Creamy Sweet Corn Chowder Recipe - Great Way to Use Fresh or Frozen Corn!

Published: Aug 5, 2022 · Modified: Jun 20, 2023 by Faith · This post may contain affiliate links · 30 Comments

This creamy Corn Chowder recipe highlights the flavor of sweet corn paired with savory vegetables. It’s satisfying without being heavy, and is perfect year-round. You can use corn on the cob in summer, or frozen or canned corn when corn isn’t in season. This soup is naturally gluten free and vegetarian!

I’ve always been an all-year soup eater.

I mean, we don’t stop eating hot foods in the summer in general, right? So I don’t see any reason to not eat soup, lol!

Especially soups that are loaded with seasonal vegetables.

Corn is the star of the show here, but we include a good variety of fresh seasonal vegetables. Of course, you can make this year-round; you don’t need to use corn on the cob! Canned or frozen corn both work well, and you can still roast the kernels if you want.

Also, if you want to bump up the protein, this soup lends itself well to that. Chopped rotisserie chicken or a can of beans are both easy and delicious options, and I give more ideas later in this post.

This makes a delicious light lunch, or for dinner serve it with some crusty bread or a grilled cheese sandwich!

In This Article

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It highlights summer produce…in soup! It’s satisfying thanks to a variety of vegetables, but it’s not heavy and won’t weigh you down.
Roasting the corn brings out the natural sweetness and a slight nuttiness.
This recipe is naturally gluten free and easy to keep vegetarian (just use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth).
It freezes beautifully! You can portion this chowder into single servings in freezer-safe containers and freeze it for up to 6 months. It’s the perfect meal when you have no time to cook!

The Best Summer Corn Chowder

Ingredients

Unsalted butter
Onion
Celery
Jalapeno
Garlic
Chicken or vegetable broth
Potatoes
Red bell pepper
Salt
Black pepper
Smoked paprika
Heavy whipping cream
Fresh chives

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450F. Shuck the corn and place it on a large baking tray with the water. Roast until it starts to lightly char in spots, about 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the corn cobs once halfway through.
Cool to room temperature, and then cut the corn off the cobs. Because we’re making soup, after the corn is cut off the cob, carefully scrape the back of your knife along the cob to extract the corn juice (this is called “milking” the corn – strange, right?!).
Add the butter to a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the jalapeno and garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
Add the broth, potato, bell pepper, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Give it a stir, and then bring to a boil. Cover the pot, turn the heat down so it doesn’t boil over, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the corn (and any corn juices you extracted), and cook until the corn is warm, about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and chives. Serve with any garnishes you like.

Storage

Store this soup covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. To avoid the cream curdling, don’t let it come to a boil when reheating.

Corn Chowder FAQs

How Do You Thicken Corn Chowder?

There are quite a few different ways that you can thicken this chowder!

To Thicken it Without Adding Anything:

Use a potato masher to mash 1 or 2 cups of the soup. Alternatively, you can puree 1 or 2 cups of soup in a blender or food processor. The potato will help naturally thicken the soup.

To Thicken it But Keep it Gluten Free:

Whisk together 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 4 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl to make a cornstarch slurry. Add this at the same time that you add the corn.

To Thicken it With Flour:

If you prefer to thicken it with flour, whisk together 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 6 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl to make a flour slurry. Add it to the chowder along with the corn.

Do I Have to Roast the Corn for This Soup?

No! You don’t have to roast the corn for this soup, I just love the slight char and sweet, nutty flavor it lends. Alternatively, you could grill the corn if you like.

Or to simplify, you can cut the corn off the cob and add it to the soup at the same time that you add the potato.

How Can I Add Protein?

There are a lot of options if you want to bump up the protein in this soup:

Start with beef bacon (or use any type of bacon you like). I find that about ¼ pound is a good amount. Just cook the bacon until crispy in the same pot before everything else.
Add chopped cooked chicken along with the corn (rotisserie chicken works great).
Go with Italian turkey sausage. Start by browning the sausage along with the onion, and keep the rest of the recipe the same.
Chopped turkey or beef kielbasa is also delicious! You can add it at the same time as the onion and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Add a can of rinsed and drained white beans. This is a great vegetarian option to bump up the protein!

overhead spread of mugs of corn chowder with toppings

What Should I Serve with Chowder?

The sky is the limit! Here are a few ideas:

More All-Season Soup Recipes to Make

Let's Connect

Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.

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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on May 16, 2010 as part of my Mother's Day Menu that I made for my mom that year. I updated this post with more information on August 5, 2022.

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