Corn Chowder

Soup with potatoes and corn in a white bowl.

Rich, creamy and comforting, homemade corn chowder is a family favorite! This easy-to-make soup is packed with smoky bacon, tender potatoes, and sweet corn, all simmered in a creamy, flavorful broth. This recipe can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned corn, so it's great for any season!

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 380

Author Kim

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
4 slices bacon chopped into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces*
3/4 cup chopped yellow or white onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups low sodium organic vegetable or chicken broth
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes diced into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
3 cups corn kernels thawed if using frozen (or drained from a can works)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 cup heavy cream
Optional garnish: finely diced chives, bacon bits and shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, bell pepper and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add salt, pepper and broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then stir in potatoes, corn and thyme. Lower heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir in cream. Serve with a garnish of chives, bacon bits and cheese, if desired. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

Notes

*If you prefer the bacon to be crispy, cook it first before adding in the veggies, until crisp. Don't drain the bacon grease. Use it in the recipe (along with the butter) for flavor. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain until chowder is done. Once chowder is cooked, crumble bacon over the top, so it stays crispy.

**Slow cooker corn chowder: Cook bacon in skillet. Then, add all ingredients (except heavy cream) to a 6 quart (or larger) slow cooker. Stir ingredients well, cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. Stir in heavy cream, cover and cook another 10 minutes to heat through.

Storing leftovers. Let the corn chowder cool completely and place it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to about 4 days. Simply rewarm in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
Freezing. Soups that contain milk or cream, like chowders and bisques, don’t usually hold up well in the freezer — they tend to take on a grainy texture and separate when defrosted and rewarmed. While non-dairy milks like coconut milk hold up a little better, soups that are frozen with it still won’t be the same when defrosted either.
Follow this tip. Hold back any dairy or non-dairy milk or cream if freezing a soup that calls for it. Then simply add it in when you’ve reheated the soup.

Nutrition