Corn chowder is a type of corn soup made with sweet corn. It can be made with either chicken, bacon, ham, shrimp, sausage, or crab; any source of protein can be added to this easy corn soup recipe. Corn chowder recipe can be made with sweet corn, celery, onion, butter, cream, and/or milk as the main ingredients. However, for this easy corn chowder recipe, I will not be adding butter since my bacon can render most of the fat and flavor I need; hence the butter can be substituted if your bacon has enough fat required for a creamy corn chowder recipe.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 450 grams of Sweet corn
- 1 cup of cream
- 1/2 cup of Bacon. Other additional types of meat, seafood, or fish can be used such as ham, scallops, chicken, crab, or shrimp. Vegan corn chowder can be prepared with mushrooms.
- 1 cup of milk
- 3 tbsp of chopped celery or parsley
- 1 and a half cup of diced potatoes
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 chopped onion
- 3 tbsp of all-purpose flour; can be substituted for cornstarch or any soup thickener of choice can be used especially if you need gluten-free corn chowder soup.
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper
- 2 cups of chicken broth or any meat broth
- 1/4 tsp of Salt
- 1/4 tsp of hot red chili pepper
For vegan corn chowder, you can use margarine instead of butter or bacon fat.
How to Make Potato Corn Chowder with Bacon from Scratch
- Place a pot on the heat and bring in the bacon. Allow it to heat up and render most of the fats of the pork. Fry the bacon until it becomes crispy and brown in color then remove from the pot and strain on a paper towel.
- Using the fat rendered by the bacon, add your onions and stir fry until fragrant. If you are not using bacon or your pork has no fats, then use butter as a substitute.
- Once the onions are fragrant, go in with your minced garlic and fry for about 30 seconds.
- Add the diced potatoes and cook for 3 minutes while stirring, this adds the flavor of the bacon or butter to the potatoes.
- Now, add the all-purpose flour or cornstarch(for gluten-free corn chowder recipe). Other gluten free flour is tapioca starch, potato starch/flour, rice flour, or almond flour. The flour serves as a thickener for the corn chowder. Stir fry the flour with the fat or butter to form a roux. Stir-frying the flour helps to get rid of the smell and ensures the soup or chowder remains smooth and not having balls or chunks when cooking.
- Also, go in with the bay leaf, hot red chili pepper, salt, black pepper, and meat broth. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Once the chowder comes to a boil, add the milk and cream with 2 tbsp of chopped celery or parsley.
- Also, bring in the sweet corn and stir to combine then cover and bring to a boil until the potatoes are soft and the corn chowder has thickened up. This should take about 15 minutes on low heat in a pot. Cooking time may vary according to the type of pot used such as crock pot (slow cooker) or instant pot.
- You can turn off the heat once the corn chowder thickens and the potatoes become soft.
- The fried bacon can be sprinkled on the chowder when served.
This homemade corn chowder is easy to make, creamy, and tastes delicious. It is mass-produced in the USA and comes canned with different varieties such as sweet potato corn chowder, roasted corn chowder, chunky corn chowder, chicken corn chowder, and then clam and corn chowder with bacon.
Some frequently asked questions
How do you thicken corn chowder?
The cornstarch or all-purpose flour added is meant to serve as the thickener. If it is not as thick as you want, then add 2 tbsp of more flour, mix it with 2 tbsp of water to form a slurry, and add to the chowder. Stir to combine and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes more. If you added potatoes, they serve as a thickener as well but only when the potatoes are soft and well cooked.
What makes a chowder a chowder?
A chowder is a type of soup or a stew made with milk or cream and thickened with a roux (flour fried in fat or butter). Additional ingredients that could be added to a chowder may include seafood (such as shrimp or crabs) and vegetables (such as celery, chives, or parsley).
What do you serve chowder with?
You can serve chowder with grilled salmon, baked chicken, roasted zucchini, salad, or you can use it as a dipping sauce for eating crusty bread.
Should chowders be thick?
Chowders are mostly thick but can be made into any consistency you like. What makes it chowder is the fact that it is a type of soup or stew cooked in milk and thickened with crackers or a roux; the consistency of the thickness is totally dependent on you.
What is the difference between soup and chowder?
A soup is generally a liquid food made with broth or water and some ingredients such as meat, fish, and/or vegetables. It is different from chowder which may have the same ingredients but more chunky, thicker, and mostly made with milk or cream.
Is potato soup a chowder?
Potato soup can be a chowder when thickened and cooked with milk or cream. When it is watery and cooked mainly with just meat broth, it is better called a potato soup rather than a chowder.
How long does corn chowder last in the fridge?
Corn chowder can last for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and even more in a freezer.
How do you thicken chowder without flour?
Chowder can be thickened without flour by adding potatoes to it. The potatoes should be well cooked and soft then mash it a bit to release the starch content and then cook for a few minutes.