If ever there was a soup that tastes like summer, it’s my Corn Chowder. Loaded with chunks of potatoes, bacon, fresh sweet corn, and finished with green onion, this creamy chowder delivers a burst of flavor in every spoonful!
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The perfect summer soup
My family adores soup and we’ve shared many of our soup and stew recipes here on the blog, but we don’t find ourselves making soup all too often in the summer months, with the exception of Italian zucchini soup, New England clam chowder, and my creamy corn chowder.
While my corn chowder is also great in the fall (especially for Thanksgiving), the abundance of fresh sweet corn in summer makes this soup a must-make!
I like to serve this soup for lunch alongside a salad, like my Italian Tuna and White Bean Salad, but it’s also great as a side to sandwiches, and with any main course from the grill.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Corn. This amazing ingredient seems to be a religion where I live on Long Island and in the summer months I can find fresh corn on the cob at every farm stand and grocery store around. That being said, if you find yourself making this in winter, or you can’t access fresh corn, you can use frozen corn (or canned).
- Potatoes. Russet potatoes work well for their starchyness and will make a thicker soup, especially if blended, but Yukon gold potatoes are also great for chowders as they hold their shape a bit better.
- Bacon. I love the flavor bacon adds to corn chowder, but if you are vegetarian, or can’t have pork, you can definitely omit it.
- Stock. I’m using low or no-sodium chicken stock, but feel free to use vegetable stock if vegetarian. Homemade chicken stock will give even better results than boxed stock.
- Wine. For acidity, I like to use a dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc. You can omit the wine if you can’t have alcohol.
- Cream. I recommend using heavy cream (not milk or half and half) because it won’t cause the soup to break.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook the bacon until crisp, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the onions and celery in the same pot with butter until translucent.
- Add the corn and cook for 2 more minutes, then add the garlic.
- Add the flour, mix well, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken stock and whisk to combine, then add the potatoes, thyme, smoked paprika, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil.
- Simmer on low until the potatoes are tender, stirring frequently.
- Add the cream and half the reserved bacon, then bring to a low simmer and remove the pot from the heat.
- If a thicker chowder is desired, blend some of the chowder and add back to the pot. Add the green onions, taste test, and adjust salt and pepper (or sugar) as needed. Serve the sweet corn chowder in bowls topped with remaining bacon and enjoy!
Top tips
- Thickening the chowder. While chowders tend to be thicker than other brothier soups, they’re not meant to be sludgy! If you prefer your chowder to be thicker than I’ve made it here, you can certainly blend some of it using an immersion blender, or removing a few cups of the soup and blending in a stand blender, then add it back to the soup. Another great trick for thickening corn chowder is to add a few tablespoons of instant mashed potato flakes at a time until it’s thickened to your liking.
- Sweetness. If you’re using fresh summer sweet corn, it’s very likely you will not need to add any sugar. If using frozen or canned corn, you may want to add a touch of sugar, a teaspoon at a time, until your desired sweetness is reached.
- Make ahead. Like most other soups, my corn chowder will taste even better the next day.
More creamy soups
If you love rich and creamy soups, give these other recipes a try!
- Creamy tomato soup
- Broccoli cheddar soup
- Creamy sausage tortellini soup
- Creamy mushroom soup
- Baked potato soup
If you’ve enjoyed this Creamy Corn Chowder recipe, give it a 5-star rating.
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The Best Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1/3 pound (150g) bacon diced
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups corn kernels can use fresh, frozen, or canned
- 5 tablespoons (42g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
- 5 cups (1.2L) low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy cream
- 1 1/2 pound (680g) yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- sugar see notes below
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Instructions
- Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven to medium-low and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until crisp (about 7-10 minutes) then remove the pieces to a plate while reserving the fat in the pot.
- Add the onions and celery to the pot along with the butter and cook until soft and translucent (about 10 minutes). Add the corn and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the flour to the pot. Mix well and cook for about 2 minutes or until all of the white spots disappear. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute while whisking. Add the chicken stock and whisk to combine.
- Add the potatoes, thyme, smoked paprika, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Make sure to stir frequently to avoid sticking.
- Add the cream and half of the reserved bacon to the pot as well. Bring to a low simmer then remove the pot from the heat. For a thicker chowder, remove 3 cups of the chowder and blend, then add it back to the pot.
- Stir in the green onions and taste the soup, adjusting salt and pepper to taste.
- Let the soup sit off the heat for 5 minutes then add to bowls. Top each bowl with the remaining bacon pieces. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chowders. Chowders are not meant to be thick soups! But, if you want to be thicker, simply add a few teaspoons of instant mashed potatoes at a time to thicken to your liking.
- Sugar. If you use corn at peek ripeness you will not need to add sugar, but you might need to with some fresh corn, canned, or frozen. Taste test before serving and adjust sugar, a teaspoon or less at a time, until desired sweetness is achieved.
- Leftovers. Corn chowder can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe is amazing. We are at peak sweet corn season, here in Wisconsin. We bought some this morning at the farmer’s market, and came home and made this recipe, it was amazing
So glad you enjoyed, Matt!
Hi
I have just discovered your delicious recipes and may not need to look at another cookbook ever again! However would it be possible to have a link to change quantities to metric for UK users.
Thanks
Viv
Hi Viv, we are in the process of updating each recipe to convert to metric, but in the meantime, many of the recipes have metric in parantheses. For example, this corn chowder recipe does have the metric amounts in parantheses after the US customary amount: ie. 1/3 pound (150g) bacon, diced.
This was delicious! Coming from New England and now living in Norway where they have never heard of chowder, let alone corn chowder….. it was a great success. I look forward to many new recipes and experiences along with your other followers.
We’re so glad you enjoyed, Lori!
Take it up a notch—after frying the bacon but before you saute the veggies, cook peeled deveined shrimp in the fat. About 2 to 3 minutes depending on size. (C’s not O’s). Remove and set aside. Follow recipe from there on out and add shrimp before serving.
Shrimp are great here – in fact, if you watch the video for this recipe, you’ll see Jim added curried shrimp to the soup at the end.
Hi Jim and family-
My husband and I really enjoyed the richness and flavor of this corn chowder recipe. Veganized it and excluded the bacon. Substituted EVOO instead of butter, vegan chicken stock and vegan heavy cream. Didn’t do tempeh in place of bacon—may do that next time I make this. Watched video and then followed this recipe. Jim’s cooking techniques and tips are so helpful. Did a preorder on the new recipe book. Can’t wait.
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Terry, and thank you for sharing the adjustments you made to veganize it! Thanks so much for preordering our book!
Great recipe – easy to make and popular with everybody! Just a tip: consider adding a chopped poblano pepper (seeds and veins removed) or two at the same time as the corn and let it simmer. Not a spicy pepper but adds a nice additional flavor that enhances the corn and bacon!
Love your website – thanks!
So glad you enjoyed, Lee!
This was great corn chowder. One observation, however. In the video, you said to use 8-10 ears of corn. That was wayyyyy too much, so I had to almost double the chicken broth to add the potatoes.
Hi Lori, please refer to the written recipe here on the website for 4 cups of corn kernels as it really depends on the size of the corn used. Jim does say to use 4 cups in the video.
This was incredible! I highly recommend this recipe…I wasn’t sure if I would like it but I’ve loved everything else I’ve made using their recipes and it did not disappoint! Incredible flavor! I made some sweet cornbread to go with it!
So glad you enjoyed, Ami!
My husband L O V E D this and asked me to make it again the next week. Not a big deal right? Well this man is rarely excited about soup. This time he is. Thanks Jim!
We’re so happy you and your husband enjoyed the soup, VC!
This is the best corn chowder that I have ever tasted! Thanks for sharing.
We’re so happy to hear that, Robin!
This is simply superb! I had corn that I had frozen from on sale corn on the cob so I decided to make this chowder. All of Jim’s recipes are wonderful but this one deserves a 10!
We’re so happy to hear that, Nancy!