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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Realizing that tastes and preferences are subjective, I feel bad only giving 4 stars, but for my family, and me, 1 tsp. of dried thyme overwhelmed the this chowder. The thyme took over the entire dish and made it less enjoyable for us. I will make this again but will start with either no, or perhaps ¼ tsp., thyme and go from there. SipAndFeast is still my go-to for recipes I can trust, so thank you.
We appreciate the comment Ro. Yes, definitely cut back or eliminate the dried thyme if it’s too much.
We love your recipes. Always delicious and never disappoint.
Thanks
So happy to hear that, Lisa!
Additional thought is to add some cooked shrimp as a different take on the recipe. I look forward to giving this a try as I love a good chowder.
Jim, thanks for this great recipe. I love the shrimp and corn chowder that Whole Foods sells, and they add chopped poblano peppers and also use tiny shrimp. If I add shrimp to your core chowder recipe, would you recommend searing the shrimp (lightly) first to get more flavor?
Hi Lonnie, you can sear the shrimp if you’d like, but it’s really not necessary.
What can I use instead of bacon
You can omit the bacon and use a neutral oil, such as avocado oil, to replace the fat.
Awesome chowder! I added a pinch of Ancho chili powder, a diced Poblano and carrot. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed, Richard!
corn chowder was delicious thank you
So happy you liked it, Marlene!
I love this chowder 😋❤️
So happy you enjoyed, Ricardo!
🆒if using fresh corn should it be boiled/microwaved before cutting from cob ?
Right off the cob. It will cook in the soup.
Thank you
Looks great! I will be trying this soup. Will probably add some chicken too!!
So glad to see your cookbook. I will be placing my order! 😄
We hope you love the soup, Marie, and thanks for ordering the cookbook!
Delicious recipes! Just tried making the corn chowder. What a hit!!
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, John!
Love this recipe. But do have the recipe in metric system? Making this recipe for my in In-laws in Poland 🇵🇱. That part of the brain 🧠 cannot convert own my own 🤪.
Hi Jennifer, all the metric measurements are there in the recipe card.