. It’s an irresistible recipe that you can make with a few simple ingredients. Serve it with my homemade garlic bread recipe, artisan bread recipe, or cornbread muffins recipe to make it an even more filling meal. Want another cozy soup recipe? Try my potato soup recipe, homemade chicken noodle soup, or chicken tortilla soup recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Bacon — cooking the bacon first in the pot and using the bacon grease to make the corn chowder adds a ton of flavor.
Mirepoix — a mirepoix is composed of a mix of aromatics, such as onions, carrots, and celery. While onions, carrots, and celery seem like simple ingredients, they add a significant amount of flavor to the soup.
Corn — if you have fresh corn on the cob, adding the cob to simmer in the chowder helps intensify the corn flavor. However, you can use 3 cups of frozen corn if you do not have fresh corn. No need to thaw before adding and omit the cobs from the chowder.
Potatoes — Yukon gold potatoes are great as they are less starchy but hold shape better than starchy potatoes.
Broth — you can use homemade or store-bought chicken broth for this soup. Chicken broth adds additional flavor to the chowder.
Milk — whole milk gives the chowder a creamy texture. If you want a more decadent chowder, you can swap it for some cream or half and half.
How to Make Corn Chowder
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the bacon and cook over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels, reserving the drippings in the pot.
2. Add the butter to the pot and heat until melted.
3. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute.
4. Add the corn kernels, corn cobs (if using fresh corn), and potatoes.
5. Add the broth, milk, salt, thyme, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and discard the corn cobs.
6. Place 2 cups of the soup mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot and stir in the cooked bacon. Serve hot, garnishing each bowl with chopped chives and black pepper.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Make sure not to bring the soup to a full boil. You don’t want the milk to scorch on the bottom of the pot.
- Use a bundt pan to cut the corn off the cob by standing the cob upright in the hole of the pan and cutting it downward. The corn will fall into the pan and not all over the counter.
- Water, vegetable stock, or both, can be substituted for chicken broth. Omit the bacon and replace the drippings with 1 tablespoon of olive oil for a vegetarian-friendly chowder!
- Make sure you don’t toss the corn cobs in the trash if you’re using fresh corn. When you simmer the corn cob in the liquid, you’re essentially creating a corn broth, so your chowder is much more flavorful, and the corn flavor will really shine.
- Make this chowder spicy by adding a minced jalapeno to it.
- If you do not have fresh thyme, you can substitute it for dried thyme. Use one-third the amount of dried herbs when replacing fresh herbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make the corn chowder thicker by adding additional potatoes to the pot. When blending the chowder at the end, make sure to blend the extra potatoes to make the chowder thicker. Alternatively, you can blend more of the soup in the blender instead of adding extra potatoes.
I think the flavors of the chowder really intensify the next day, so leftovers taste amazing. Once the chowder is at room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
While you can freeze this recipe, the texture may change when you thaw it. The dairy may separate as well. I recommend enjoying this as soon as possible instead.
If you love this recipe try these out!
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!
Corn Chowder
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Paper towel
- Plate
- Blender
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 large carrot diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups corn kernels (cobs reserved if using fresh) (482g)
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced (369g)
- 3 cups chicken broth (720mL)
- 2 cups whole milk (480mL)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons chopped thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the bacon and cook over medium-high heat until crisp, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the dripping in the pot.
- Add the butter to the pot and heat until melted. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until tender, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the corn kernels, corn cobs (if using fresh corn), potatoes, broth, milk, salt, thyme, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Remove and discard the corn cobs.
- Place 2 cups of the soup mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot and stir in the cooked bacon. Serve hot, garnishing each bowl with chopped chives and black pepper.
Video
Notes
- Make sure not to bring the soup to a full boil. You don’t want the milk to scorch on the bottom of the pot.
- Use a bundt pan to cut the corn off the cob by standing the cob upright in the hole of the pan and cutting it downward. The corn will fall into the pan and not all over the counter.
- Water, vegetable stock, or both, can be substituted for chicken broth. Omit the bacon and replace the drippings with 1 tablespoon of olive oil for a vegetarian-friendly chowder!
- Make sure you don’t toss the corn cobs in the trash if you’re using fresh corn. When you simmer the corn cob in the liquid, you’re essentially creating a corn broth, so your chowder is much more flavorful, and the corn flavor will really shine.
- Make this chowder spicy by adding a minced jalapeno to it.
- If you do not have fresh thyme, you can substitute it for dried thyme. Use one-third the amount of dried herbs when replacing fresh herbs.
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