A Deliciously Tasty Corn Chowder Soup Recipe
Are you ready to kick off soup season with some “chowdah“? Corn chowder to be exact. This delicious soup has everything we look for in our favorite food. It’s comforting, filling, inexpensive, and easy to make.
Corn chowder has its origins in the United States, specifically the Boston Cooking School when headmistress Mary Lincoln published a recipe for it in the schools 1884 cookbook. It was made simply with fresh corn, milk, onions, celery, and potatoes.
Not until Lincoln’s successor, one Fannie Farmer added pork, crackers, and the newly invented canned corn around 1900, that corn chowder became popular nationwide.
Today, the creamy soup is served in many restaurants as an alternative to seafood chowders, and just about every major soup company mass produces it. While there’s something to be said for a quickie canned version, we soup connoisseurs know there’s nothing like a big pot of homemade goodness. Corn chowder is no exception.
Our recipe for this hearty treat is super tasty, easy to make, and can be tweaked depending on dietary needs and personal preferences.
A Deliciously Tasty Corn Chowder Soup Recipe
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 35 minutes
- Servings: 4-5
Ingredients
- 4 cups of kernel corn (about 6 ears)
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1-1/3 cups of heavy cream
- 1 pound of bacon, diced
- 9 stalks of celery with the leaves on, diced
- 5 tablespoons of butter
- 2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
- 4 medium russet potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 scallions
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon of dried dill
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh chives for garnish
- sour cream optional topping
Instructions
1. Add diced bacon to a large stock pot and sauté over a medium heat until it’s crispy.
2. Add the butter, with scallions and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and dill. Mix well with a slotted spoon, and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the bacon, celery, and peppers. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for another 20 minutes, (more if you want your veggies really soft). Stir occasionally.
5. Take the bay leaf out with a slotted spoon.
6. Ladle into bowls and serve with chives and sour cream.
Notes
- Frozen corn can be used if fresh is not in season
- If you prefer an extra creamy soup, you can add in some extra heavy cream (no more than a 1/3 of a cup).
- Feel free to substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth
- This chowder is even better the next day. So be sure to save some.
Nutritional Information
- calories: 765
- carbohydrates: 44 grams
- protein: 20 grams
- fat: 59 grams
- cholesterol: 130 milligrams
- sodium: 859 milligrams
- potassium: 1057 milligrams
- fiber: 5 grams
- sugar: 10 grams
- vitamin C: 61 milligrams
- calcium: 79
- iron: 2 milligrams
Where Exactly Did Chowder Come From?
It is believed that the word chowder comes from the French word “chaudron”, meaning cauldron. Chowders were first prepared aboard ships by French and English fishermen.
They used whatever leftover catches along with onions, potatoes, and milk, to easily prepare large batches of the soup to feed the hungry sailors. The dish was introduced to New England port cities over 250 years ago.
Can You Use Canned Corn For The Corn Chowder Recipe?
You absolutely can use canned corn in your corn chowder soup recipe. Try to get low, or no salt added (as there’s enough sodium in the recipe already). Be sure to drain all liquid and rinse the kernels before adding them to the soup.
How Should You Store Your Corn Chowder Soup Recipe?
Your corn chowder will stay fresh in the fridge for 4 days. Make sure to put it in an airtight container or bag. We don’t recommend freezing this chowder.
The potatoes can break down over time and when reheated can give the soup a gritty and unpleasant texture. You can remove the potatoes before freezing if you like.
What Can You Use Thicken My Corn Chowder Soup Recipe?
This corn chowder recipe is not particularly thick. If you prefer your chowders (or any soup for that matter), a bit thicker there are several ingredients you can choose from. You can make a slurry or roux with simple cornstarch or flour. Rice flour may also be used for those trying to avoid white flour.
You may also try adding extra potatoes or potato flakes. The sailors would add some stale bread or crackers to the mix, which added thickness and flavor. Whatever you decide to add, do it towards the beginning, so it has time to break down and not clump.
What Other Dishes Pair Well with Corn Chowder Soup?
Corn chowder is tasty and filling enough to be a great lunch, snack, or part of a multi course meal. But suppose you just want a lighter dinner and need a little something to compliment you soup, Just a little munch to go with your slurp. No worries, we’ve got a list of classics, and the more exotic.
1. Grilled Cheese
There’s not much that grilled cheese doesn’t go with, and corn chowder is no exception. Cheese and corn actually combine to pep up your palate. Plus, a grilled cheese is just delicious.
2. BLT
The tang of the tomato, sweetness of the corn, and saltiness of the bacon team up to give a tasty flavor and texture contrast of the crunchy sandwich and smooth soup.
3. Dinner Rolls
The simple but iconic dinner roll. Butter them up, or dip them.
4. Grilled Salmon
If you want something a bit more substantial, or you want to impress a guest, throw a nice piece of salmon on the grill with a little olive oil and seasoning. You can serve it on the side with a veggie, or add it right to the soup.
5. Jalapeño Poppers
The brilliance of serving these hot poppers with your soup is, if they’re too hot for you, the cream in the soup will instantly sooth a burning mouth.
6. Quiché
Personally, I feel like Quiché doesn’t get enough credit as a side, especially with soup. It’s so much more than a tasty breakfast food. It’s hearty and filling, yet you can use pretty much whatever you like. Choose your cheese and veggies, make it low calorie, low sodium. Quiché is extremely versatile and a great addition to any table.
7. Apple Crisp And Ice Cream
No dinner would be complete without a treat afterward. An apple crisp with some vanilla ice cream is the perfect end to a chowder night.
