Corn Chowder
Sweet corn, crispy bacon, and tender potatoes simmered in a rich, corn-cob-infused broth — a hearty, creamy chowder that makes the most of fresh summer corn.
- For the Corn Stock
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1½ cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- For the Corn Chowder
- 4 cups corn kernels (from 4 to 5 ears corn), cobs reserved for stock
- 4 oz (4 slices) bacon, chopped
- 1 large onion, finely diced (about 1½ cups)
- 1 large carrot, cut into ¼" dice (about 1 cup)
- 3 celery stalks, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 lb Yukon potatoes, 3 medium, peeled and cut into ¼"-thick pieces
- 2 to 3 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons chives, chopped, to garnish
- Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and set the kernels aside for the chowder — try to scrape off as much of the silky threads as you can while you're at it, since they can make the finished soup feel stringy. Place the bare cobs into a large stockpot.
- Add the chicken broth, milk, and heavy cream to the pot with the cobs, then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 20 minutes — this is what turns plain broth into a deeply corn-flavored stock, and you can use this time to prep the rest of the chowder. Once it's done simmering, use tongs to remove and discard the cobs before using the stock in a later step.
- In a 5-quart Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's browned and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon bits and set them aside for garnish, leaving the rendered fat behind in the pot.
- Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot to the bacon fat remaining in the pot. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the onion turns soft and translucent.
- Add the sliced potatoes, corn kernels, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the pot, then pour in the strained corn stock. Bring everything to a light boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Taste the chowder and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed — corn can vary quite a bit in sweetness, so you may want a touch more salt to balance it out. Ladle the chowder into bowls and garnish with the reserved bacon and chopped chives.
Chef's Note: Simmering the bare corn cobs in the broth, milk, and cream before you even start the chowder is the real trick here — the cobs release a surprising amount of sweet corn flavor into the liquid, giving the finished soup a much deeper corn taste than using stock alone. Cooking the aromatics in the leftover bacon fat instead of fresh oil or butter is another small step that adds a lot of savory depth.
If fresh corn isn't in season, frozen or canned corn both work well here: swap in 3 cups frozen corn plus a 15-ounce can of creamed corn, or two 15-ounce cans of corn plus one of creamed corn, added at the same point the fresh kernels would go in. For an extra creamy texture, blend about a quarter of the finished chowder until smooth and stir it back into the pot.
A few tools that make this recipe easier to get right.
As an Amazon Associate, Salt & Simmer earns from qualifying purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.