Creamy Corn Chowder (Printable version)
Velvety soup with sweet corn, potatoes, and savory notes, ideal for warming chilly nights.
# Ingredient list:
→ Vegetables
01 - 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
02 - 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Meats (optional)
07 - 4 slices bacon, diced
→ Dairy
08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 2 cups whole milk
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
→ Broth & Seasonings
11 - 3 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - Salt to taste
16 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Garnish
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley
# Directions:
01 - In a large pot over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain excess fat, leaving 1 tablespoon in the pot. For vegetarian version, omit bacon and add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
02 - Add butter to the pot if bacon was omitted. Sauté finely chopped onion, celery, carrot, and minced garlic for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
03 - Stir in diced potatoes, corn kernels, bay leaf, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Pour in broth and bring mixture to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
05 - Remove and discard bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, puree approximately half of the soup directly in the pot to create a creamy texture while retaining some chunks. Alternatively, blend half the batch in a blender and return it to the pot.
06 - Stir in whole milk and heavy cream, then simmer gently for 5 minutes to warm through. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
07 - Ladle chowder into serving bowls. Top each with reserved crispy bacon if used, and sprinkle with freshly chopped chives or parsley.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in under an hour, which somehow feels impossible for something this creamy and rich.
- The bacon is optional but absolutely optional in the way a really good secret is—you can skip it, but you'll be wondering what you're missing.
- Half the soup gets blended while the other half stays chunky, giving you that perfect texture that feels both elegant and deeply satisfying.
02 -
- Blending only half the soup is not optional—it's the difference between a chunky broth and a genuine chowder with body and texture.
- Never let the cream and milk boil hard once they're added, or they can separate and look grainy instead of velvety.
- Tasting and adjusting seasoning at the very end matters more here than in most recipes because the flavors are delicate and can shift as things cook down.
03 -
- Make this the day before and reheat it gently—the flavors deepen overnight and the soup tastes even better the second day, though you may need to add a splash of broth or milk when reheating since it thickens slightly as it sits.
- If your soup breaks or separates after adding the cream, resist the urge to panic; turn off the heat and whisk in a tablespoon of cold milk, which usually brings it back together smoothly.