Hearty Corn Chowder Recipe From Scratch (2024)

This is the best way to make corn chowder from scratch with fresh sweet corn and no roux! It’s a simple chunky creamy recipe with less fat and it’s gluten-free too.

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How To Make This Corn Chowder Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need

Full measurements and instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card.

Unsalted butter:

I almost always start my soup recipes with olive oil or another oil, but in the case of chowder, it make a difference to use butter for the saute step. A couple tablespoons is all you need.

Garlic:

A relatively big dose of freshly chopped garlic adds flavor to this recipe. I like to use freshly chopped garlic. I do not care for the tase of purchased jarred garlic, and when you chop it yourself you know it is preservative and additive free!

Sweet onion:

Like my recipe for Ratatouille I shared earlier this month, I used sweet onion to amplify the natural sweetness of this chowder. It caramelizes more easily and increases the depth of flavor.Read how to dice onion here.

Seasonings:

• Instead of using bacon in the base of the recipe, and adding extra saturated fat, I used smoked paprika to give the chowder the classic smoky creamy flavor, without any fat or added calories! You can find it in the spice section of large supermarkets.
• Thyme adds a nice woodsy note to the vegetables in this recipe. You can sub in fresh if you happen to have it on hand. Just use 2 teaspoons instead!
• I use regular table salt and ground pepper in this recipe. If you use kosher salt, make sure to read this first.

White wine:

To deglaze I add in white wine. This acts to balance the flavors too by adding an acidic element. Since this soup is so sweet (from the corn and onion) the tartness from the wine helps to keep the balance of tastes. Additionally adding a little bit of alcohol can help your taste buds perceive the flavors better. If you’ve tried my Minestrone Soup Recipe, you’ll know that the small amount of wine really does make a difference.

Chicken broth or vegetable broth:

I have been enjoying having homemade chicken stock on hand so I like that best with this recipe, but if you have store bought broth, look for a high quality chicken broth. To make this vegetarian I recommend either homemade vegetable stock or Imagine No Chicken Broth. Note that the added salt in this recipe is aligned with salted broth, so if you are using homemade unsalted stock, you’ll need to add additional salt to balance the recipe.

Celery:

I usually use carrots, onions and celery (mirepoix) in my soup recipes, but today I wanted to make sure that the chowder didn’t have flecks of orange carrot in it, so I only used celery. I chopped it fine so that it would soften well.

Potatoes:

For this recipe I used Yukon Gold potatoes. White potatoes or red potatoes would also work. These are all varieties of waxy thin-skinned potatoes wich will hold their shape when they are soft. Conversely, floury potatoes (like a Russet) fall apart when they are boiled.

Fresh corn on the cob:

To make the most of summer fresh corn, I used eight ears of shucked sweet corn. I have a tip below on how to cut the kernels from the cob easily! If you are subbing in frozen corn, use four and a half cups.

If you have slightly more or less it isn’t a big deal. If you have a lot of extra you can add them to salsa or guacamole or pasta with corn and smoked mozzarella.

Heavy cream:

Because this soup is lower in fat, I was able to use heavy cream and still keep the amount of saturated fat to 5 grams per cup! It make a difference in the creaminess of the final product. If you’re looking to shave off a few additional calories, you can use half and half instead which is what I use in my Seafood Chowder, and the results are still really lovely.

Chopped scallion and bacon for garnish:

If you’re missing the bacon, never fear! Just cook some up and crumble it on top. You’ll still get your bacon fix for far less calories and saturated fat, than by using bacon grease in the recipe. The scallions add a fresh element at the end and look so pretty!

If you are vegetarian you can sub in my favorite Vegan Shiitake Bacon instead or try one of the other toppings I mention below.

Step By Step Instructions

If you read my post about Soupe Au Pistou, then you know all about how passionate I am about cooking soup. This corn chowder method is no different. When I developed this recipe I had three goals in mind:

1. I wanted the technique to be as easy as it possibly could be.
2. I wanted to make use of fresh corn.
3. I wanted to keep this creamy chowder on the healthier side.

Here is the technique I came up with!

Step 1: Cook The Onion and Garlic in Butter

To start, soften the onion and garlic in the melted butter. Look for a bit of browning which means the sugars in the onion have started to caramelize. This will give the chowder depth of flavor.

Step 2: Bloom the Spices

Adding the spices to the onion and butter mixture will allow the spices to bloom. Since they are dried, it’s helpful to extract more flavor from them by cooking them with fat first. The fat helps to carry the flavors.

To get any fond off the bottom of the soup pot add in the wine. This will immediately drop the temperature of the cooking surface and prevent the onions or spices from browning too much. Cook off extra wine to intensify flavor and evaporate most of the alcohol.

Step 3: Add Broth and Veggies

Now that you’re done with the browning and blooming and deglazing the business of soup making really happens. This is where you add in the liquid and all the veggies. The potatoes, corn and celery go in with the broth.

• Once you bring the soup up to a simmer, it’ll take about 20 minutes to soften the potatoes.
• To test if they are soft, simply poke one with a fork. If the have any resistance, keep cooking the soup for a little bit longer.
• If you can mash a cube of potato against the side of the pot, you’re good to move on to the next step.

Step 4: Getting the Perfect Creamy and Chunky Texture

Unlike a corn chowder that is thickened with roux, this corn chowder is thickened by partially pureeing it. The potatoes thicken the chowder naturally. To get the optimal chunky and creamy texture you’ll have to separate out some of the chowder and then stir it back into the pureed soup.

• Once the potatoes are soft, remove the chowder to a trivet on the work surface.
• Ladle out three cups of the soup. Make sure to get a blend of liquid and solids. Set that aside.
• The remaining soup in the pot will be pureed. If you have an immersion blender I highly recommend it for pureeing hot soups. It is less messy and safer. If not, you may have to puree the soup in batches.
• Blend until smooth and then combine the chunky reserved soup with the pureed soup.

Step 5: Add the Heavy Cream To The Chowder

Stir the reserved three cups of chunky soup and the cream back into the pureed chowder and stir until it is combined.

Then you can add on your favorite toppings. I recommend bacon and scallions and maybe some black pepper and corn kernels too!

What To Serve With Corn Chowder

• Serve it with homemade Whole-wheat bread or savory muffins like these Parmesan and Leek Muffins.
• Serve small bowls of this chowder for a first course, and follow it up with Tomato and Anchovy Salad and Grilled Sirloin with Chimichurri for the main course.
• For a late summer party make a batch of Gazpacho and serve it as a “Soup Bar” with assorted toppings, breads and muffins.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

Leftovers or Make Ahead

This recipe is a great make ahead recipe for meal prep. It can be refrigerated up to four days in advance. Rewarm gently on the stovetop or microwave until steaming hot.

How To Freeze

1. Decant and Cool: This Corn Chowder freezes beautifully. Measure it into 2 cup or 4 cup resealable containers (leave headspace.)
2. Let it Cool: It is important to let the chowder cool completely. (Note: do not seal hot soup as it will cause unwanted microbial action and possibly spoil your soup!)
3. Cover: Seal shut.
4. Label: Label and date the containers. If you have a chest freezer the labels should go on the top, for a stand up freezer, the side is easier.
5. Freeze: Set containers in the freezer in a place that it is can stand upright. I sometimes find a sheet tray helpful for this.
6. Thaw: To thaw the soup, you can do so overnight in the refrigerator. Or if you are short on time the microwave works well. I do not recommend reheating this from frozen on the stovetop because the cream may break.
7. Reheat:To reheat warm it until it is steaming hot in a saucepan or in the microwave. Avoid boiling on the stovetop as it can scorch or break easily.

FAQs and Expert Tips For This Recipe

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Try These Other Recipes Next

• My Lentil Soup is the newest soup recipe here on the website and I am so excited for you to try it!
• This Zucchini soup with Greek yogurt and dill is creamy and can be served hot or cold.
• This Minestrone Soup is a fan favorite, naturally vegan and can be made gluten-free too!
• This Vegan Vegetable Soup is another popular recipe in the end of summer and fall. It can be adapted to whichever vegetables you have on hand!
• This Crockpot White Chicken Chili also has corn in it, and it is thickened with cornmeal!
• This recipe for Easy Chicken Enchiladas is another quick and delciious recipe featuring corn!
• Our Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Lime Butter is a fun way to mix up regular corn on the cob.
• This Mexican Corn Salad and this Grilled Corn and Chickpea Salad are both great side dishes for the summertime.
• Our Seafood Chowder is a New England style chowder with lower fat and calories.