This easy corn chowder recipe features fresh summer sweet corn and tender potatoes in a creamy corn broth. Sub frozen corn when fresh isn't in season!
This corn chowder recipe is the perfect meal for a cool summer or early fall night. It’s creamy and comforting, but still packed with veggies. You’ll find tender potatoes, peppers, and—of course—summer sweet corn in this flavorful soup.
I’m obviously biased, but I think this recipe makes the best corn chowder I’ve tried. The secret is using fresh corn on the cob two ways. I add the kernels to the soup for sweetness and crunch, and I also make a quick corn broth with the cobs. It fills this recipe with rich, sweet corn flavor that I balance with savory seasonings like smoked paprika, celery, and Old Bay.
Don’t worry though—if summer corn isn’t in season, you can still make this corn chowder recipe. I’ve made it with frozen corn many times, and it comes out delicious. Whichever option you choose, I hope you love the recipe as much as I do!
Corn Chowder Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy corn chowder recipe:
- Sweet corn, of course! You’ll need 6 ears of corn on the cob. Tip: Save the husks and silks to add to homemade vegetable broth! In a pinch, frozen corn will work here too.
- Butter – For sautéing the veggies.
- Onion, celery, garlic, and red bell pepper – They create the savory base of the soup.
- Yukon Gold potatoes – They add delicious chunks to this corn chowder recipe, and they contribute to its creamy texture.
- Old Bay Seasoning – It adds more savory flavor and a hint of spice.
- Smoked paprika – Many corn chowder recipes call for bacon, but to keep mine vegetarian, I use smoked paprika instead. It adds a delicious smoky flavor.
- Dried thyme and a bay leaf – For aromatic depth of flavor.
- Cayenne – For heat. Use as much or as little as you like depending on how spicy you want your corn chowder to be.
- Heavy cream – It makes the soup thick and creamy.
- Fresh lemon juice – For brightness and tang.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Using Frozen Corn vs. Fresh
If fresh sweet corn isn’t in season, use frozen corn instead! Replace the fresh kernels with 4 1/2 cups frozen ones. Omit the corncobs, and use vegetable stock instead of water.
How to Make Corn Chowder
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this corn chowder recipe:
1. Start by prepping the corn. Slice the kernels off the corncobs, then run the back of your knife down the sides of cobs. They’ll release a milky liquid that makes this chowder extra-creamy and corn-tastic.
2. Make the quick corn broth. Sauté the onion, celery, and red bell pepper in the butter, then stir in the garlic, potatoes, spices, bay leaf, and 5 cups of water. Add the corncobs to the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Continue simmering the soup. Remove and discard the corncobs and bay leaf, and add the corn kernels and the milky corn liquid to the pot.
Simmer for another 10 minutes or so, until the potatoes and corn are tender.
4. Partially blend the soup. Scoop out 2 cups of the soup and transfer it to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. You could also use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup in the pot.
Pour the creamy puree back into the pot and stir to combine.
5. Add the cream and season to taste. Pour in the cream and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes to mellow its flavor. Add the lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasonings, and enjoy.
Recipe Variation
Make vegan/dairy-free corn chowder: Replace the butter with vegan butter or olive oil. Instead of using heavy cream, add 1/3 cup raw cashews to the blender when you puree 2 cups of the soup. Blend until smooth, then stir back into the pot with the remaining soup and add the lemon juice. It’s just as delicious as the classic version, I promise!
You may also like my full vegan corn chowder recipe.
What to Serve with Corn Chowder
Before you dig in to this creamy soup, top your bowl with chopped chives for a fresh, oniony pop. I also like to dollop on a little sour cream for extra tangy flavor.
Serve with crusty bread or homemade biscuits for mopping up any soup left at the bottom of your bowl.
How to Store
To store: Store leftover corn chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze: I’ve tested freezing this chowder, and it works great! Allow it to cool to room temperature, then seal in airtight containers or jars, leaving an inch of space for expansion at the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat: Reheat over low heat on the stovetop, being careful not to bring to a boil, which can cause the chowder to separate. You can also warm it in the microwave, stirring every minute, until heated through.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
If you love this corn chowder recipe, try one of these cozy soups next:
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Or any of these 35+ Best Soup Recipes!
Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh sweet corn, husks and silks removed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 5 cups water
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- Pinches of cayenne pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Chopped chives, for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Sour cream, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Slice the kernels off the corn cobs, then use the back of a chef’s knife to scrape off the milky liquid that’s left on the cob. Snap the cobs in half and set aside.
- Heat the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic, then add the water, potatoes, Old Bay, salt, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, cayenne, several grinds of pepper, and the corn cobs. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove and discard the corn cobs and bay leaf. Add the corn kernels and milky corn liquid to the pot and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth, then stir the mixture back into the soup and add the cream. Gently simmer for 5 minutes, or until the chowder thickens slightly. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.
- Garnish with chives and serve with dollops of sour cream, if desired.
So cozy & delicious!
Used 1 lb frozen corn, 1/2 a bell pepper, and cream. Already excited about leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Also 3 chopped carrots.
Maybe 1/4 – 1/2 cup less corn, or save out to blend.
This was very good. Unfortunately, I was a little heavy handed with the immersion blender, next time I will leave it more chunky. I used frozen corn, cream, and chicken broth instead of water, also added some diced carrot for the mirepoix. It was delicious and a hit with my husband.
This chowder hit the spot! Such a cozy and delicious meal that kept on giving for lunches too!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Is there any chance when you add the lemon juice it will cause the chowder to curdle? What can I do to avoid that? Thank you.
I’m sorry, I meant if you are using cream instead of cashews. If adding cream should you not add lemon juice?
Hi Susan, that didn’t happen to us.
What a hearty chowder recipe! This is the first hot soup of the season (loved the cold Gazpacho soup this past summer!) that I’ve made, and we LOVED it! It was amazing how the cashews made such a creamy addition! Glad to know it can be made with frozen corn in the off season. Your recipes are my go-to picks…thank you for sharing them with us! <3
I’m so glad you loved it and the gazpacho!
I made this last week and enjoyed it so much. I travel 1/2 time on the road in an RV and made it as listed. I just loved the use of cashews to replace heavy cream. My husband couldn’t even tell and enjoyed it as well. I look forward to trying it with frozen corn as there isn’t a lot of counter space and found it difficult to keep the fresh kernals corralled while cutting them off the husks. This recipe is a keeper and look forward to replacing cashews for cream in the future. Thanks for the great recipe and look forward to trying more of yours.
This was so delish… and I learned about the cob-in-the-pot trick! How did I not know this?
Love the combination of hearty potatoes and sweet corn. And the creaminess from the cashews was amazing – my husband was so surprised there wasn’t any cream in it! 🙂
Best corn chowder I’ve ever had! Very much enjoyed this with the cashews and corn providing the cream instead of the traditional heavy cream. My two year old also loved it!
I don’t know what happened to my original post so I’ll just do it again. This is so good my picky eater requested I make it again- that’s huge! I didn’t have enough fresh corn so I had to sub some canned and it still turned out great. I also doubled the recipe and it worked well. All the portions still play well together. This will clearly be a staple dish for us.
This was so rich and delicious!!
This corn chowder was very tasty!
I made this twice in the month of September because it was that delicious! The only change I made to the original recipes was to skip the cashews and instead I added just a small splash of half & half. This soup is going into my Fall and Winter meal rotation!!
This was actually my third time making this recipe, and each time it is delicious. I love the method of using all parts of the corn for the chowder. I think it gives it such a rich corn flavor.
This chowder was a great way to get in a lot of veggies! I made this for the September Cooking Club. I had to use frozen corn but fresh would be amazing.
We loved the Corn Chowder! I added a little fresh jalapeños for a spicy flavor. I have never made corn chowder, this was my first attempt. My husband and I both loved it! I’ll be making this recipe again!
Loved this recipe, especially the “kick” of heat. I mixed my own version of Old Bay (from an internet recipe). Very hearty flavor!!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Great yummy soup! I love that there’s a vegan variation and also a shortcut to use frozen corn.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was amazing!! My husband and I both really loved it. I didn’t end up using the cashews or cream. It might have been better with them, but was totally amazing even without!
Hi Tiffany, I’m so glad you loved it!
This recipe is perfect for corn season. I made a batch on the weekend and it is delicious. I could not find the Bay seasoning so I added some extra paprika and celery seed. I also added a few fresh herbs from the garden.
Hi Shanna, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!