Description
This Potato Corn Chowder is a rich and creamy soup featuring crispy bacon, tender potatoes, sweet corn, and aromatic herbs. Perfectly thickened with flour and finished with a touch of heavy cream, it's a comforting dish ideal for a cozy meal any time of the year.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 5 slices bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 stalks celery, small-diced
- 1 medium onion, small-diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
Main Ingredients
- 3 medium red potatoes, skin-on and cut into small cubes
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweet corn kernels, drained
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half, plus more to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- Shredded cheese for garnish
- Parsley or scallions for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the Bacon: In a large 6-quart Dutch oven, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon or tongs and transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel. Chop the bacon into smaller pieces and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Remove some of the bacon fat from the pot, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Over medium heat, melt the butter in the pot. Add the celery and onions, and sauté until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add Aromatics: Stir in the minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, and smoked paprika if using. Sauté for another 2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Make the Roux: Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the vegetables and stir to coat them evenly. Cook for about 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add Broth: Gradually pour in the chicken broth while continuously stirring to dissolve the flour and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture back to a simmer; the broth will begin to thicken.
- Cook Potatoes: Add the diced red potatoes to the pot and return to a simmer. If the chowder appears too thick, add more broth as needed. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Add Corn and Cream: Stir in the drained corn kernels and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream or half-and-half to taste, stirring well to combine. Season with salt and pepper according to your preference.
- Finish and Serve: Stir the chopped bacon back into the chowder, reserving some pieces for garnish. Serve the chowder hot, garnished with shredded cheese, the reserved bacon, and chopped parsley or scallions. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a thicker chowder, blend some of the cooked potatoes with a little broth and stir it back into the soup as an alternative to flour for thickening.
- You can make this chowder up to 3 days in advance; store it refrigerated and reheat over the stovetop, adding extra cream or broth if it thickens too much overnight.
- Freeze the chowder for up to 3 months, but omit the dairy before freezing; add the cream or half-and-half when reheating.
- Potato substitutions include Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes depending on your preference.
- If you prefer a lighter creaminess, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or use a mixture of milk and broth in a 50/50 ratio to keep the texture balanced.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
