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    Easy Corn Chowder Recipe

    Published August 14, 2020. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Learn how to make a delicious Corn Chowder Recipe for your next meal that comes together in under an hour.  Serve it up with crispy bacon and green onions.

    Corn Chowder is a tasty soup that should be made and eaten during the summer which is the peak season for fresh corn.  You can definitely buy frozen corn kernels and make this soup but you’ll be missing out on the sweetness and ripeness that only fresh corn off the cob can deliver.

    bowl of summer corn chowder with bacon


     

    Now I don’t want to complain about the summer weather cause I’ll take it all day every day, but man I wish corn was in season in the winter so I could make this soup to heat me up.  The problem is though, it’s summer and corn is fresh now so why not do as much with it as possible, which includes soup on a hot day.  After you taste this you will forget all about the 90° heat it’s that good.  Simple ingredients and bold flavors’ is what I’m about and this soup speaks perfectly to that!

    Corn Chowder

    Corn chowder is a tasty thick soup that uses stock and cream as the base and is simmered with other vegetables such as potatoes, celery, and onions, to make it a rich stew.  Traditionally chowders include things like fish, clams, and seafood, however, we are taking those same methods and applying it to fresh corn off the cob.

    CHEF NOTE: If you are a chowder freak, then my New England Clam Chowder recipe is a must-make!

    Selecting Fresh Corn

    When selecting fresh corn on the cob, it’s important to remember a few notes before picking and buying it.

    1. The outer husk should be firm
    2. The top part of the husk where all the silk is ( that’s the long stringy stuff) should be a little moist
    3. There should be no blemishes on the outside

    To also ensure the corn is ripe and in season shuck the very top part of the corn by pulling it apart exposing the top of the corn cob.  If the corn kernels are bright yellow, firm, intact and full on the cob then you are good to go.

    How to Make Corn Chowder

    1. Add some corn in the husk onto a sheet tray and back in the oven at 425° for about 25 minutes
    adding corn un husked on a tray to an oven
    1. In the meantime, render the bacon fat in a large pot until crispy brown.  Set the lardons aside once cooked.cooking bacon in a pot until crispy
    2. Add the onions, celery, peppers, and garlic to the rendered bacon fat and cook until browned over medium heat, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
    sauteing onions and peppers in a pot
    1. Deglaze with the cream sherry and cook it until it has been absorbed and only a small amount remains. The technical term for this is au sec, which means almost gone.
    deglazing a pot with cream sherry
    1. Now, remove the corn from the oven and cool slightly before shucking and trim the kernels off of the cob and add them to the pot with sautéed vegetables along with the potatoes
    slicing cooked corn off of the cob
    1. Pour in the stock, turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.
    adding stock to a large pot
    1. While the soup is coming to a boil, we need to thicken it and you can make a blond roux by cooking equal parts weight flour and butter in a sauté pan over low heat until combined. A roux is a thickening agent used in cooking and commonly used in chowders.  It provides thickness and body to the soup.  The easier way though is to make a slurry using equal parts corn starch and cold water mixed together.
    making a slurry in a bowl with cornstarch and water
    1. Whisk the slurry or roux into the soup until it becomes very thick, as a chowder should be, and cook it for a few more minutes over medium-low heat.  The technical term is called nappe which means the soup can coat the bacon of a spoon.
    adding a slurry to a pot of corn chowder
    1. Whisk in ½ and 1/2 and back in the crispy bacon lardons along with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and tabasco sauce.
    adding seasonings and milk to soup

    Can You Make It in a Slow Cooker

    You can definitely make corn chowder in a slow cooker and you would do it just about the same way, except for a few nuances.  I’ll post them below the recipe in the notes for you.

    Variations

    To change up this corn chowder you can absolutely add in cooked chicken to make a chicken corn chowder or crab meat to make a delicious crab corn chowder recipe.  A few other options include:

    • Ham and Potato
    • Sausage
    • Poblano
    • Lobster
    • Sweet Potato

    For any of these variations, this soup recipe stays the same and you will simply add in the extra cooked ingredient to modify the chowder to your likings such as cooked ham, sausage, lobster, crab or chicken.  For vegetables, add them in when adding in the corn like poblano or sweet potato.

    Making Corn Chowder Thick

    In this corn chowder recipe I made it very classically using a blond roux, however, if you want to back away from the flour here are a few other ways to make your corn chowder thick.

    1. Using an immersion blender, blend some of the ingredients together before adding in any thickening agent to naturally make the soup thick.
    2. Use arrowroot or corn starch and water to help thicken.
    3. Cook and mash the potatoes before whisking into the chowder before the roux is added as well.

    How to Serve it

    I like to add a few garnishes on top of the corn chowder to help add some flavor such as the cooked bacon lardons and sliced green onions.  You could also add some sauteed corn on top as well.  Here are a few things that would go well with the chowder.

    corn chowder served with sliced bread

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    How to Reheat: If you plan on eating this soup for a few days you are going to need to reheat it.  To do this add the desired amount of soup you plan to eat to a small size saucepot over low heat until it reaches 165°.  The soup may need to be re-seasoned with salt and pepper as well as re thickened.

    If the soup does need to be re-thickened, add a small amount of slurry to it once it reaches 165°.  A slurry is equal parts volume corn starch mixed with water until combined.

    How to Store: This corn chowder can be stored covered in a plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  In addition, it can be frozen covered in a plastic container for up to 2 months.  After thawing it can be reheated as described above.

    More Soup Recipes

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    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Video

    Easy Corn Chowder Recipe

    5 from 15 votes
    Learn how to make an Easy Corn Chowder Recipe for your next meal. Serve it up with crispy bacon, green onions, and fresh basil.
    Servings: 10
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour

    Ingredients 

    • 8 unshucked ears of corn
    • 10 slices of chopped bacon
    • 1 peeled and small diced sweet onion
    • 4 small diced stalks of celery
    • 1 seeded and small diced red bell pepper
    • 3 finely minced cloves of garlic
    • 1/3 cup of cream sherry
    • 10 each large diced red potatoes
    • 80 ounces chicken stock
    • 1/4 cup cornstarch
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
    • sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
    • Tabasco to taste
    • Lea & Perrins to taste
    • fresh sliced green for garnish

    Instructions

    • Add the corn in the husk onto a sheet tray and back in the oven at 425° for about 25 minutes.
    • In a large hot pot on high heat, render the bacon fat and cook the bacon until it becomes crispy. Once it is cooked, remove the bacon from the pan, turn down the heat to medium, and add in the onions, celery, peppers, and garlic and sweat over low heat for 10-15 minutes
    • Deglaze with the cream sherry and cook until it becomes absorbed, and only a small amount remains. The technical term for this is au sec, which means almost gone.
    • Now, remove the corn from the oven and cool slightly before shucking and trim the kernels off of the cob and add them to the pot with sautéed vegetables along with the potatoes.
    • Pour in the stock, turn the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil.
    • In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and water and then whisk the slurry or roux into the soup until it becomes very thick, as a chowder should be, and cook it for a few more minutes over medium-low heat.  The technical term is called nappe, which means the soup can coat the bacon of a spoon.
    • Whisk in ½ and 1/2 and add back in the crispy bacon lardons along with salt, pepper,Worcestershire sauce, and tabasco sauce.
    • Adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Lea & Perrins, and garnish with green onions and crispy bacon lardons.

    Notes

    Chef Notes:
    • To also ensure the corn is ripe and in season shuck the very top part of the corn by pulling it apart exposing the top of the corn cob.  If the corn kernels are bright yellow, firm, in tact and full on the cob then you are good to go.
     
    • A roux is a thickening agent used in cooking and commonly used in chowders.  It provides thickness and body to the soup.
     
    • How to Store: This corn chowder can be stored covered in a plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  In addition it can be frozen covered in a plastic container for up to 2 months.  After thawing it can be reheated as described above.
    Slow Cooker Instructions:
    1. Complete steps 1 through 4 in a slow cooker using the saute function.
    2. Next, cook the corn chowder, along with the potatoes on high heat in the slow cooker for 2 hours or until the potatoes are tender.
    3. Instead of using a roux to thicken the soup, use a slurry which is equal parts volume of corn starch and water a mixed together and then whisk it into the soup and cook until it becomes thick stirring every few minutes.
    4. Once it is thick simply set the slow cooker to warm and serve with garnishes of sliced green onions and crisp cooked bacon lardons.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 336kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 13gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 518mgPotassium: 659mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 765IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 1mg
    Course: dinner, lunch
    Cuisine: American