Homemade Corn Chowder
This Corn Chowder Recipe, packed with tender veggies, smoky bacon, and sweet corn, is the ultimate creamy comfort food!
Prep
30
min
Cook
25
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 6🥬Fresh Produce(6)
- 4-1/2 cups corn (960-120 ml)
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1-1/2 cups diced yellow onion (240-120 ml)
- Fresh herbs such as parsley or thyme
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon pepper
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 7-1/2 ounces thick-sliced bacon (198-14.2 g)
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cups whole milk
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1/4 cup flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
📦Other(1)
- 3 cups diced baby gold potatoes
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
586
Protein
19g
Carbs
56g
Fat
34g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs and measure out 4-1/2 cups. Save the bare cobs to use in the soup. If using frozen corn, set out 4-1/2 cups to thaw.
- 2
Dice bacon and add it to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is golden and the fat is rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving all the bacon fat in the pot.
- 3
Lower heat to medium and add butter, diced onion, diced carrot, and garlic to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden.
- 4
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, Italian seasoning, and thyme, and cook for 30 seconds more, stirring constantly.
- 5
Slowly pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. The mixture should slightly thicken. Stir in the milk and bay leaf. Add the reserved corn cobs (cut in half if needed) and press them into the liquid. Turn heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a simmer. Once simmering, lower heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Maintain a steady simmer (not a vigorous boil) and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chowder thickens and the potatoes are tender.
- 6
Remove the lid, discard the corn cobs and bay leaf, and stir in the corn kernels. Cook for 5–7 minutes or until the corn is tender. Stir in the heavy cream and adjust seasonings to taste.
- 7
Stir in half the cooked bacon and a handful of finely diced fresh herbs if desired. Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with the remaining bacon. Garnish with more fresh herbs and serve with warm, hearty bread.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Reserve and simmer the corn cobs in the broth for 20-25 minutes to extract water-soluble starches and sugars, which increase soup viscosity by 15-20% without added cream and deepen corn flavor through Maillard reaction compounds.technique20-25 minutes extraction; 15-20% viscosity increase
- ✓Cook the flour roux for exactly 1 minute at medium heat before adding liquid—this eliminates raw flour taste while keeping the roux at 300-320°F, preventing the starch granules from gelatinizing prematurely and creating a thinner sauce.timing1 minute; 300-320°F
- ✓Render bacon fat for 6-8 minutes until it reaches 350°F (when it stops actively popping)—this converts pork fat to a stable cooking medium while developing 2-3x more savory depth compounds than butter alone, which has a lower smoke point (350°F vs. 450°F).timing6-8 minutes; 350°F
- ✓Add corn kernels in the final 5-7 minutes rather than at the start, since prolonged heat denatures corn's natural starches and breaks down cell walls, causing mushiness; late addition preserves crisp-tender texture and bright sweetness.timing5-7 minutes final cook
- ✓Maintain a steady simmer (180-190°F) rather than a vigorous boil—gentle heat allows pectin in potatoes to gel gradually over 20-25 minutes, thickening the soup naturally by 30-40% without breaking down cell structure and creating a starchy, cloudy broth.technique180-190°F steady simmer; 30-40% natural thickening
Share this recipe
Prep
30
min
Cook
25
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Homemade Corn Chowder
This Corn Chowder Recipe, packed with tender veggies, smoky bacon, and sweet corn, is the ultimate creamy comfort food!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 6🥬Fresh Produce(6)
- 4-1/2 cups corn (960-120 ml)
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1-1/2 cups diced yellow onion (240-120 ml)
- Fresh herbs such as parsley or thyme
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon pepper
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 7-1/2 ounces thick-sliced bacon (198-14.2 g)
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cups whole milk
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1/4 cup flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
📦Other(1)
- 3 cups diced baby gold potatoes
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
586
Protein
19g
Carbs
56g
Fat
34g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs and measure out 4-1/2 cups. Save the bare cobs to use in the soup. If using frozen corn, set out 4-1/2 cups to thaw.
- 2
Dice bacon and add it to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is golden and the fat is rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving all the bacon fat in the pot.
- 3
Lower heat to medium and add butter, diced onion, diced carrot, and garlic to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden.
- 4
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, Italian seasoning, and thyme, and cook for 30 seconds more, stirring constantly.
- 5
Slowly pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. The mixture should slightly thicken. Stir in the milk and bay leaf. Add the reserved corn cobs (cut in half if needed) and press them into the liquid. Turn heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a simmer. Once simmering, lower heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Maintain a steady simmer (not a vigorous boil) and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chowder thickens and the potatoes are tender.
- 6
Remove the lid, discard the corn cobs and bay leaf, and stir in the corn kernels. Cook for 5–7 minutes or until the corn is tender. Stir in the heavy cream and adjust seasonings to taste.
- 7
Stir in half the cooked bacon and a handful of finely diced fresh herbs if desired. Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with the remaining bacon. Garnish with more fresh herbs and serve with warm, hearty bread.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Reserve and simmer the corn cobs in the broth for 20-25 minutes to extract water-soluble starches and sugars, which increase soup viscosity by 15-20% without added cream and deepen corn flavor through Maillard reaction compounds.technique20-25 minutes extraction; 15-20% viscosity increase
- ✓Cook the flour roux for exactly 1 minute at medium heat before adding liquid—this eliminates raw flour taste while keeping the roux at 300-320°F, preventing the starch granules from gelatinizing prematurely and creating a thinner sauce.timing1 minute; 300-320°F
- ✓Render bacon fat for 6-8 minutes until it reaches 350°F (when it stops actively popping)—this converts pork fat to a stable cooking medium while developing 2-3x more savory depth compounds than butter alone, which has a lower smoke point (350°F vs. 450°F).timing6-8 minutes; 350°F
- ✓Add corn kernels in the final 5-7 minutes rather than at the start, since prolonged heat denatures corn's natural starches and breaks down cell walls, causing mushiness; late addition preserves crisp-tender texture and bright sweetness.timing5-7 minutes final cook
- ✓Maintain a steady simmer (180-190°F) rather than a vigorous boil—gentle heat allows pectin in potatoes to gel gradually over 20-25 minutes, thickening the soup naturally by 30-40% without breaking down cell structure and creating a starchy, cloudy broth.technique180-190°F steady simmer; 30-40% natural thickening