Creamy Corn Chowder Recipe

There are quite a few types of soup out there, but it's hard to argue that any of them are more comforting than a good old bowl of chowder. Of course, there are different iterations of chowder, with clam chowder and corn chowder being the two most easily recognizable examples. Recipe developer Julianne De Witt serves up a special bowl of the latter variety with her creamy corn chowder recipe, one that is just as packed with rich, savory goodness as it is hearty veggies like the corn itself and potatoes, along with bacon for some added meaty saltiness. 

Despite seeming like a complicated soup that might only taste good at a restaurant, corn chowder is incredibly easy to make at home, and even better yet, it's economical. "This hearty and delicious soup is easy to prepare and easy on the budget," De Witt says, adding, "It's perfect for busy weeknights or preparing ahead of time to take to work for lunch." This particular corn chowder recipe makes good use of pantry staples and, conveniently, comes together in just over 30 minutes, perfect for those nights when you want something satisfying and ultra-comforting without the fuss.

You'll kick off this chowder recipe by cooking up some bacon, before adding some of it to a soup pot along with a diced onion, diced celery, and minced garlic. And you'll need some corn, of course, with either fresh or frozen being suitable options. To build the soup, you'll need flour, chicken stock, diced red potatoes, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, chile flakes, bay leaves, and heavy cream. Finally, you'll garnish your bowlful with the remaining crispy bacon and fresh parsley. 

Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until crisp, approximately 3 minutes.

Once the bacon is crispy, reserve 3 tablespoons of bacon and place the rest in a large soup pot.

Add the onions, celery, and garlic to the pot. Stir and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent.

Add the corn to the pot and cook for one minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the corn mixture and stir.

Add the chicken stock.

Add the potatoes, seasonings, and bay leaves.

Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Remove the bay leaves.

Add the cream, stir, and simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls.

Garnish with parsley and the reserved bacon.

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If you're well-versed in the world of soups, you may know the distinct differences between types, from minestrone to gazpacho to chicken noodle to borscht. Those less familiar with the intricacies of specific soups may be curious about the difference between a soup, stew, or chowder, especially when it comes to the latter, which is distinctly creamier than many other types of soup. Chowder has a few defining characteristics that set it apart from the rest. 

According to De Witt, the most definitive factor of a chowder isn't necessarily its creaminess, but rather its quintessential chunkiness. "Chowder, like a stew, is served hot and contains large chunks of meat or seafood (or corn in this case) and vegetables such as potatoes," she explains. "Chowder is always chunky, and most variations are creamy and thickened with flour or roux." She notes that there is one popular exception to the creamy chowder rule, the Manhattan chowder, which features a tomato-based broth instead of cream or milk. Otherwise, it's typically pretty easy to spot a chowder since it usually features clams, corn, and some sort of creaminess, but there are also variations like lobster chowder, potato chowder, and even salmon chowder.  

Since chowder is typically creamy (and since this specific recipe calls for heavy cream), and since it often features some sort of meat (like this one with bacon), you may be left thinking that it's simply impossible to make such a soup vegetarian or vegan. Fortunately, it's not all that difficult to transform this specific chowder recipe into something that meets your dietary standards, and it really comes down to making a few omissions or easy ingredient swaps.

To take a vegetarian route, all you'll need to do here is omit the bacon and, instead of sauteing the veggies in that extra bacon grease, just use olive oil instead. You'll also need to swap out that chicken stock, with vegetable stock being a perfectly suitable alternative. To take things a step further and make the chowder vegan, you don't need to omit that creamy element, though you do need to get rid of the heavy cream. Swap that out for unsweetened coconut milk or cream and voila — corn chowder, completely vegan (or vegetarian). 

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