This recipe for creamy corn chowder boasts layers upon layers of flavor. It starts with fresh summer sweet corn. Instead of relying on chicken broth, you’ll use the sheared cobs to make a Parmesan-corn broth for the chowder’s base. Want to make it year-round, even when corn’s not in season? You still won’t need store-bought stock. A combination of mushroom stems, fresh herbs, and cheese rinds make for a tasty broth, even if the corn flavor won’t be as potent. Pro tip for midwinter corn chowder makers: Leave the canned corn on the shelf; frozen corn will taste fresher and have a better texture.
Sautéing the corn kernels in butter before adding them to the soup pot concentrates their flavor—you’re looking to cook off most of the juices and pick up a bit of caramelization. You’ll deglaze the pan with white wine (a crisp, dry Pinot Grigio works well here) before sautéing a bit of diced thick-cut bacon in the same pan. For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon, but replace it with extra shiitake mushrooms and sauté them until golden brown (reserve some crispy bits for topping the soup) before adding in the rest of the veg.
We like the creamy texture russet potatoes add here, but Yukon Gold potatoes are also good. We also go all in on richness, adding a dose of heavy cream. For a lighter broth, whole milk will be fine, but you could also use coconut milk for a vegan version (replace the butter with a dairy-free alternative).
Need a little more guidance? Watch Carla make the corn chowder here. Can’t decide between corn or clam chowder? Try this combo soup recipe, which pairs briny shellfish with fresh corn.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 35 minutes
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
8
2
4
2
1
2
5
¼
4
1
3
1
2
2
2
2
1
Preparation
Step 1
Cut kernels from 8 ears of corn, husks removed, and place in a large bowl. Place cobs in a medium pot and add 2 Parmesan rinds (if using), reserved stems from 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton’s kosher salt, and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until broth is fragrant and reduced by half, 40–50 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl; discard solids and set broth aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add corn kernels, season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender and juices have evaporated and browned on the bottom of the pot, 12–15 minutes. Reserve ½ cup corn for garnish; transfer remaining corn to a medium bowl.
Step 3
Add ¼ cup dry white wine to pot and cook, scraping up browned bits, until liquid is syrupy, about 2 minutes. Scrape into bowl with remaining corn.
Step 4
Melt remaining 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter in same pot over medium heat and cook 4 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼" pieces, until golden brown and fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Add 1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½" pieces, 3 shallots, thinly sliced, 1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced, 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, and shiitake mushroom caps, cut into ¼" pieces, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened but haven’t taken on any color, 12–15 minutes. Add 2 Fresno chiles, seeded, finely chopped and cook until fragrant and softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and cook until nutty and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add reserved broth, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork-tender, 10–15 minutes. Add 2 cups heavy cream and corn mixture and cook, stirring, until chowder has thickened, 5–10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. chopped marjoram. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.
Step 5
Divide chowder among bowls. Top with chopped parsley or chives, oyster crackers, and reserved ½ cup corn; season with pepper.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in August 2016 as part of BA’s Best, a collection of our essential recipes. Head this way for more of our best corn recipes →
Leave a Review
Reviews (40)
Back to TopIt's a bit of a long haul, but oh my did it smell delicious at every step of the way. Tasted magnificent too! Just wondering how you could make the end product have a bit more sweetness (there was certainly a lot of umami and heroines in there).
orven
somerville, ma
6/19/2019
I made this for dinner and it was delicious! I substituted 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream because it’s what I had in the frig, I highly recommend!
Anonymous
Portsmouth, RI
8/12/2019
Any idea on how long this will last if frozen?
palatabelle
8/14/2019
MY. GOD. Just..... holy effing smokes make this so worth the couple hours hot DAMN!
kmarxmarx
chicago, il
8/17/2019
Oh my goodness. I love soups and chowders and this is one of the very best I have ever tasted. It is a project, to be sure, but absolutely worth it.
kendalaa
Colorado
8/17/2019
I used three times the leeks and left out the parsley and garlic to focus a bit more on the leek and marjoram flavors. Also had a freshly picked Poblano to use as the chile. Incredible results!
orborbo
California
8/23/2019
I don’t think we concentrated the corn broth enough. But it is hard to retain the integrity of the corn and the chowder. My gut is to reduce cooking of the corn and increase the cooking of the broth because I love the flavor of corn. Next time I might grill the corn instead of butter frying to preserve more flavor.
Anonymous
Maryland
8/25/2019