Creamy Corn Chowder
This warm, comforting chowder features sweet cob corn, tender potatoes, and roasted red peppers in an herby, velvety broth. It’s everything you crave in a chowder, and it’s ready in minutes.
This is the best corn chowder you will ever eat!
And it’s great all year long; I mean, why wait until summer when frozen cob corn is available all year long? Plus, chowder is the ultimate comfort food, making it ideal for chilly evenings.
My corn chowder is light and satisfying at the same time. In this recipe, we puree half of the corn with milk to create a corn “cream”. Not only does this technique create a healthy alternative to heavy cream, it adds more corn flavor to every spoonful.
I encourage you to use cob corn for this chowder. Using fresh or frozen cob corn really makes a difference here. The flavor is so much fresher! And, you can make the soup year-round!
What should you serve with your corn chowder?
This chowder is super satisfying, so you need little else. I suggest adding some warm bread on the side. If you want to stretch the meal further, add a mixed green salad on the side.
Creamy Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup chopped onion, any color
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 pound small gold or red potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 cups fresh or frozen/thawed corn kernels, cut from 6 to 7 ears, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers, from water-packed jar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped green onions or fresh parsley for serving, optional
Instructions
- Melt the butter in large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the broth, potatoes, 2 cups of the corn, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, puree the remaining 2 cups of corn with the milk.
- Add the puree to the pot with the roasted red peppers and bring return to a simmer. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the soup thickens slightly.
- Remove the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top with green onions and/or parsley (if using), and serve.